ur*r
71
\ 17® M A R R AT:I V E O F A N
c HAP. upon a branch, for, the pttrpofe of tak in g k furer aim,
i_ ,,_i fired ; but miffing, thehead,i the ball went through the
body, when the animal ftmck round^ ancl with fuch
aftonifhing force as; to cut away all the underwood around
him witli^ibe facility of a fey the mawin§^rafèf arid by
flouncing his tailj caufeti the mdd and dire M' %*er'
put headsrtq; a oanfiderablexliftancë. Of thisf^rÖCfeédl#g
however we, were not torpid fpediatoirs^ h u t tööh t#c>te
heels, and erouded into the\canoffi. The wegro ^Ay^retreated
me to renew the
■would be quiet in -at and -^r»jp i&e® jmrfifhing
in theaffertionfthat he was/hiitKef abfei hÈrsiécliHed
to p u rfo e u s ;; which opinion heiuppqrted
before me, till I fhould he ready to fire/ And tliüs l'agaié
undertook to make the triahiej|ïecï^y 3 rh e vMèAat'ttii3<’
firft ftarting backwards had, only tpröc&edëd
to make room for me. I now found the fnake a little,r^t
moved from his former
head as before, lying, out among thefaMCft ’ fel^es,:rotfon
bark, and cAd mofs; I fired at irimmefiÉ^ejy, b u tM th no
better fuceefs than the other time: and noy^1 beihgtbut
flightly wounded, he fent up filch a cloud ofidufi atffi dirt»,
as I never faw but in a whirlwind, arid made u k t^ ^ tó b fè
fuddenly retreat to our canoe; where now, being heartily-
tired of the exploit, I gave orders to row tow&fdb the
barge: but David flili intreating me to permit him- to
kill the animal, 1 was, by his perfioafiofts, induéëd tó
make a third and lalt attempt, in company with Mm.
Thus,
Thus, having once more dUbovered the fnake, >ve dif- chap.
charged both our pieces at once, and With this good effedt, • vn*
that he was now by one of,us fhot through the head.
David, who was made completely happy by this fuccefs-
ful conclufion, ran leaping with joy; and loft no time in
bringing the boat-rope, in order to drag him down to the
canoe; but this again ‘ proved not a very eafy undertaking,
fince the creature, notwithftanding its being mortally
wounded, ftillcontinued to wreath and twift about,
in fuch a manner as rendered it dangerous foi* any perfon
to approach him. The negro, however, having made a
running noofe on the rope, and after fome fruitlefs attempts
to make an approach, threw it over his head with,
much dexterity; and now, all taking hold of the,rope, we
dragged him to the beach, and tied him to the ftern of
the canoe, to take him in tow. , Being Hill alive, he.kept.
fwimming like an eel; and I having no rclifh for fuch a
lhip-mate on board, whofe length (notwithftanding to
my aftonifhment all the negroesf declared it to be but a
young one come to about its half growth) I found upon
meafiiring it to he twenty-two »'feet and fome inches;
and its thicknefs about that of my black boy Quaco,
who might then be about twelve .years old, and round
whofe waift I fince meafured the creature’s fkin.
Being arrived along-fide of the Charon, the next con-
fideration was, how to difpofe of this immenfe animal;
when it was at length determined to bring him on lhare
at Barbacoeba, to have him fkinned, and take out the
oil,