CHAP, having twitted itfelf by the help of its clawsj- fo that the
^ V1L , creature cannot efcape, it breaks, by its irrehftlble force,
every bone in the animal’s bodyj which it then covets
over with a kind of flime or flaver from its mouth, tb
make it Aide; and at lalt gradually: fucks.itiny.till;it 'diF-'
appears after iYii^ he^b&m a cannot Oiift ks, fituationyt
on account of the great knob or knot which the Jwal-
lo&ed prey occafions in that part of the body whefe it
fefts' till it is digefted ; for, till then it would hinder i the
fnake from Hiding along the ground. During.that time
the abotna wants no other fubfiftence. I -have been told
of negroes- being devoured, by this animal, and ~ am
difpofed to credit th e raccount; for Ihould’they xhance
to come within its reachr^when; hungry, â fc lw m ^ â s
certainly feize Ibem as àny Other animal. I, do hot
Apprehend that its flelh, which l i v e r y Iwhifcjwand
looks like that of fifh, _is in anyrefpeft pernicious to the
ftomach. I fhould have had no objeftion to the negroes
eating it till it was confuihed, had I not obferved à kind
of diffatisfaftion among the remaining niarines, Who
would not have been pleafed with my giving the ne*,
groes the ufeof the kettle to boil it. The bite of this
fnake is faid not to be venomous ; nor do I believe it bites
at all from any other impulfe than hunger.
X {hall only add, that having nailed its fkin on the bottom
of the canoe, and dried it in the fun,.fprinkling it
over with wQod-afhes to prevent it from cörruption, 'I
fent
fent it to a friend at Paramaribo, whence it was iince fefit chap.
to Holland &s-<a curiofityf ! Vn* ,
^/«owever. extraordinary this account may appear to
many ^eadersy let.thepi peruff, the narrative which is related,
by a, gen^cipan in the ifland of Ceylon, who few a
.figet\killed there d>y, a fpake he calls the anacunday but in
a quke di%fept manner, and their wonder will ceafe. I
muft add, however, tlaat this gentleman’s relation is fo
very marvellous, that, notwithftanding what I have experienced,.]:
;jitiiift confefs it; very • greatly ftaggered -my
<fakh *. m : ; . m aid
This bafinefs: beihg ended, falfo made an end of the
* « | , r b y
^arwaryio order the next day to affume the command.
I without greatBifficulty, attribute this
*p^ero®ina^onmdie ahomal1 TfiT: even to the rattle-duke.
I am' bbltgeif ;tb contradift.3 Nor can 11j
F o l . 1 . A a
CHAP.