Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
head just raised to inquire who had disturbed him. It was now necessary to catch or kill him
neatly, or he would escape among the piles of miscellaneous luggage, and we should hardly
sleep comfortably. One of the ex-convicts volunteered to catch him with his hand wrapped
up in a cloth, but from the way he went about it I saw he was nervous and would let the
thing go, so I would not allow him to make the attempt. I then got a chopping-knife, and
carefully moving my insect nets, which hung just over the snake and prevented me getting a
free blow, I cut him quietly across the back, holding him down while my boy with another
knife crushed his head. On examination, I found he had large poison fangs, and it is a won-
der he did not bite me when I first touched him.
Thinking it very unlikely that two snakes had got on board at the same time, I turned in
and went to sleep; but having all the time a vague dreamy idea that I might put my hand on
another one, I lay wonderfully still, not turning over once all night, quite the reverse of my
usual habits. The next day we reached Ternate, and I ensconced myself in my comfortable
house, to examine all my treasures, and pack them securely for the voyage home.
