242 AFRICAN "WANDERINGS.

the great man reproved ]iim for his passionate outburst and former similar offences, and dismissed him, smiling and nodding to me, as if pleased at what I had done. No one was happier than the slave, who on the sight of his master had again fled to our recuba, Avhen I handed him his manumission ; we took him into our service as cook, so that our former cook could now go and follow his passion, the chase.

The Gisser Avas not yet swept away, though the water was four or five feet above the dam. I, along with the Pascha, was riding one day in its neighbourhood, on the left bank of the Gash, when my dromedary shied, and we became aware of a large serpent. The PascKa at once gave the workers orders to catch the animal, and this was at once set about. The snake, thus pursued, took the water, and once in, it boldly raised its liead and turned on the Ai-ab near it, who, armed with a hassaie, liad cast himself off tlie dam into the water. With great dexterity he took aim at the head of the snake, and struck it so violent a blow, that, as if stunned, it let its head sink and began to Avrithe and twist most violently, on which another Arab approached witli a cord : tlie first laid hold of it, seized the snake by the neck below the head, looped the cord round it, and then both drew it ashore. Here it lay for a momeiit quiet, and we could examine the fearfully beautiful creature, Avhich was more than eleven feet long and half a foot in diameter. Hoavever, Avhen they began to drag it further on, Avhich, of course, Avould haAC spoiled the whole skin, orders were given to carry the animal into the camp ; a jacket was bound over its head, and three men prepared to raise it on their shoulders. The brute, lioAvever, made such strong convvxlsive Avrithings, that it and its three bearers came to the ground together, and the same thing happened again Avhen many other bearers were aiding. I Avent Avith them to the camp, had a strong nail driven into the front large beam of our recuba, and tlie monster hung on it. It hung all slack and limber doAvn, as did also another snake that our {servants had hung Avhile yet alive inside our recuba ; and I intended to take them doAvn and skin them in the morning, as the <lay Avas too far gone to do anything to them noAV. In the night I Avas most unpleasantly disturbed, for the inside snake that hung