A
Green Snake Lived With Us Several Weeks, Concealing Himself Behind
The Casing Of The Deckhouse In The Daytime.
To be aroused in the
dark by five feet of cold green snake gliding over one's face is
rather unpleasant, however rapid the movement may be.
Myriads of two
varieties of cockroaches infested the vessel; they not only ate round
the roots of our nails, but even devoured and defiled our food,
flannels, and boots. Vain were all our efforts to extirpate these
destructive pests; if you kill one, say the sailors, a hundred come
down to his funeral! In the work of Commodore Owen it is stated that
cockroaches, pounded into a paste, form a powerful carminative; this
has not been confirmed, but when monkeys are fed on them they are
sure to become lean.
On coming to Senna, we found that the Zulus had arrived in force for
their annual tribute. These men are under good discipline, and never
steal from the people. The tax is claimed on the ground of conquest,
the Zulus having formerly completely overcome the Senna people, and
chased them on to the islands in the Zambesi. Fifty-four of the
Portuguese were slain on the occasion, and, notwithstanding the mud
fort, the village has never recovered its former power. Fever was
now very prevalent, and most of the Portuguese were down with it.
For a good view of the adjacent scenery, the hill, Baramuana, behind
the village, was ascended. A caution was given about the probability
of an attack of fever from a plant that grows near the summit.
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