The Malay archipelago : the land of the orang-utan ... - Wallace Online

XXV.] CERAM, GORAM, AND THE MATABELLO ISLANDS. 267on shore, and a great deal of plantains, bananas, and other fruitswere brought on board. We then went on a little way, and inthe evening anchored again. When going to bed for the night,I put out my candle, there being still a glimmering lampburning, and, missing my handkerchief, tliought I saw it on abox which formed one side of my bed, and put out my liand totake it. I quickly drew back on feeling something cool andvery smooth, which moved as I touched it. " Bring the light,quick," I cried ;" here's a snake." And there he was, sure enough,nicely coiled up, with his head just raised to inquire who haddistui'bed him. It was now necessary to catch or kill him neatly,or he would escajie among the piles of miscellaneous luggage,and we should liardly sleep comfortably. One of the ex-convictsvolunteered to catch him with his hand wrapped up in a cloth,but from the way he went about it I saw he was nervous andwould let the thing go, so I would not allow him to make theattempt. I then got a chopping-knife, and carefully movingmy insect nets, which hung just over the snake and jDreventedme getting a free blow, I cut him quietly across the back,holding him down while my boy with another knife crushed hishead. On examination, I found lie had large poison fangs, andit is a wonder he did not bite me when I first touched him.Thinking it very unlikely that two snakes had got on boardat the same time, I turned in and went to sleejD ; but having allthe time a vague, dreamy idea that I might put my hand onanother one, I lay wondei-fully still, not turning over once allnight, quite the reverse of my usual habits. The next day wereached Ternate, and I ensconced myself in my comfortablehouse, to examine all my treasures, and pack them securely forthe voyage home.CHAPTER XXV.CERAM, GORAM, AND THE MATABELLO ISLANDS.(OCTOBEE, 1859 TO JUNE 1860.)I LEFT Amboyna for my first visit to Coram at three o'clockin the morning of October 29th, after having been delayedseveral days by the boat's crew, who could not be got together.Captain Van der Beck, who gave me a passage in liis boat, hadbeen running after them all day, and at midnight we had tosearcli for two of my men who had disappeared at the lastmoment. Oiie we found at supper in his own house, and rathertipsy with his parting libations of arrack, but the otlier wasgone across the bay, and we were obliged to leave without him.We stayed some hours at two villages near the east end ofAmboyna, at one of which we had to discharge some wood forthe missionaries' liouse, and on the third afternoon reached