The canoe was soon aground, and in another minute the three travellers busily engaged in turning over the carcass of the huge reptile, which they found, to the amazement of Martin and Barney, had actually swallowed an ox whole, with the exception of the horns, which protruded from its mouth!

After much questioning, in bad Portuguese, broken English, and remarkable signs, Martin succeeded in drawing from the old trader the information that anacondas of a large size are often in the habit of thus bolting horses and oxen at a mouthful.

There is not the slightest exaggeration in this fact.  Readers who are inclined to disbelieve it may refer to the works of Wallace and Gardner on Brazil,—­authorities which cannot be doubted.

The reptile commences by patiently watching until an unfortunate animal strays near to where it is lying, when it darts upon it, encircles it in its massive coils, and crushes it to death in an instant.  Then it squeezes the body and broken bones into a shapeless mass; after which it licks the carcass all over, and covers it with a thick coating of saliva.  Having thus prepared its mouthful, the andaconda begins at the tail and gradually engulfs its victim, while its elastic jaws, and throat, and stomach are distended sufficiently to let it in; after which it lies in a torpid state for many weeks, till the morsel is digested, when it is ready for another meal.  A horse goes down entire, but a cow sticks at the horns, which the anaconda cannot swallow.  They are allowed to protrude from its mouth until they decay and drop off.

They were at a loss at first to account for the creature being killed; but the old trader suggested that it had been found in a torpid state, and slain by the Indian whom they had seen a short time ago enjoying his siesta among the trees.

Having cut it open, in order to convince themselves beyond a doubt that it had swallowed an entire ox, Martin and the old trader re-embarked in the canoe, and Barney was on the point of joining them when the bushes close beside him were slightly stirred.  Looking quickly round, he beheld the head and the glittering eyes of another anaconda, apparently as large as the dead one, ready to dart upon him,—­at least so he fancied; but he did not wait to give it a chance.  He fled instantly, and sprang towards the boat, which he nearly upset as he leaped into it, and pushed out into the stream.  On reaching the middle of the river they looked back, but the anaconda was gone.

Soon after this they came to a long sandbank, where the old trader said they should find as many turtles’ eggs as they wished for, although to Barney and Martin there seemed to be nothing on the bank at all.  The fresh-water turtle of the Amazon, of which there are various species, is one of the most useful of reptiles.  Its flesh supplies abundance of good food; and the eggs, besides being eaten, afford an excellent oil.  The largest species grow to the