This obliged me to stand clear, as his blows were terrific, and the thickest part of his body was as large as a man's thigh.

I at length thought of an expedient for securing him.
Cutting some sharp-pointed stakes, I waited till he was again quiet, when I suddenly pinned his tail to the ground with my hunting-knife, and thrusting the pointed stake into the hole, I drove it deeply into the ground with the butt end of my rifle.

The boa made some objection to this, and again he commenced his former muscular contortions.

I waited till they were over, and having provided myself with some tough jungle rope (a species of creeper), I once more approached him, and pinning his throat to the ground with a stake, I tied the rope through the incision, and the united exertions of myself and three men hauled him out perfectly straight.

I then drove a stake firmly through his throat and pinned him out.