The same thing happened with the lady's dress; in that case also we caught the snake, as it could not disentangle its fangs.
In the country near Rio there are great snakes called the anaconda, a sort of boa-constrictor on a large scale.

Once, while walking in the woods with some friends, we found a little Indian boy dead on the ground, one of these big snakes lying within a foot or so of him, also dead; the snake had a poisoned arrow in his brain, which evidently had been shot at him by the poor little boy, whose blow-pipe was lying by his side.

The snake must have struck the boy before it died, as we found a wound on the boy's neck.

This reptile measured twenty-two feet in length.
By the way, a well-known author, Mrs.B----, tells a marvellous story about these snakes.

She says that they always go in pairs, have great affection for each other, and are prepared on all occasions to resent affronts offered to either of them.