Islands, which lie a long way to the eastward. They come here to
build their big war-canoes; and as these take two, and sometimes
four years, to build, there's always some o' the brown-skins among
the black sarpents o' these islands."

"By the way, Bill," said I, "your mentioning serpents, reminds me
that I have not seen a reptile of any kind since I came to this
part of the world."

"No more there are any," said Bill, "if ye except the niggers
themselves, there's none on the islands, but a lizard or two and
some sich harmless things. But I never seed any myself. If
there's none on the land, however, there's more than enough in the
water, and that minds me of a wonderful brute they have here. But,
come, I'll show it to you." So saying, Bill arose, and, leaving
the men still busy with the baked pig, led me into the forest.
After proceeding a short distance we came upon a small pond of
stagnant water. A native lad had followed us, to whom we called
and beckoned him to come to us. On Bill saying a few words to him,
which I did not understand, the boy advanced to the edge of the
pond, and gave a low peculiar whistle. Immediately the water
became agitated and an enormous eel thrust its head above the
surface and allowed the youth to touch it. It was about twelve
feet long, and as thick round the body as a man's thigh.

"There," said Bill, his lip curling with contempt, "what do you
think of that for a god, Ralph? This is one o' their gods, and it
has been fed with dozens o' livin' babies already. How many more
it'll get afore it dies is hard to say."