men
were under his own protection, and he would not see them wronged. This
argument also failed. He now urged that we were men of influence at
Mosul, and were going direct to Constantinople; that, by securing our
influence against his colleague and rival, Melul Agha, he might secure
a perpetual supremacy in the district of Sherwan.

"This plea gained the case; the eyes of the old savage glistened with
diabolical satisfaction as he thought of the villainous trick he was
about to play upon his rival. He drew from his bosom a letter and handed
it to the Mullah, who read it and handed it to our servant. It was
written by Melul Agha, to Khan Abdul, our present host, directing him to
take the rest of our property, and murder us without fail. This letter
had been written on the blank page of another letter, sent to Melul
Agha, by Mustafa Agha, of Ziba, who resides at Akkre. It was the last
scoundrel who had sent letters in advance of us into the mountains,
inviting them to murder us--and this, all for the sake of making a
little impression on the government at Mosul."

After these hair-breadth escapes from murder, the party returned in
safety to Mosul.

A BATTLE WITH SNAKES.

Since the exhibitions in London of the two Hindoo snake-charmers--the
first we believe who ever visited Europe--everything relating to
serpents seems to have acquired additional interest. Many facts
regarding the nature and habits of the various species have been
published, affording much information and still greater astonishment.

Waterton, in his "Wanderings in South America and the Antilles, in
1812-24," relates some stories of so marvellous a character, that,
coming from a less authentic source, their truth might be
reasonably doubted.

While in the region of Mibri Hill, Mr. Waterton long sought in vain for
a serpent of large size, and finally, offered a reward to the negroes if
they would find him one. A few days afterward one of the natives,
followed by his little dog, came to him with the information that a
snake of respectable dimensions had been discovered a short distance up
the hill; and armed with an eight feet lance, and accompanied by two
negroes with cutlasses and the dog, he at once started to take a look at
it. Mr. Waterton states that he was barefoot, with an old hat, check
shirt and trousers on, and a pair of braces to keep them up. His
snakeship was pointed out as lying at the roots of a large tree which
had been torn up