This man has just killed a poisonous snake (a labaria) in the sugar cane, on the Wales Estate, near Georgetown (Guyana). He's lucky, hence the wide grin. About every twenty years, I was told, one of the workers is killed by a snake.
This man has just killed a poisonous snake (a labaria) in the sugar cane, on the Wales Estate, near Georgetown (Guyana). He's lucky, hence the wide grin. About every twenty years, I was told, one of the workers is killed by a snake.
The Guyanese always have good stories about snakes. The worst, I was once told (by some boatmen on the Rupununi) is the water camoudie, or anaconda. They said it could creep up behind someone, unclip its jaws, and swallow him whole. Back in the 18th century, an English physician called Dr Bancroft had written something about this snake (he could always pip a good story with one of his own). His version of the anaconda was known as ‘the soddomite snake’ because it killed its victims by creeping up on them, and shoving its tail right up their …. well, the name says it all.
