A late 18th Century gold mounted sinuous bamboo walking cane, the gold mount shaped and engraved as a serpent's head, overall height 120cms, with accompanying notation "This bamboo cane grown artifically in the form of a serpent and mounted with gold head was presented by English residents at Fort Marlboro Bencoolen, E.I. to Jos Hurlock Esq., Governor of that settlement, about 1770 as emblematic of the wisdom of his government. He died 1793 aged ?", the reverse with further references.