The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-12-16
TIE eos CONSTRUCTOR.

!
I'm Gazette, Which mentioned that tn
Mn at Nnlrns serpent a, The ,peci,s at 4
| !e:., 6 feet flir in,.ii' iii irHgih h ID beer
| 'tpo-tet IN IL, t.ast India lIu-.umof ia =
2, hHn. When this rrpiilr arrives ri lis fol.
| .rnwih, il somrtimrs measures upNards
| If 80 tel IN length, and il Is said In he a
| ..tnrjtr food with the natives of some
, :oun,rIr,. \ living one Was lately rAhi-
! Dlted ia London winch measured about IL
: tet. In the narrative II the wreck nf tie
| British fri1ate AIcastr, by M'lrod, the
! ,nfgeUn al thai vessel. Is an sccOunl uf Il
| Boa Constructor of great interest
(,N l. F.. Post
This Boa WAS native 0C Bernro, aud
had been sem To Batavia Where ht was
embarked. lie WAS brought on board
| hut up in a wooden crib or cage, the bars at
which were Sufficiently close In prevent hrs
esrap ha a sIiGlDna door, fof the par
po,r ut admDttlHg the article nu which he WAS
IL subsisl ; the dimensions of the crib were
four feet high and about FIVE feet square, Il
space sufficiently laISe IL allow him tn
con himself rouhd the cage. The live
stock for his usc during the passage, con
sisllng al goat, of the ordinary size, were
scnt with him ou board, five being c0nsl-
drrcd RI n fair allowance for as many
months. At an early period Of the way ,'ge
we had an exhibition of his talent In The
" y of eating, " hich WAS publicly perform
ol on he quarter deck, upon which he was
brought. Thr sliding door being opened,
one of the goats WAS thrust IN and the
door of the cage shut The poor goat, as
ii instantly aware of all the horrors of its
perlous situation, immediately began Ia
utter the most piercing aud distressing
cries, batting instineiively at the same time,
with lis mead towards the serpent, in self
defence.
d" The snake, which at first appeared
scarcely TO notice the pnpr animal seon be-
gan IN stir little, and turning MS head in
the direction of the goat, at length fixed IA
deadly and malignant eye on the trembling
victim, whose agony and terror seemed IL
Increase; for previous to the snake srizing
It's prey, n shook in every limb, but sui
continuing its1Inavallmg saWa OF attack by
quitting At the serpent, who nov became
sufficiently animated to prepare for the
banquet. The tirSt operation MAS that Of
during out his tolked tongue, and At the
same time rear,nga Fthe his head, then
suddenly seziEg the goat by the fore lc.
win his mouth, and throWIr5 hiin down,
he WIS encir, e. in an instant IN his huIrd
odds. So quick, Indeed, aud 81 lnsia:.lt-
neoas was the act. that II WAS ''mpos-lhle
TO" the eye 10 folio" the rapid cant olutlon
ofllis elongated body. 1t was not rrgn
Etr scrcn.irkr turn that MAS formed, ut
resembling rather knot, one part of the
body 0nrllsying the oiher;&as II :" a ii
weight Ia the rnuscu ar pressure, TIE more
"iiee unlly 10 cru n its object.
During this time hr continued Ia grasp
with his mouth, though it appeared an
unnecessary prrcauti"n, that part of the
auimaI which be had first srl2ed. The
poor goat, in til" mean time, continued lis
treble and haF stllled ,crirs for time mi
nutes but they soon tt.caine more and
more FAINT, and t last II expired. The
snake, however. retained il for a cunslde
rattle tIf7c in lis grasp, after it WAS rppar-
etly metonlrss He then began slowly
and cauii3;sll 10 uutod hjmsr! IA the
goat fell drad from his ruonstrous embrace,
when he began to- prepare himself for The
feast, Placing his mouth IN front OF the
head Of The dead animal, ht commenced
by labrcating Nth his saliva that part Of
thr goat: and then taking is maz2le lnto
his mouth, which h. i. aud lnden always
has, the appearances of a raw IaceTattd
wound hr sacked II in. as far rs the horns
would alIaw. Those prot0heranccs oppo-
Sod sumo irttle difficulty. net so much fron
their extent as from tiisn points howe
YER, they also. in short uUr disappeared;
thai is TO say eNtrrnalW but their progress
WIS stIl to be traced very distinctly on the
outside, threatening every moneCtto pro-
trnde through the skin.
q The victim had now descended rs far
40 The shoulders and it was an astonish-
ing sight To observe che extraordinary &c
ton OF tho snakes muscles, when stretch
ed to surn al ar. al eXtrut-nn extent
which must ha>r utterly destroyed all
muscular power in any animal ihatwas
like itself, endowed with very peculiar ia
chitIrs ot expansion and action at the salne
time. WHEN his head and neck had n"
other appearance .thdp that Of ssYpnt
skin, stuffed almos r. bursting, sui the
workings ofthe muscle we're evident; and
his power of suction, Il, 1t Is enormously
" called. undated it WAS in fact, the
pf'rct Of contrdctIhie muscular power,
assisted b., two ROWS of strong hooked
teeth. With all this, hr must be so formed
as 10 be able TO suspend, for \ time, his
respiration, for it is impossible tp Conceive
mat the process uf hrenthirg could he car
rIrd on while the mouth aud throat were 50
completely stafrd and expanded by the
body of the goat, and thr lungs thrraarl'es
(adp it;iag the trachca TO be over n hard
compressed, as they must have been by lis
pass. re downward,.
The whole operation If completely
gorgiag the gaat, occupied about two hours
and twenty minutes; at the end Of which
ii1nr Ii. lnnl1laclInn WIG cnnGund IN tlc