American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-12-02
THE BOA CONSTRUCTOR.

length, had been deposited in the East lnda MUSE
um OF that town. When this reptile arrives at It's
full growth, it sometimes measures upwards OF 5Ol
feet in length. and il is said TO be iavorite food
with the natives OF some countries living one was
lately exhibited in London which measured about
Is feet. In the narrative Of the wreck oil the Brl-
fish lrgate Alcaste, by MLeod, the surgeon Of that
vessel, is an account of Boa Constructor Of great
interest. ". i. Eceh. f0St'
| This Boa was native of Berneo, and had been
sent to Batavia where he was embarked HE was
brought on board shut up in wooden crib or cage
the bars Of which were sufficiently close to prevent
his escape, and it had sliding door, tor the purpose
OF admitting the article on which he was to subsist
the dimensions of the crib were about four feet high
and about five feet square, space sufficiently large
to allow him 10 coil himself round the cage. The
live stock for his during the passage consisting
Of goats of the ordinary size, were sent with him
on board, five being considered as fair allowance
: tor as many months. At an early period oil the
voyage we had an exhibition Of his talent in the WY
OF eating, which was publicly performed on the
quarter deck, upon which he was brought. The
sliding door being opened, one Of the goats was
thrust in and the door OF the cage shut. The pc r
goat, if instantly aware oil all the horrors OF its
perilous situation Immediately began to utter the
most piercing and distressing cries. butting inslinc
lively at the same time, with its head towards the
serpent, in self-defence.
"The snake, which at first appeared scarcely to
notice the poor animal, soon began 10 stir little
and turning his head in the direction OF the goat
al length fixed deadly and malignant eye on The
trembling victim, whose agony aud terror seemed
to increase; tor previous to the snake Selling It's
prey, it shook in every limb, but still continuing its
unayailing show Of attack by buuing at the pent
who now became sufficiently animated to prepare
Tor the banquet The first operation That OF
daring out his forked tongue and at the same time
rearing little his head. then suddenly selzng the
goat by the fore leg with his mouth and throwing
him down. he was encircled in an instant in his huI
rid folds. SO quick, indeed, and SO instantaneous
was the act, that impossible tor the eye to fol
low the rapid convolution Of his elongated body. 1t
was not regular screw-like turn that was formed,
but resembling rather knot, one part of the body
overaying the other, as if to add weight to the mus
cular pressure, the more efectually to crush its OBJ
Iject.
During this time he continued TO grasp with his
mouth, though il appeared an unnecessary precau-
ltlon, that part Of the animal which he had FIRST
seized The poor goat, in the mean time, continu-
ed It's feeble and half s;ihed cries for some minutes
but they soon became more and more faint, and at
last 1t exp ed The snake, however, retained il for
considerable time IN its grasp, after it wa, apparently
mouonless. He then began slowly and cautiously
to unfold hlmselfIll the goat Tell dead from his mon
srous embrace, when he began to prepare himself
tor the least. Placing his shouth in front oil the
head OF the dead animal, he commenced by lubri-
eating with his saliva that part Of the goat and then
taking Its muzzle into his mouth, which had, and
indeed always has, the appearance OF raw acerat
ed wound. he sucked it in, as far as the horns would
allow. These protuberances opposed some little
difficulty, not so much from their extent as from
their points; however they also, in very sh IT
time, disappeared that is to say externally but
their progress was still to be traced very distinctly
on the outside, threatening every moment 10 pro-
trude through the skin.
The victim had now descended as far as the
shoulders; and it was an astonishing sight to OBJ.
serve the extraordinary action OF the snakes mus.
cles, when stretched to such an unnatural extent
an extent which must have utterly DESTROYED all
muscular power in any animal that was not like
l'selt, endowed with very peculiar faculties Of ex
pahsloh and action at the same time. When his
head and neck had no other appearance than that oil
se1pents skin stuffed almost to bursting, still the
Workings OF the muscles were evident and his now
er oil suction as II Is enormously called, undated
twas IN tact, the effect of contractble muscular
power assisted by two rows of strong hooked teeth
WYNN all This, he must be formed as 10 be able to
suspend, Tor time, his respration for it is impos.
soe 10 conceive that the process of breathing could
DC carried on while the mouth and throat were sol
completely stuffed and expanded by the body of the
goat, b the lungs themselves (admittng the trachea
to be ever SO hard) compressed, as they must have
oeen, by It's passage downwards
The whole operation of completely coreine
the goat occupied about two hours and twenty min
utes at the end Of which time the tumefaction was
confined to the middle part Of the body, or stomach
the superior parts, which had been SO much distend
cos having resumed their natural dimensions He
now eolea hmss!t up again, and LAID quietly in his
usual torpid state for about three weeks or r,n,,h
when' his asst meal sppesring to be completely d.
gesed and dissolved, he was presented with ano,he,
goat, which he devoured with equal facility. II
would appear that almost all he swallows is convert
ed into nutrition, for small quantity or calnaroor