Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-05-12
Malayan Reptiles.

We find the following account Of the reptiles
that abound in the Philippine Islands in Black
,cood for April. 1t occurs in an extended and
very interesting notice of new book recently
published in Paris, entitled " "Twenty Years in
the Philippine Islands, ,'--Eclectie.
Human beings rarely fall prey to these big
reptiles NJ. de la Glroniere heard various sto-
ries from the Indians of men being killed and
swallowed by them; but Indian stories are not
to be implicitly credited, and he was unable to
verify more than one insance--that of a male
factor who hid from justice in cavern. His
father visited him occasionally, to supply him
with food One day he found, in place of his
son, an enormous boa, sleeping. He killed it,
and found his son in its stomach. The poor
wretch had been surprised in the night, crushed
to death, and swallowed. Upon The whole, how
ever, the boa is one of the least terrible of the
Philippine serpents. There are small ones whose
bite proves mortal within few hours Of an ex-
ceedngly venomous description is one which the
Indians call dqjon-palay leaf of rce.) Burning
with hot ember is he only antdote to its bite
if that is not promptly resorted tohorible suffer
ings are followed by certain DEATH The ain.
norani Is another Sort eight or ten feet long
and, if anything, more dangerous still than the
"rlce leaf" inasmuch as its bite is deeper, and
more difficult to cauterlze. Although SO much
abroad is forest and mountain, and taking few
precNtions, M. de la Gironiere was never bitten
He tells US of narrow escapes. Once he trot
upon dqjon-palay. {" was warned by move
ment under my foot | pressed hard with tina
leg, and saw the snakes little head stretching
out to bite me ON the ankle; fortunately my foo
was on him at SO short distance from his head
that he could not get at me: drew my dagger
noticed two eagles rising and falling like arrows
amongst the bushes, always at the same place
Curious to see what manner Of animal they wert
attacking, approached the place but no soone
had done so, than an enormous ain morani
furious with the wounds the eagles had inficte'
on him, advanced to meet me. retreated h
coiled hlmself up gave spring, aud almos
caught me on the face. BY an inverse move
ment, made spring backwards, and. avoide
him but took care not to turn my back and rur
for then should have been lost. The serper
returned to the charge, bounding towards me;
again avoided him, and was trying, but in vail
to reach him with the edge of my dagger, whe
an Indian, who perceived me from distance
ran up,armed with bough of tree, and rid m
of him."
"My dogs were dispersed along the brink
deep ravne, in which was an enormous boz
The monster raised his head to a height ot tiv
or six feet directing il from one edge to tn
other of the ravne, and menancing his assailan
with his forked tongue; but the dogs, more az
tive than he was, easily avoided his attacks. M
first impulse was to shoot him, but then it o.
, Cured to me to take him alive and send him
France. Assuredy he would have been IL
most monstrous boa that had ever been thei
e To carry out my design, we manufactured no
i ses of cane strong enough to resist the me
| powerful buffalo With great precautlon
I. succeeded in passing over one Of our noos