Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-22


AN lNDIGEsTIBLE MEAL.-An immense ana
conda recently arrived in this city from che
neighborhood of the Congo river in Africa. 1t
is said that his length is between twenty and
twenty-five feet with girth of thirty inches in
the largest part of the body. There are few
curious circumstances connected with this
great reptile stranger, since his arrival, which
are worth chronicling. Just before leaving his
native land he took hearty meal of dog
and no other food was eaten by him for even
months after. About the FIRST of October, this
king of snakes arrived in Boston, and was
lodged in large case with very strong glass
walls, and double English milled blanket
folded into four thicknesses, furnished for his
bed. On the 10th of November, Mr.. Sears the
proprietor, thought it was full time to tempt his
appetite, and therefore introduced a rabbit into
his den just at evening. On viewing the inte-
rior the following morning, the blanket was
missing, while the rabbit was still alive On
Wednesday, seven days AFTER the blanket was
discharged, whole and unimpaired, after cir
cuitous journey through an intestinal tube Of
nearly one hundred and fifty feet 1t may now
be seen in the apartment-being six feet wide
by seven in length. Since that period, he has
exhibited excellent health, and has devoured a
fowl. Every few days he drinks about three
quarts of understanding it all up at once
When an animal is given for food to one Of his
family of serpents, it is eyed ntently for an in
| slant, and then the poor trembling creature is
suddenly crushed in the huge folds Of the terri
| BILE monster-the cracking of the bones being
distinctly heard at quite distance. Thus pre-
pared for swallowing, the body is stiff held in
COIL which is equivalent to hand, and kept
| steady, while it is gradually sucked down the
| throat of the animal, into the stomach, where
Il "a al taI 4 Il. zcM
| Sears, that when the anaconda sprang at the
rabbit, mentioned above, by some mistake in
calculation the latter escaped, and the edge Of
the blanket was seized by the teeth When
these are once engaged, being for holders and
not for mastication, it is quite impossible to
| disengage them and hence whatever is once
| drawn into the mouth, must necessarily 60
| down the throat. Even the muscles of deglu-
tition seem to act independently Of volition,
and urge the morsel along by strong, convul.
sive, peristaltic contractions. -Boston Surgical
and Medical Journal.
VINO MosT MERIT CoMPAssIoN.--The per
sons in America who seem to me to merit com
passion most, were not the poor, for of these
there are not many, except in few large eli
| ties those who are ID be pitied are the rich
| Obtaining wealth by course of successful In
other means of spending it than in rearing
| splendid mansions, and in furnishing them in q
style of Oriental luxury, and thereafter living
in gorgeous magni6cence, like the prince-mer
chants of Genoa in the past times of Italian
i glory So far as the actual founders of for
tunes are concerned, there is, perhaps, little to
discommend in all this; but it was disagreed
bly, pressed on my notice, that the sons of these
millionaires, born to do nothing but to live or
their fathers earnings, were much to be pitied
In New York, they were seen lounging about
idly in the parlors and bar-rooms of the hotels
worn out with dissipation, and the nightly vic
TINS of gambling houses, of which there are q
number in Broadway on scale of matchless
splendor. Among the vices they have lately
thought fit to introduce, is the practice, now
obsolete in England, of encouraging profes
sionl pugilism, the exercise of which occa
sioE ally leads to serious ARRAYS.
In Great Britain, as we all know, a consider
able part of the fortunes realized in trade il
expended in the purchase of land, and in effect
ing rural improvements of various kinds; the
country, by such means becoming useful EN-
CINE OF depletion to the town. But in Ameri
ca, land conveys no honor, and is not bought
except as temporary investment, or a source
Of livelihood. Wealthy men, therefore, would
have nothing 10 look for in the rural life beyond
the pleasures of villa. So far as | could
learn they do not even go that length, but con
sumo their means, for the most part, in the
more seductive but not very refining enjoy
ments Of the city. With few exceptions, there
fore, families Of any note do not continue il
affluence more than one or two generations
An old family in America must ever be ,
kind of miracle. The principle which seems
to be laid down is, that family distinction i
adverse to democratic institutions; and tina
consequently each generation ought to be lef
to shift for itself; philosophic rule, no doubt
but which, like many other good maxims il
not without practical difficulties Chambers
} Journal.