Washington sentinel., 1854-01-25
The Mhip Snake.

AS the wind was veering about rather capri
ciously, was casting my eye anxiously along
the warp, to see how it bore the strain, when,
to my surprise, it appeared to my eye to thicken
at the end next the tree, and presenting some
thing like screw, about foot long, that oc-
casionally shone like glass in the moonlight,
began to move along the taut line with spi-
raj motion. All this time one Of the boys was
fast asleep, resting on his folded arms on the
gunwale, his head having dropped down on the
stern of the boat But one of the Spanish
boatmen in the canoe that was anchored close
to us, seeing me gazing at something, had cast
his eyes in the same direction. TIE instant
he caught the object he thumped with his palms
on the side Of the canoe, exclaiming in loud,
alarmed tone: Culebra! cule6ra r'-" A
snake snake l'-on which the reptile made
sudden and rapid slide down the line to-
wards the bow of the boat, where the poor lad
was resting his head, and Immediately after
wards dropped into the sea. The sailor rose
and walked aft, as if nothing had happened
amongst his messmates who had been alarmed
by the cries of the Spanish canoeman; and
was thinking little of the matter, when heard
some anxious whispering amongst them.
Fred" said one of the men, what is wrong
that you breathe so hard ~ why, boy what
ails you2'' said another Something has
stung me" at length said the poor little fellow,
speaking thick, as if he had labored under sore
throat. The truth flashed on me candle
was lit and on looking at him, he appeared
stunned, complained of cold, and suddenly as
sumed wild startled look. He evinced great
anxiety and restlessness, accompanied by a
sudden and severe prostration of strength, still
continuing to complain Of great and increasing
cold and chilliness; but he did not shiver. AS
yet no part Of his body was swollen except very
slightly about the wound however, there was
a rapidly increasing rigidity Of the muscles Of
the neck and throat, and within half on hour
after he was bit he was utterly unable to swal-
low even liquids.
The small whip snake, the most deadly asp
in the whole list of noxious reptiles peculiar
to South America, was not above fourteen inches
long; it made four small punctures with its
fangs right over the left jugular vein, about an
inch below the chin. There was no blood
of a crown piece, of dark red, surrounded them,
which gradually melted into blue at the outer
rim, which again became fainter, until it disap-
peared in the natural color of the skin. BY
the advice of the Spanish boatman, we applied
an embrocation Of the leaves of the palma
christi or castoroil nut, as hot as the lad could
bear it; but we had neither oil nor hot milk to
give internally, both Of which they informed us
often proved specifics. Rather than lie at an
chor until morning under these melancholy
circumstances, | showed out into the rough
water; but we made little Of it, and when the
day broke, saw that the poor fellows fate was
sealed. His voice had become inarticulate; the
coldness had increased; all motion in the ex-
tremities had ceased; the legs and arms became
quite Stiff the respiration slow and difficult as
if the blood had coagulated and could no
longer circulate through the heart; or as if
from some unaccountable effect of the poison
on the nerves the action of the former had
been impeded. Still the poor little fellow was
perfectly sensible, and his eye bright and rest
less. His breathing became still more inter-
rupted He could no longer be said to breathe,
but gasped; and in half an hour, like the
steam engine when the fire is withdrawn, the
strokes, or contractions and expansions of his
heart, became slower and slower, until they
ceased altogether. From the very moment
Of his death the body began rapidly to swell,
and became discolored. The face and neck,
especially, were nearly as black as ink, within
half an hour of it; when blood began to flow
from the mouth, and other symptoms Of rapid
decomposition succeeded each other so fast
that by nine in the morning we had to sow him
up in boat sail, with large stone, and launch
the body into the sea- Professor Wits0n.