The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-06-02
&irhmaIh 9!spaht~
SATURDAY NORNTNo.......JUNEa 1890
SNAKE STORIES.

Few thugs excite q deeper interest IN .
mtuds Of men han snake stortes. 1has v
have observed In the course OF Our wv.
journalist. We have pnOttshed SONS waot
nara In our time. They found more scaoe'
than .nv,hine else we could spread before '"
nubltc. There (. something In the character .
III. snake hts mode Of locomotiop, hts stesltn
wnvstIe attack, bis power OF fascina'io" nm" ~
a..a,v h;ta that makes him an object OF inter
81, A. veil a. horror. Besides. he 10 made Z
n,.v a conspicuous rartfn the Bible history
and represen ted by Divine inspiration rs tn
r~scn,iar enemy Of man and this adds Target!
:, his coasea uence and the feelinl
and dread with which he Is regarded BY men
So that, whenever n snake story 10 told every
h,dy listens, and whenever one is published
everybody reads Il. We often thought tina
arowdy aud disorderiy crowd would Be readily
Quoted IL some one would only eiiasnakesto
ry. A very venerable gentleman, long an Alder
man of the city. now dead, never failed 70 reao
the snake stories We published, aud alwaysex
pressed his qualification with them. Ia all
struggles. too. with the serpent there Is univer.
sal 10Y waea he is conquered and killed, such
is the general hatred for our peculiar enemy
since the creation. This would be the senti-
men, even though his adversary should be a
shark or alligs'or.
Oar own country is not so beset with snakes
As some o.hers-especially some of the regions
of Asia and Africa. Our dreaded snakes are
the ra,tlesnake and copperhead. They are
the most poisonous. The latter is very art
full, very malignant and rs deadly as the rat
,lesnake; but he i. fortunately seldom seen.
lie is very much like some men, in his venom
aud his steaslhy attack. The East, how
D.~. ,~hara tho fret eornanf mNda his
appearance, is still the favorite theatre
of his race. From the dignifed Mr.. and
Mrs. Cobra to the sweet little 'green snake,'
they are q .happy family" We append an in
teres,ing article on this subject taken from
ChamLs. Journal, entitled
SNAKES HAVE u
If there is any thing in the world Of which /
entertain a deer. rooted hatred and an uncon.
troliabie dreau, that object undoubtedly is q
snake. ano next to q snake, anything In the
shape of = lizard, scorpion, toad, or other rep
tile: nevertheless. it seems to have been de-
creed that from my earliest infancy upwards,
I sho,. i'd be doomed TO be exposed to perpetual
encounters and adventures with these toath-
some creepers upon the earth. The nrst clear,
tangible object that fixed itself upon my memo
ry-I could have been very little more than
two ye.rs old at the timeO of the occurrence
was 4 hideous cobra co!ling itself under the
pillow ofmy Iudian nurse. who slept ON q mat
on the floor; and the first word l could dis.
1inctly arti ulate was "Pamboo" (tamul.snake,)
with which cry, aud poiatlng with my finger,
1 drew attention to ths unwelcome intruder,
and forthwith got him dispatched. Then a
long blank interveEes, reaching over nearly
three wears after which, my adventures may
be termed legion. The next incident relating
10 reptiles which 1 can recall to mind is con-
nacted with my brother, Bill-who was older
than myselt-and u small white scorpion.
Bill had been trying to unlock a large pad
lock on the fowl.house and being unsuccess-
full. poked his little fager into the key-hole,
and Immediately, to my immense as establishment
and am performed a most extraordi.
nary dance round the yard, accompanying the
same by the most hideous bowls, contOrtlOns,
and grimaces. Bat l had no idea at the mo-
ment, OF course, that ne uao Deeu Sung by q
venomous reptile.
One very heavy monsoon at Madras, when
the rain had swollen the river to such an ex.
tent that it flooded the country for miles
-round,I wasstandingin the billia,d.room sur.
veying the dreary aspect out OF the windows,
when my attention was suddenly arrested by
the moribund grOans OF 4 frog, and turning
round, l saw a huge snake under the billiard
table in the very act Of engorgingit. Slidingin
at the opposite door was Mrs. Cobra and her
young family, driving before them some
wre,ched little frogs, which were vainly en-
suers. One bound on to the billiard table, and
another OF it, and into the veranda, cleared
he Of my disagreeable neighbors; but, before
lghtfaIi that day, twenty-seven snakes OF all
0eSSTlDLOuS anu SIZES WcAO AlllcO III tAdk Ol1-
liard-room by the servants. The waters rose
80 high that every house in Madras suffered
from y perfect visitation of reptiles, and not
only reptiles, but jackals and birds, sought an
asylum in the homes OF men, with bandlcoots,
rats. scorpions-in short, sufficient reptile ma
terial to hit \ very decent museum OF natural
history.
1 was sitting in a travellers bungalow once
at a place called Ootagherry, between Madras
and the Malabar coast, and my friend was sit
ting near the door, SO AS TO catch As much day
light as possible, reading some work from
the little library with which government and
voluntary con tributions furnish those bupga-
lows. Suddenly, l perceived that a large snake
had coiled Itself round the back of his chair,
and was poking its head between his arm aud
his body, as though seeking for some other
hold. For q moment, 1 was paraly zed, and
the next the snake had shifted its search, and
was rapidly coiling round the young officers
neck. AT the same instant, a servant made
his appearance opposite the door, and got so
frightened that he fell to the ground in a faint
ing fit. My fiiend was luckily q man Of i'm
mense nerve and great presence OF mind he
saw at a glance that his only chance was to re-
main as still as a statue; the slightest move
would have alarmed the snake, and then moth.
ing could have saved him. Lon my part, sat
motionless, with my heart frozen through and
through. In a very few seconds, fortunately,
the servant and paikee. bearers returned from
the tOps, where they had been having their
curry and rice, and the noise of their approach
alarmed the snake (then coiled round and
Ouuu tu6 OOuY "a 81 81 AuCut t10t u uus
wrapped itself rapidly, and slid as rapidly
away TO its hole. s. fainted instantly he
found himself safe, and my anxiety had been
SO intense that l telt i'll for many days after
wards. Ga relating this adventure 10 Major
W, whom we metal the very next station,
he told US one Of his " serpent experiences.
II command said the major, 1.-THE detach.
menl Of foOt-artillery stationed in the fort at
Masulipatam-a hOrrid place, as you know,
gentlemen, for any Christian to be quartered.
Mrs. W was just recovering from q severe
illness, and, for the frat time Tor many q day,
was able to join me at the tifin.table. Most
fortunately, / was on q garrison court-mar-
tial that day, and had my sword hanging by
a tiled one, with 40 Intervening platform or
other roof; and suddenly there dropped upon
the t4bee between us an immens0 cobra, who had
been most likely hunting for squirrels nests
amongst the conical tiles. Raising its hooded
head, aud kissing horribly, the reptile threat
ened alternately to dart at one or the other Of
US, its yenOmed fangs prOtruding q full inch.
As for Mrs. W, she had fallen back in her
chair perfectly unconscious; and never for a
second removing my eye from the snakes, /
ly bounding aside ut the same instant, severed
its head from its body. II was . hairbreadth
escape, l can assure you, for both OF u.s."
Some time afterwards. ! was residing At
Chittoor, in North Arcot, and there was little
detached store-house or godoscn, as they are
called, where l kept my supply of beer and
other European luxuries. Railways kept the
Key OF this place myselk and one morning, Is
was my wont, went In to get out some articles
lor the day. The door was the only place Of
lngress or egress, and the GOODWIN, which was
matched with palm.leaves, could ast(
asingie window, darkness being a REQ h.
those hot countries for that kind Of ~
Houee. Wnat +! req u.red took me- 70 the yery<
aud l was just Shopping down 70 ss,.ct ur~~
wanted, when / heard q tremendnus A. -