, 1860-05-24
l9ress Trihtt1tG.


THURSDAY, MAY -, 1860.
Snakes have Met.
II there is anything in the world Of which
I entertain deep-rooted hatred and an IN"
comfortable dread, that object undoubtedly
is a snake, and next to snake anything IN
the shape Of lizard, scorpion, toad, or other
reptile; nevertheless it seems to have been
decreed that from my carliestinfancy upwards,
should be doomed to be exposed to perpetual
encounters and adventures with these loath-
some crcepers upon tue earth. The first clear,
tangible object that fixed itself upon my
mcfnory-1 could have been very little more
than two years old at tho time Of the occur
1euce-was hideous cobra coiling itself un-
der the pillow Of mr. Indian nurse, who slept
On a mat on the floor, and tho first word I
could distinctly articulate was "Pamboo,"
{tamul auake,) with which cry, aud pointing
with my finger, drew attention to the un-
welcome intruder, and forthwith got him dis
patched. Then long blank interyenes,
reaching over nearly thrse years; alier which,
my adventures may be termed legion. The
next incident relating to reptiles which I can
recall to mind is connected with my brother
Bill--who was older than myseH-and a small
N4lIlt tCQTUou- JILL 44@AA 0IEA4 ~ AA6 W III
lock large paddock Oh the fowl house: and
being unsuccessful, poked his little finger into
the keyehole, and jmmedi ttely, to my immense
astonishnent and amusement, performed a
most cxtraordinare daree round the gard, &C.
companying the same with the most hideous
howls, contortions and grimaces But had
no idea at the moment Of course that he had
been stung by yenomous reptile
One very heavy monsoon, at Madras, when
the rain had swollen the river to such an e1-
tent that it flooded The country Tor many miles
around, was standing in the billia1d-room
surveying the dreary aspect out Of the WIN
dows when my attention Was suddenly AZ
rested By rhe morbund groans Of frog, and
turning round, I saw huge snake under the
billiard-table, in the very act Of eugorgingit it.
Sliding in at the opposite door, was Mrs.
Cobra and her young family, driving before
them some wretched little frogs which were
vainly eudearoring to escape from their re-
lentless pursuers- One bound On to the bill
iard-table and another or it, and into the vcr-
acdah, cleared me Of ny disag1eeable neigh
bors; but, before nightfall that. day, twenty
seven snakes Of all descriptions and sizes were
killed in that billiard-room by the servants
| The water rose SO high that every house in
Madras suffered from perfect visitation Of
reptiles, and not only reptiles, but jackals and
| birds sought an asylum in the homes Of men,
with bandicoote, rats, scorpions-in short, suf-
dcient reptile material to tit up very dccert
museum Of natural history.
| was sitting in travellers bungalow once,
| al = place called Ootagherry, between Madras
] and the Malabar coast, and my friend was Sit
IL 'ua. .us u4, 81 40 ~ .A.s ., a. 49, e
,itI1 -, ~ Poas' GA. % "e.A A.o -. -
..!e 4.ol@ls "!ta "'Itsu ., I.a1 '1uI W..
c.'Ia3,.. eei ~ .t'nt ~o.e 1ss"so na1.a taj
1as WE ras5 ~, 49, h"a,l "a h;s aa;s ..s 10y
&C., tone tLu rA =! 9.:a - Saa.' ~ ~
49, .Ian 1 ~ eao,'e' 81. "sa 49, "41u a.,a. III
-" nt ~ . .na nS ,,1s ~. SIv ~ ~. ~ nns+
~ a,. npnc W. pa''.5 ~ anu 10y nsa. Aaa
lle suaAe Iao sllnteu !ls sea'cel: anu W.
! lapia'y couinH touno lne young olaGef hecA'
AT 1he same lhstant servant maoe US ar-
psIanee n oppos'Io om tan oool :.ao w. 80
eaeo :l'as le leit 70 1he sIounu ~ la'n1Ins ~
Ay '1Nnu was luch"y ll'au ~ 4n"enso nel' a =
ano gsea1 PIesence ~ tnlno; he saw as - .
eMnce 'nat Us on'y caanco was 10 le'naln as
still rs statue; tile slightest move would
hare alarmed the snake, and then nothing
could have saved him. ], on my part, eat mo-
tionless, with my heart frozen through and
through. In few seconds. fortunately, the
servant and palkee-bcarers returned IRON the
tope, where they had been having their curry
and rice, and the noise Of their approach
alarmed the snake then coiled round and
round the body Of S--) 80 much, that it un-
wrapped itself rapidly, and slid as rapidly
away to its hole s. tainted instantly be
found himself safe; aud my anxiety had becll
SO intense that felt i'll for many days after
wards. Ga relating this adventure to Major
W, whom We met at the very next sta,
ton, he told us one Of his OWE serpent expe,
1iences.
II commanded" said the Major, "tlle de-
! tactnent Of foot artillery stationed in the for'
| at Masulipatam-a horrid place as you know
gentlemen, for any christian to be quartered
Mrs. II was just recovering from {
scyere Illness, and for the first time fol
mauy day, was able to join me at the
| tifGn-tablc. Most fortunately I was on :
| garrison court-1nartial that day. and had MI
sword hanging by its belt to the cllair>back.-
Our bungalow was tiled one, with no inter
vening platform or other roof; and sudden,
There 1r"rr,'' "rc'' the table between us Al
immense COBRA w11o hao oeen most Likely nun
ting 1oF squirrels nes1s amohes! the eoh'ca
utles: raising 1ts noooeu neao ano hiss'n'
horribly the reptAe threatened aitefnately u
cart u one or ehe o.her o. Us, Us se'omes ne
1anes ps"luulns 1uu llcn. As lot Aas: w.
sue llao l"leu pacA IL net ealnr ps6les.ts "
conscious; a,u leeGt ,or escon1 :at.a,l teo' .n
m5 ~ nou s4.e s Snna s,saan1 i;a. a";a
eu n.y. s"91u' ..a suuae -. uo9u naa ..sae ;,
,'.,.. M T. 49, a. tsa,at1 aa"a. a. ha. =:
, 49, ~ ""7 4'D'''1 1oA"$A e~~"pe +o1 w.
+ ~ ~. - I'll ,,,. ,o,;,oo c>,,a
ns't ue'e.i ~ a.. .ns '.'Ia.a -. .oun ~
S!'aAes ~ ee i'le ass'essoS aue:s ~ Ss
,cnl .nto sm' ~, ae sue' " ou'u? .nen ls'.oa
oleeq a, .n 10 ~ sou.A - - To3aI... 1nI .e1' -
! al" "Is enaseu y, wy ~ iseu' :,
heal's nun III H9u1, escaHng 11e l1', pluie onl u
: ~ aouonns qulch's touno ~ J. s!u,noeo "
q eF stout pailou "1nsu ~441 ".ne.s - "eapo
, Sou uspalclleu ~ =. lae ues1 VI umcs
nervous "otA coal.ns ~ c!oso qualteas W. W.
Ine eoo'11 oo ..4se a4'!. aaa ~ ~ ue
] man. r9ol,te na'ea nolloli ~, 'ie gtet
shaHo y! ina14-Mnlc9 n ~ cett 1 pre-. a'
:. specimen; II anstn'ps ~ .11e Snaps " snaa
Gan oe canea pses'' ~ nhtln1es 1a can pao;
10 1ne eoat,aly, NY uay XIV pe'asl
1''aoso n'la 1nnfnns a1o.h ooaeh VI VI m oal
,S w. pusn; .,e s.a.o M:as iu.ens ns.' anda W.
pae SPeelAe'G, ~ "n'G ieason' Pc.,ops'
cou.u aos w., u.nn 80 sause y. 49, pu
uoncaon' :ai,o supposed II 10 nave oeeA uappE
oy some w'le' selzeo tae oi1a IS gre
T |'r'ze' 1ot was making eouect'on 10 of1
nome WIN me- IN second ai1eF"a1os, II
= glass ol ny flght eye spectacle was snat'e5'
10 peces' ana l haroiy reeoselea 1for
amazement, "nen tne SNAKE o'saPpolnlea. .
Ills am. "f1EE1en OIL into Tue tnlcReeI o. I