Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-05-30
3flistGllant0ns.
Boa Constructors.

IT., Gloomy forest IN which witnessed what
lam .hont TO relate is situated short DIS
.,a,a n. from the town o Dleiky, IN the East 1u-
cia Island of Timore.
On . small plot Of ground where STANDS "
,-ron,. of about flty bHIIdlnsS ot most fantastic
[1onrs each surrounded by It's own IhcIosuFeS'
rya ,nl die few sickiy Europeans ana mum
49, or vaIoys who blackgu their teeth with be
al or,ts aDd lime Here thcy live, and nea"
tlsm-so near indeed that he can reGch them
- sipnle boand-lycs tie terrible boa con
.tricror who ouiy deyours myrads OF inSec'S
whom he hanpens not to have pounced upon
52E.io in his rapid fight
The lulrslo is the boa's natural iood. Inc
,ment he has sitzed upon an amman OF lnlS
.rptjon he drags him toward ono OF the
N rrly Giants of the forest, eEtoIds him, SQueeZ-
,;In and stiles him. in spite CT his sharp
arm. his friyhrfuI believing and his sturdy
5 ,,pljers then covers him with slime, his
rl.h tongue seeming at once 10 careSS anu IN
sct his victim he kneadS his body ne sfe'ch'
asn ont and pounds his bones, aud "heh these
hilcogs ureparaticns are completed, ana MS
-sr.f'o irs,irrt tells him that hIS victim IS III
state IA ha devoured. he let's it fail, aud piac-
nr bimsel, q. full length opposite the Il'eIeSs
laTalo's head, opens his jaws, the elasticity ol
which is almost bevond credcnce-ti'i MS Fih8S
crcak as they draw nearer each other, ana 'hch
draws loar breath. when the quadruped Is
smoked in by a s"rles OF jerks, ana no sooner !"
its body halt engnlIed tnan the yoraciouS ooa
grows calm, feels drowsy, anu at length iaiis
asleep rs if wearied Ivy struggle that has eX-
hnusied hsstreDgth.
II the boa was alone before he attacked the
buffalo, and if his female is asleep at some dis
tauce from him, You may then approach IN IuIl
confidence, for Jon have nothing to fear from
his strength, his slime, nor his open jaws that
are yawning like some vast furnace. nave
aid that he is asleep, but it would be more cor
net TO say dend for he is as iusensibIS as the
,nnk Of tree.
There is no glory as you may perceive IN
Killing the boa in the state OF torpor in which
he is thrown ut the beginning of his loathSOme
gepaSt, but as no one thinks of glory in the
daily war waged against this hideouS reptile.
the best plan is 10 take him in The midst OF bis
feast, and for several men to kneel down from
bis head to the middle Of his body, as if before
some yenerated idol, aud then to place pols
oned arrow on string made of the enrals OF
FISH, and, at a given signal to let fly simuIta-
0eousy at this crawling Lucullns, who is struck
BY death in the midst Of his feast.
Hunting boa is far more periIous, and, Tor
ny part, | should thousand times prefer at
lacking tiger or a hungry lion in the desert,
taan the dreaded boa onstrlctOr in the forest.
Bullets are Intellectual against hlm-for how
were it possible to direct them with sure aim
10 the midst of his rapid undulation, as the
l'caering Of fame? Yon faacy You hear
Nm ruslIing under your feet, when. 10 he IS
hanging by the last rings of his tail 10 some
"SA branch, swinging TO and fro ready to dart
upon you, aud crush you to atams as he would
oOllaIo. 1t may be, as there is no sting to
Oe eared, that you may have sufiicieAt pres
eace OF mind to divide the reptiles body with
your sword but, for my part, | should give
myself up as lost the moment his Shiny body
had encrcled me in its folds, and should only
oeieVe in the success of yonr attempt, if you
assure me you are born Malay, and inhabit
Tmore
The depredations on the herds of buifaloes
'e'ongng to Europeans and to Rajahs trlbu
''Sfy to the Resident Of Dielk7, committed by
~e 0oas of the forest adjoining this un:ortu-
aS'e colony, had become so frequent and so ia
'' hat the Governor, Jose Pinto Alcoferado
te Azevedo Souzza, determined, at length
" organize hunting parties for the pur-
ro@ OF destroying, Or.at aDyrate driving away
..S, ~ge dangerous reptiles For this purpose he
.D''ted number of stout-hearted energetic
r.a. Wno were not afraid of entering the gloo-
y '''est by Gay or by night, and making war