Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-20
0blo Statesnran,
Combat with an Anaconda.

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camp had been pitched, says the late Cap
tain Speke hunt was set afoot, and Cap
tain Grant, myself and some attendanJ
were soon making our way to "the patch
There were no animals there when We ar
rived, except few hippOpotami, and W.
were therefore obliged to await the coming
of some palatable game. Our patience
however, was severely taxed, and, after {
long delay, we were about to ''bag" a hip
popotamus, when an attendant, perChed II
atree about halfa mile distant, began wav.
ing his blanket. This was a signal that
game was approaching. We Immediately
drew into cover and awaited the coming o
the latter.
We were not long delayed, for presently
a long column of animals, from the ele.
phant to the hoodoO, appeared in view
trotting at good pace to the river. Theil
hanks were soon presented to us, and each
selected his object and fired. McColl shot
a fine young bulfalo-cow, while Captain
Grant was equally successful with q
hoodoo, and several spears, cast by.our at
tendants, stopped the career of one or two
different animals of the herd.
At this iuncture, however, occurred an
unexpected adventure, that finished our
sport at least for that day. | had sprung
forward Immediately after firing, in order
to obtain fair shot at huge elephant,
| that | wanted to bring down on account OF
his immense tusks. got the desired aim,
and pulled the trigger Ofmy second barrel.
| At the moment of my doing so, wild cry
of alarm, uttered by one of the blacks,
called my attention. Glancing around, my
eye CHANGED to range up in the foliage of
the tree beneath which Captain Grant and
myself had lain for several hours previous.
My feelings may possibly be imagined as
beheld an enormous boa constructor,
whose head and neck, projected some dis
tance into view,ss Showed that he was about
to make fatal spring.
His direction was certainly toward me !;
and, as he flashed from his position like a
thunderbolt, gave myself up, for ere aid
could reach me, the fold of the monster
would have crushed my strong frame into
a quivering pulp. | felt seemingly caught
in whirlwind of dust, and a strange indie
scribable scuflle epsued.
In the midst of this strife | suddenly be-
came conscious of the presence of second
victim, and even after the time that has
elapsed since then, still recollect with
what vividness the thought shot across my
mind that this second victim was Captain
Grant, my noble companion. AT last, after
being whirled about for several seconds,
each second seemed to be interminable,
there ensued lull, stiffness as of death,
and opened my eyes, expecting to look
upon those uneXplored landscapes which
are seen only in the country beyond the
tomb. Instead of that, saw Capt. Grant
leveling his rifle toward me, while stand
ing beside him were the blacks, in every
conceivable attitude of the most intense
suspense.
But in moment / comprehended ALL
The huge serpent had struck young buf-
falo COW, between him and which | had
unluckily placed myself, at the moment of
firing upon the elephant. A most singular
good fortune had attended me, however,
for instead of being crushed into mangled
mass with the unfortunate COW, my fore
arm only had been caught in between the
buffalO's body and single fold of the con-
strictor.
The limb laid, just in front of the shoul-
der, at the root of the neck, and thus had
a soft bed of flesh into which it was jam
med, as it were, by the immense pressure
of the serpent's body, so that it was like
iron in harness.
AS saw Grant about to shoot, terror
possessed me. for if he refrained 1 might
possibly escape after the boa had released
his folds from the dead cow. But should
he fire and strike the reptile, it would, in
its convulsions, crush or drag me to pieces.
Even as this idea came to me | beheld
Grant p use. He appeared to comprehend
all. He could see how was situated, that
| was still living, aud that my delivery de-
pended on the will of the constructor. We
could see every line on each others face,
so close we're we, and | would have shout
ed or spoken, or even whispered to him
had dared. But the boa's head was r-ar-
ed within few inches of mine, and the
wink of an eye-lid would perhaps settle my
doom, so Istared, like dead man, at Grant
and the blacks.
Presently the serpent began very gradu-
ally to relax his folds, and after tightening
them several times, as the crushed buffalo
quivered, he unwound one fold entirely
Thus he paused. The next irOn-like band
was the one that held me prisoner; and as
felt it little by little unclasping, my heart
stood still with hope and fear. Perhaps,
upon being freed, the benumbed arm, un-
controlled by my will, might fall from the
cushion-like bed in which it lay. And such
mishap might bring the spare fOid around
my neck or chest, and then farewell to the
sources of the Nile. Oh, how hardly, how
desperately struggled to command myself!
| glanced at Grant, and saw him handling
his rifle anXiously; glanced at the negroes,
and saw them still gazing as though petri-
fled with astonishment. | glanced at the
serpent's loathsome head, and saw its
bright, beady eyes, watching for the last
sign of life in its prey. Now, then, the rep
tile loosened the fold on my arm hairs |
breadth, and now little more, until half
an inch separated my arm and its notified |
skin. Icould have whipped out my hand, |
but dared not take the risk. Atoms of time |
dragged themselves into ages, and minute,I
seemed eternity Itself! The second fold |
was removed entirely, and'the next one was |
easing. Should dash away now, or wait |
a more favorable moment? decided upon |
the former, and, with lightning speed, | |
bounded away toward Grant, the crack of |
whose piece heard at the instant. For
the first time in my life l was thoroughly |
overcome, and, sinking down, remained
in a semi-cOnscious state several hours.
When fully recovered, Grant and the
overjoyed negroes held me up, and pointed
out the boa, who was still writhing in his
death agonies. | shuddered as | looked
upon the effects of his tremendous diving
strength. For yards around where he Law,
grass, and bushes and sapplings, and, In
fact, every thing, except the more fully
grown trees, were cut clean off, as though
they had been trimmed with an immense
scythe.
This monster, when measured, was fifty
Dne feet two inches and half in extreme
ength, while around the thckest portion
Of his body, the girth was nearly three