The Hawaiian gazette., 1869-04-28
A Dangerous Passenger.

10 see something also OF the frencn pos
session in the East Just as We were ready
to sail, | met a gentleman who ha9 lately
returned from a long journey to Cambodia,
whittier he had gone TO photograph the ruins
of the wonderful temples in that land. He
had specimen for me, he said, which must
accept before / knew what il was, condi-
ton readily complied with, but when the
specimen" appeared, l must confess l was
not little surprised TO find it was an enor-
nous python. 1t had been caught by the
natives of Bankok after it had gorged itself
on some unfortunate beast; but that was
some time before, and the brute was evidently
ready for another feast. My cans, contain
ing alcohol, We're already on board the ship,
but took the monster with me when went
off to her late in the evening, designing to
drown it in its box, and then transfer his
snakeship to can. The captain, with the
greatest politeness, met me at the rail, aud
showed me my state-rOOm in the after cabin,
and the sailors began to bring my baggage,
when, first of all, appeared the box contain
ing the pythonl | shouted out to the cabin
boy that that box must be left out on deck,
and then, in low tone, explained TO the
captain that it contained an enormous snake.
:" Ia seTPents w, SeTpeRt!" he exclaimed,
raising both hands in horror, in that express
sive manner which only a Frenchman can,
and proceeded to declare that he ought to
have known that passenger who was a nat
uralist would be sure TO fill the whole ship
with all sorts of venomous beasts. All the
Others were little less startled, and Stunned
me in the halflighted cabin, as If | were in
league with evil spirits but quieted their
| fears by ordering a sailor TO put the box into
a large boat that was placed right side up on
the main deck, and promising to kill the great
reptile the next day.
Early the next morning We made sail, and
] concluded to let my troublesome specimen
| remain until We were out of the harbor, but
/ now, in the changing of the monsoons, the
winds are light and battling, and We finally
I came to anchor once more, when a sailor
! who got up into the boat said something
about "le serpent" was on the quarter
deck at the time, and determined not to be
| troubled more with it, jumped down on the
| man-deck, ran to the side of the boat, and
Selling the box gave it toss into the sea,
but just as it was leaving my hands thought
to myself, chow light it is ~ and the sailor
said I" lie serpent NEST pas encore pas en-
core :" We all looked over the ships side,
and there was the box floating away, and it
was evident that the monster had escaped.
Everyone then asked, Where is he ?' but
no one could tell. | assured the captain that
he was in the box when put it on the sam
pan to come off to the ship. Is he on
board?" was the next question from the
mouths of all We looked carefully into the
trace of him whatever, and all, except my
self, came to the conclusion that he was not
brought on board, and then went back to
their work.
The box in which he had been confined
was about foot and half long by a foot
high and foot wide, and over the top were
four or five strips of board, each fastened at
the ends with a single nail. On inquring |
more closely, the sailor told me that before |
seized the box, the side with the Stats was |
one of the perpendicular sides, and had not /
been placed upIermost, as it ought to have /
been. Them | reasoned, she is here on |
board, somewhere, beyond doubt, and | !
brought him here, and it's my duty to find |
him and kill him.
We had four horses on deck, and the mid !
die of the boat was filled with hay for them, /
and under that ii was probable that the great /
reptile had crawled away. In the bottom of |
the boat, aft, was a triangular deck, and as | /
climbed up a second time, l noticed that the
board which formed the apex of the triangle
was loose, and moved little to one side.
Carefully raising this, | espied to my horror,
the great python closely coiled away beneath;
the place being so small that the loose board
rested on one of his coils. / wore a thin
suit, a Ceinese banj, or loose blouse a pair
of canvass shoes, and a large sun-hat |
Throwing off my hat, that l might 20 into
the dreadful struggle unimpeded, shouted
out for a long knife, knowing well that what
must try to do was to cut him in two, and
that he would attempt to catch my hand in
his jaws, and, if he should succeed in doing
that, he would wind himself around me as
quick as man could wind the lash of a long
whip around fixed stick, and certainly he
was large enough and strong enough to
crush the largest horse. The cook handed
me a sharp knife more than foot long, and,
holding the board down with my feet, 7
. hlaIa ., H.. Il I
wrenching with all my might, tried to break
the great reptiles backbone, and thus rem
der all that part of the body behind the frac-
ture helpless. Despite my utmost efforts, he
hulled away the knife, and escaped two or
three feet forward, where there was more
room under the deck. By this time there
was the greatest confusion. The captain,
evidently believing that discretion is the
better part of valor, ran below the moment
he was satisfied that had indeed discovered
the monster, seized brace of revolvers, and,
perching himself upon the monkey rail, lean
ed his back against the mizZen rigging, and
held one in each hand, ready to fire into the
boat at the sligest alarm. The sailors all
gathered round the boat and stood perfectly
still, apparently half-stupified, and not know
ing whether it would be safest for them to | g
stand still, climb up the rigging, or Jump
overheard The first mate armed himself
with revolver, and climbed on to the stern
Of the boat. Indeed, every moment [ ex-
pected to hear a report, and find myself shot
by some of the brave ones behind me- The
second mate, who was the only real man
among them all, seized large sheath-knife,
and climed into the boat to help me.
| knew it would not do to attempt
10 strike the monster with knife where he
lad room enough to defend himself; there
ore threw it down, and seized a short hand
pike of iron-wOOd, the only weapon within r
ny reach, and told the second mate to raise
he deck, and would attempt to finish my
antagonist with the club, for the thought of
escaping while could, and leave for Others
o do what belonged to me, never entered
ny mind. As the deck rose beheld him
oiled up about two feet and half from my
light foot. Suffering the acutest agony from
he wound had already given him, he raised
lis head high out of the midst of his huge
oil, his red jaws wide open, and his eyes
ashing fire like live Goals felt the blood T
hill in my veins as, for an instant, we
danced into each others eyes and both in I
realized that one of us two must L
lie on that spot. He darted at my foot, i
coping to fasten his tangs in my canvas shoe, h
ut | was too quick for him, and gave him n
UGH blow over the head and neck that he j.
vas glad to coil up again. This gave me
ime to prepare TO deal him another blow,
nd thus for about fifteen minutes l contin-
ed to strike with all my might, and three or
our times his jaws came within two or three
inches of my canvas shoe. | began now to
eel my strength falling, and that | could not
old out more than moment longer, yet, in
hat moment, fortunately, the carpenter got
is wits together, and thought of his broard-
xe, and, bringing it to the side of the boat, o
cid up the handle, SO that | could seize il Il
ihile the reptile was ceiling up from the last ii
Turning blow. The next time he darted at t,
he [ gave him heavy cut about fifteen D
lches behind his head, severing the body n
ompletely of, except an inch on the under