The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-19

ARemnrkable Adventure.

From Singapore, my plan was to procssd
Idirectly to China, but finding In port French |
ship which was bound for Hong Kong via Sal
Son, 'ne capital OF Cochin emma, | engaged a |
passage on her, In order to see something also
Oh tne French possessions in the East. Just
as we we're ready to sail met a gentleman
VINO had lately returned from long Journey |
10 Cambodis, whittier he had gone to photo
graph the ruins Of the wonderful temples in |
tnat land He had specimen for me, he said,
which must accept before knew what it
was, condition readily complied with, but
when the specimen" appeared, must con-
fess was not little surpii ised to fnd il was
an enormous python. It had been
caught by the natives of Bangkok after
1t had gorged itself on some unfortu-
before, and the brute was evidently ready for
another feast. My cans containing alcohol
were 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 a can. The
captain, with the greatest politeness, met me
at the rail, and showed me my state-room in
the after. cabin, and the sailors began to bring
my baggage, when first of all appeared the
box containing the python shouted out to
the cabin boy that that box must be left out
on deck, and then, in q low tone, explained
to the captain that 1t contained an enormous
snake. "Un Srpent! serpent!' he ex-
claimed, raising mp both hands in horror, in
such an expressive way as only Fren,hman
can, and proceeding to declare that he ought
to have known that passenger who was
naturalist would be sure to fill the whole ship
with all sorts of venomous beasts. ALI Of
the others were little less startled, and
Stunned me in the half-lighted cabin, as If
were in league with evil spirits, but quieted
their fears by ordering sailor to put the box
into large boat that was placed right side up
on the main deck, and promising to kill the
great reptile tomorrow.
May M.-Early this morning we made sail,
and concluded to let my troublesome spsci-
men 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
came to anchor once more; and sailor who
got up into the boat said something about "Le
serpent" was on the quarter deck at the
time, and determining at once not to be trou-
bled more with it, jumped down on the main
deck, ran to the side of the boat, and seiZing
the box gave 1t q toss into the sea, but just as
it was leaving my hands thought to myself,
"How light it is!' and the sailor said, "Le
serpent nest pas encore!-pas encore!" We all
looked over the ships side, and there was
the box floating quietly away, and 1t was
evident that the monster had escaped. Every
one then asked, "Where is he?' but no one
could tell. l assured the captain that he was
in the box when l put 1t on the sampan to
come off to The ship. 'Is he on bosrdf' was
tu0 uoAt QutStlOu lEOu Lu6 mOuIub Ol alls w y
looked carefully into the boat and round the
deck, but could detect no trace of him what
ever, and all, except myself, came to the con-
clusion 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 foot high and foot
wide and over the top were four or five strips
of board, each fastened at either end with q
single nail. On inquiring more closely, a
sailor told me that before seized the box the
side with the Stats was one of the perpsndicu-
lar sides, and had not been placed uppermost,
as IL ought to have been. "Thep," l reasoned,
she is here on board somewhere. beyond Q
doubt, and brought him here, and it's my
duty to find him and kill him.
We had four horses on deck, and the middle
of the boat was filed with hay for them, and
under that it was probable that the reptile
had orawled away. In the bottom of the boat
aft, was q triangular deck, and as climbed
up q second time noticed that the boar(
which formed the apex Of the triangle wa
loose, and moved little to one side. Care
fully raising this, espied, to my horror, tn,
great python closely coiled away beneath
the place being so small that the loose boart
rested on one of his coils. l wore a thin suit
a Chinese bsju, or loose blouse, pair o
canvas shoes, and large straw hat. Throw
ing off my hat, that might 60 into the dread
ful struggle unimpeded, l shouted out for
long knife, knowing we'll that what / mus
try to do was to cut him In two, and that he
would attempt to catch my hand in his Jaws
and, il he should succeed in doing that, h,
would wind himself around me as quick as
man could wind the lash Of a whip around
fixed stick, and certainly he was large enough
and strong enough to crush the larges
horse. The cook handed me q sharp knif
more than q foot long, and, holding tn,
board down with my feet, thrust the blad
through the crack, and wrenching with all
my might, tried to break the great reptile
backbone, and thus render all that part Of tn
body behind the fracture helpless. Dsspit
my utmost efforts, he pulled away the knife
and escaped two or three feet forwards, wher
there was more roem under the deck. B.
this time there was the greatest confusion
The captain, evidently believing that discre
tion ia the better part Of valor, ran below tn
moment he was satisfied that had indeed dii
covered the monster, seized brace of revol
vers, and perchipg himself upon the monke
rail, leaned his back against the mzzen rif
pipg, and held one in each hand, ready to fiji
into the boat at the slightest alarm. Th
sailors all gathered round the boat, and stoo
perfectly still, apparently half stupifed, an
not knowing whether 1t would be safest 70
them to stand STILL climb up in the rigging
or lump overheard The frat mate arme
himself with a revolver, andsclimbed on tn
stern of the boat. Indeed, every moment 81
peeted to hear report, and find myself shot
Y some ofthe brave ones behind me. Tbs secou
u mate, who was the only real man anon
them all, seized a large sheath knife, an
climbed into the boat 10 help me. knew
would not do to attempt to strike the monst'
with knife where he had room enough