The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-06-27
\ soa oonstriotor aud a ris.

The following facts, illustrative Of the
great powers Of extension Of membrane
and muscle in the serpent tribe, were
transmitted by gentleman residing n
the Mayhy Peninsula The story also II.
illustrates another act--that the poorer
people IN China will cat any thing;
"On the lith ult,, says the narrator,
boa constructor was sent for nay inspce-
ton, which bad that morning swallowed
pig belonging to Chinaman, 1t would
appear that the snake had been seen lurk-
Ing about the sty several days previous to
his meal, which cost him SO dear; he art
fully, however, escaped the owner of the
swine, who had Intellectually attempted
his capture or destruction on these occa-
sions; but on The morning in question hc
succeeded in getting entrance into the
sty, ana, having helped himself 10 pork
er, found hlnscl in the dilemma Of the
weasel in the barn he could not get out
again. The owner came upon him IN this
state Of helplessness, and having called
comrades to his assistance, secured the
victim, torpid from his yoracious cxer-
tion, and brought him in triumph into
town.
Now you will say there is nothing novel
ia this: neparti.i-a- - - n-- Yfi-7 - -, T.
:, 80, mo carcass Of the pig and the
jaws and body Of the snake struck me so
torcibly, and appeared so extraordinary,
that | forthwith proceeded to ascertain
the exact relative proportions, and found
them as follows: the snake was twelve
feet nine inches long transverse diameter
Of jaw inside, three and half inches;
neck round, nine inches; greatest girth
Of body at thickest part, eleven and u half
inches. The pig weighed thirty-seven cat
ties and half, or rather more than fifty
pounds was a good thrce-f0urths grown
young SOW, aud lay apparently without
mark Of violence upon It's body, nor
hair ruflled, legs unbroken; indeed, old
Isaac Walton never dealt more teuderly
with his frog than the boa constructor had
seemingly done wilhyoung piggy.
Upon closer examination it was, how
ever, discovered that the ribs were
broken; but as the animal remained in
4 its place OF sepuitnre some hours, soii-
cient gusscs had been generated 10 rectify
the effects OF the crushing, and restore her
/ to her pristine eomelincsg Of shape The
4 contrast, therefore, was the more striking;
but stll il IS quite nconeeiyable how the
animal was ever swallowed. How the
heap Of the pig passed the jaws Of the
snake would, fthink, puzzle a conjufor
TO determine; and how the snake felt,
leave to the consideration Of some hope
less dyspcptc so distorted were the
walls Of the abdomen By the unusual meal
that the whole pig could be seen plainly
through thom-thcy became diapbanons
and thin as goldbeatcrs' skin. The vital
ity Of the monster cgualled his toraeiiy,
for despite the numberless blows Of elubs
on ils head, two hours after the pig bad
been cut out Of the abdomen, ! saw the
tail firmly coil itself around a stake. Boa
met with poetieai justice, for The same
evening he descended into the very HllIe
less rayeuous Inaws Of some Chinese, who
looked upon the llesh a. something OK
ccedingly piquant and appctizing, and
eagerly they stroge among Themselves
who should possess the largest share Of IT,.