, 1873-01-26

FROM " sea1artn1 Aen," On Engutashed Tale ef h'
We had now been three days in the harbor OF
Bombay, and in that time had made several ox-
curEions to points Of interest in the vicinity.
among these re paid a wait to o small island
about six miles from the Mahratta shore, on
which there stood the hugo figure Of an elephant
cut ont of q black rock. Tho figure, when VIC
saw it., was much decayed, and I have since
learned, has {ellen-the island thus losing ono OF
I IT. chief monuments. 1t was from this image
that the island received its mama -Elephanta-
from the Portuguese, Who. when landing, in
| the days OF Albuquerque, we're nstounde1 at
this great image, The product OF Hindoo skill
and fanatloisn,. It happened while ne wero
bade us listen, and laid his hand on the lock Of
his. 1nuaket- We listened, aud initiated his
movement. After the lapse Of q minute we
heard shrll whistle, aud looking whence it
came, saw largo green lizard besking on e rock
within few feet Of the image The boatswain
SAW it first, and raised his musket; but before
he fired Tonka man who was With us tried to
fnghten the animal by striking it with q switch
he carried. It was sorry blow for him. The
creature turned md running over his foet, which
at the Same instant the boatswain's pieco
was discharged, the bail striking tho spot
lately occupied by the ANIMAL which escaped
IN the jungle. The poor man who was
bitten no sooner felt the fangs of the
anguish, and Immediately fell to the ground in
convu1sions. We at once hurried to Lis aid end
did all We could to nl1ay his suffering, but the
poison had entered his blood aud he died in less
than twenty-five minutes after he had been Bit
ten. We were astonished at tho extraordinary
v1ruience OF tue poison, which even exceeded
the most venomous serpentg but our surprise
was ended whom We learned that the creature
whence it proceeded was tho Gecko 80 we'll
we're conversing about it over the corpse Of the
Tonka man when sgain an o1ninous cry warn-
ed ua OF it's presence. We started, seized
our frelockB, and looked about for the enemy
Presently it Was seen issuing from the jungle
and looking upon ns with eyes of fearful nal
b1ance Of its fatal nature WAS fresh in our
minds but the boatswain called for rally. We
gave it with will: Eighteen muskcts opened
on the reptile, which rolled over on its side
were ahort-after . few gasps it lay stark, dead
We then vent up and took look at the crea-
tlto. It was about thirteen inches in length,
shaped like salamander: its skin Of soe-
color dotted asa with spGs f. Ct t.t deep
9 tortoise; the mouth straight; the eyes
large and even in death strangely brilliant,
whence I believe that 1t Possesses power
Of charming not only animals, but man himself.
1ts teeth arc very eharp, and 90 hard that thoy
OF our men did indeed show certain marks on
the point OF his eut1ass, which the reptile had
seized while in it's death .throes, the man clos
ing to stab'it after the fusilade. 1ts legs we're
armed with claws enid to DO poisonous; in fact,
the whole system OF this hideous reptile Is rife
with venom, and the Indians told us that wher-
ever it passed itleft track Of death. It haunts
ruins and the stems Of cid trees, lives chiefly
On ants, and is most active after rain. It then
utters Q CRY like gecko, from which it has
derived its name. It's bite is fatal, unless the
wound be burnt with red-hot iron or cut !
out, q proceeding which we neglected in tho case
u the Tonka man, it indeed it would layo done
hin my good. The reptile is very fond of galt,
md our boatswain told us in Grand Cairo, where |
lie creature is common, lie knew Of whole
household being killed from eating few grains
i salt on which tho gecko had shed its venom.
Even its blood is poisonous the Jayaneee u.s.
ng it to tincture their arrow-heads, the mere
ouch Of which produces 4 wound which, il un-
results in death. Such is brief de-
cEiption OF this terrible reptile, whose venom
'us attributes have no equal among the various
reatures Of the earth. = We buried the
'oor Tonka man near the spot on which he
lied, and setting wooden cross over his grave,
eturned pensive1y to tho SLIP.