Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-04-11

ReoOlleOtions oflife on ShipbOard.

after broiling day. The ship swings
lazily to the swells of old ocean, and
l feel much more like watching the
pretty Portuguese men of war as they
glide by with their sails in full trim,
than | do like writing in my log
book: But previous to leaving home
| promised to note down all that was
strange or amusing in my voyage.
so "here goes" as a sailor would say,
| was very much pleased with some
yarns | listened to last night during
my watch on deck, one of which !
will pen in remembrance of the old
salt who spun it. We had been talk
ing Of the sad occurrence which |
wrote about in my last letter that OF
the death of one of our shipmates by
q Python, when the subject of snakes
became general. After listening to
some very snaky yarns, by sever
al old tars that had seen much of trop-
ical ATTITUDES, little fellow spoke up
and said: "Since you have all had
your turn calling me "shorty" OIL
account of my being small, perhaps
you would like to know the reason of
my not growing any larger. AS it
comes under tho head of a snake story
| will give it to you, for said he, my
growth was stopped very suddenly
at about the age Of seventeen, and it
must | think have been in some way
connected with this adventure, and
my escape from death in a most mi
raculous way. 1t was while I was
cabin bov on the ''Mary Ann" a brig
from Boston. We were in Central
America at the time / speak of, and
| had got liberty to go on shore, and
borrowing the mates gun had gone
for the purpose of shooting, was
wandering along the beach (Which at
this place had strip Of sand about
ten fathoms wide, | am particular
about this for you see | measured
this to satisfy myself low long the
snake must have been) when l was
startled by loud noise, q crushing
of the underbrush and looking back
a little distance from where I struck
out from the brush, saw q long black
object stretched from the water to the
forest, distance as | said before Of
sixty feet. 1t seemed to be about the
size Of that fore top mast, and looked
something like log. To say I was
frightened terribly would signify but
little what | felt. The thought of
snakes and sea monsters rushed up
on me, and | knew if attracted his
notice, l was gone boy. Thoughts
of home ran through my mind. How
| wished ! was once more on the brig,
even if the captain did fog me for
staying over time. l knew | must
meet my fate dare not run for that
would be instant death. l examined
the printing of my gun and thought
perhaps a well directed charge Of shot
might put Thermometers eyes out this
was my only hope. and | cautiously
alvanced toward the snake. 1t seem
ed to me he was moving toward the
water. If he only would 60! stop
ped but no he did not move, | OK
amined him closely, Huge scales
like the bark Of a shaggy hickory,
graced his side and back while under
meath it was Of a yellowish white and
in fact he looked not unlike huge
leg. slowly crept mp towards him
his head appeared to be in the water,
and his tail stretched back in the
bushes. This was larger than any
Of the snakes I had ever heard the
sailors tell of. Why should | go near
him, thought; lie does not seem to
notice me. The cold sweat stood ont
upon my forehead like beads of glass.
some strange impulse seemed to be
drawing me nearer to the dreaded
monster. [ was by this time within
few feet Of him; he looked like a
log; and boys darn my tary top lights
if it wasn't log p He got mp
knocked the ashes from his pipe, amid
our cheers, and said he guessed it
was time to turn in; thought so, and
followed his example. II. w. J.
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