The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-04-12
DEADLY SNAKES OF INDIA.

How the Natives Handle tho Monster Scr
penrs--.The Perils thrcuGh which th'
Hiudeos Pass---TacklinE n Python.-
FeoIire with q Cobra.
A Calcutta correspondent Of the Lon
don Telegraph writes as follows: Bea
in mind that no snake charmer wa
present, that neither pipe nor whistle
was used, that every snake had it's poi
son fangs or teeth in capital order, ans
that no means save the marvellous skill
of the native operators was employed II
the exhibition which followed, and yor
will havea good idea of the peril through
which those Hindoos passed. 1t wal
early in the morning however, be
fore the snakes, which were in Q series
of wire-covered boxes, were awake ani
ively-that we were shown into stone
Hoored room some twenty feet long an6
twelve broad. In the boxes were the
strongest and deadliest snakes in lndis
-pythons, ophiophagi, cobras, korites,
Russell snakes, and many others. The
Hindoos who had charge Of them were
two slim wiry little men, nude to the
waist, as most OF their countrymen are.
They wore neither gloves nor any other
protection, and. had no instrument OF
any kind in the place. After showing
the varied collection under their care,
they proceeded to open the python case,
and one Of them, putting his hand In,
seized q monster serpent and threw hlm
upon the floor close to our feet. The
python objected to such treatment, and
began to hiss, making at the same time
q vigorous effort to rise. But the snake
keeper was waiting for this, and no
sooner did that huge shining back begin
to curve than the keeper put out bis
band, and, seizing the creatures tail,
pulled it back with jerk. Instantly
the python was powerless-hissing, but
unable to move !; the more he struggled,
the more tenaciously did the keeper
hold his tail, explaining meanwhile that
80 long as the reptile was controlled in
that fashion there was no danger OF it's
doing mischief; then, just as its rage
was becoming ungovernable, the man
ifted.i it quickly, and with jerk depos-
tied it in the box. Its companion was
now taken out in similar manner, and
slapped and bufeted till throughout its
entire length, some twelve feet, it quiv-
cred with passion, but all to no purpose;
it, too, was presently replaced in the
cage, and shut up to hiss at leisure.
The fact that an ophiophagus is in the
Regents Park geological gardens rem
dered the next exhibition more interest
ing, although it may be doubted whether
the throwing into 80 small room OF a
snake seven feet long was agreeable to
the visitors. One bite from the reptile,
and any one of us would have been dead
in five minutes. for it was exceptionally
strong and lively. Up rose its head,
out came it's glittering tongue, its eyes
dilated, its huge throat swelled, and all
seemed ready for desperate attack,
when the keeper struck the reptiles
mouth with the back Of his hand and be-
fore it could strike him had seized it
Just under the head. The other native
now seized it's center and tail. and with
out more ado the terrible creature was
hoisted into the air as harmless as but
teray, and its fangs exposed by the aid
OF small piece Of wire. Those teeth
were literally full Of poison-enough to
have killed dozen persons. -.
At length, our curiosity satisfied, this
monster was put into his cage, and his
brother plucked out by the naked native
with the hand and thrown on the floor.
He, too, was truculent for minute, en-
deavoring to follow the unpantalooned
Hindoo round the room /; but he had
reokoned without his host, or rather bis
keeper, for he WAS seized presently by
the tail and hoisted up just as the other
had been. In vain he hissed and spat.
His tongue might move in and out as
often as it pleased, but all to no pur-
pose; whether on the floor or in the air
its efforts to bite were perfectly unavail-
ing, and when the cage was opened it
skunk in, a Disconnected serpent.
A cobra Was the next to be turned out,
o strong, healthy snake, nearly five feet
in length, with q hood the power OF
moving which somewhat startled Ms.
But move as it might, the agile native
was too quick for it. He would put his
knee within foot OF it as it stood up
ready to strike, and it would make a
dart as futile, however, as it was sudden.
Then it would hiss, as though hoping to
frighten its adversary it might as well
have Kissed OF the wall. And, just when
it got up again, and was 30 enraged that
it could scarcely wait for good opper-
tunity to strike at the natives knee,
which was moving before it in most
sntalizing manner, the keepers hand
was quietly placed under its head, and
it was removed like its predecessors.
"Wil it bite2" I asked. "See," said
the native. Taking up piece OF bamboo
stretched across a shell, he held the
wood to the serpent's mouth. Instantly
the reptile seized the profered bait, its
eyes glistening,- its neck distended, and
crunohed the wood as though it was
tinder. Two or three moments elapsed
as the teeth penetrated further into the
fiber, and then we saw the poison falling
in white drops into the shell, which act
ed as kind of saucer. I was particular
in noticing two points in regard to this
incident; first, that the poison did not
come from the fangs Immediately the
bite was inficted-a fact which will &C.
count for the mongoose living some
times after he is bitten by the cobra;
and, next, that the quantity of venom
emitted was much greater than is gener-
ally supposed. There were five or six
large white drops in the shell, and prob
ably one or two absorbed in the bamboo.
When forced to surrender the wood the
serpent seemed by no means exhausted
the fiber was much torn, for the teeth
h1 penetrated nearly a quarter OF an
inch.
When another cobra, equally large,
was examined it was shown that the
teeth were set back some distance IN the
head, and that they were by no means
so large as q viper which was shown
afterward, and which was SO quick in its
movements that it had to be lifted out OF
is box by means of hooked stick:
This huge viper made such desperate
l. ok~:1ro o,,o or fxun Of no that