Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-04-07
F4s e.. ,. .F9;sg 7 PggSpsasr.i;! + +


more interesting, although it may
be doubted whether the sudden
throwing into so small room of .
snake seven feet long was agreeable
to the visitors. However, there was
really no danger, for the venOmous
creature was. soucOmldeteR fin its
kee1efs p,wer tilst we had mo oc-
casion for fear. One bite from the
reptile, and any one of us would
have been dead in five minutes, for
it was exceptionally strong and live
ly but it was no more able to bite
US than the little mongOOse Gagged
outside the door. Up rose its head,
out came IFS slithering tongue, its
eyes dilated, its huge throat swelled,
and all seemed ready for a desperate
attack, when the keeper struck the
| reptiles m9utIlIwith the hack Of his
hand, and before it could strike him
had seized it just under the head.
Then it struggled, but only to get
away-it had met that native before,
and did not at all approve of his
treatment The other native now
seized its center and tail, and with
out more ado the terrible creature
was hoisted into the air as harmless
as butterfly. and its fangs exposed
by the aid of small piece of wire.
Those teeth were literally full of
poism-enough to have killed a
dozen persons. At length, our GU
riosity satisfied, this monster was
put into his cage, and his brother
plucked out by the naked native,
with the hand, and thr wn on the
floor. He, too, was truculent for
minute, endeavoring to follow the
unpantalooned Hindoo round the
room but be had reckoned without
his host. or rather his keeper, for he
wal, seized presently bv vthe tai and
hoisted up just asthe other had been.
Tn vain he Kissed and spat. His tongue
might move in and out as often
as it pleased, but all to no purpose;
whether on the floor or in the air,
its efforts to bite were pefectly un-
availing, eaHd when the cage was
opened it skunk in, disconnected
serpent. A cobra was the next to.
be turned out. strong, healthy
snake, nearly FIVE feet in length,
with hood, the power of moving.
which somewhat startled-Hs. 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, aud it would
make 4 dart, as futile, as It was sud-
Saen3 Then it would hiss aSRthough
hoping to frighten its adversary it
might eas Aellk have hikssd Af the
waRI And, just whensit had got up
again, and was so enraged that it,
could scarcely wait for a good op-I
portunity to strike at the natives
knee, which was moving before it in
| { most t'tahEa lizih 1anneI, the keep
er's hand was quietly placed under
/ its head, and it was removed like its
predecessOrs.o' i"WilF it .biteH"a I
asked. "See," said the native. TAX
/ ing up apiece ofbamboo ( stretched
acre IS a she'll, he held the wood to
the serpent's mouth. Instantly the
| reptileEseiEea the I prgferd baitSits
eyes glistening, its neck distended,
and crunched the wood as though it
was tiDder. Two or three moments
elapsed as the teeth penetrated fsrth-
eFint6 theifibfe, and then we saw
the poison falling in white drops in
tolthe shell, - which acted as kind
of saucer. | was particular in no.
ticingT two points in regard to this
incident First that the poison did
not come from the fangs immediate
| I2t6G Bite ekas nHictea+as faet
which will account for the mongoose
living sometimes after he is bitten
by the cobra and, next, that the
Quantity ofvenom emitted was much
greater than Is generally supposed.
There were five or six large white
drops in the shell, and probably one
or two absorbed in the bamboo.
When forced to surrender the wood
the serpent seemed By ho smeans ex-
hapsted ;the fbre was much torn,
for the teeth had pepetrated nearly
quarter of an inch.s ssss
For all that, l should mention
that when presently AnotheEcobra
equally large was examined, it was
shown that the teeth were set back
some distances ID tAe head, and that
they were hy giOg means 20 Charge as
those of 3 viper which was, shoRA
afterwara, and which wss so quick
ii It's movements that it had TO be
lifted out Of its box By means Of a
hooked stick iCobFas and Ophi0.
phagi might be seized with the hand,
bat not SO this huge viper, which
made such. desperate ,attempts TO
strike one or two OF US that we were
byfnos means sorry when the keeper
seized him by the neck and tai and
opened his mouth. His faRgs were
undoubtedly large larger than, a
cobra's by one.half, aad very strong.
They must have Contained g. great
H. Hu0ubAby VI NCtAOtA1s A1O0CNGte hC
was not invited 70 try them, and by
the time he got back into his box
was,f thitk, heartily tired Of the
exhibition.a A. aRusseipi snake, With
a golden spotted back, vas the next
on the floor, and it hissed Violently
but was taken up jnsi AZ easily as
the Others after Il had been proYok..
ed to a great rage for several MINI
utes. a korite, proyerbiaily deadly.
had been played so many tricks be-
4 fore that It was slow 20 take part in
the fun. Once or twice Il struck
vlcieuSly at The feeper, bht without
any effect, and at last ceased any ef-
fort to bite the Hindoo. There was
no need TO play 3 pipe OF tcm.tom
to awe that snake. II was only too.
glad 20 get asway into lis Blanket
and box again. The exhibition was
ended BY the showing Of a biscobrz,
Or small guava. esleazst silaiei hsa
1.ESEEfzI. s%ESL eAZLA