The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-10-04
The Terrible Snakes Of India.

The fatal rapidity with which the ven
ON impregnates the blood is exemplifie6
by the following story, told to me years
ago as having occurred at Mahableshwur.
A native gardener, at work in garden at
that place, was bitten by snake on one
of his fingers. The man, with great pres
ence of mind and determination, imme-
diately chopped off the bitten finger with
his gardening knife. But it was too late,
the poison had already passed up the hand
beyond the place of amputation. and the
poor malice died from the effects of the
bite.
A party of friends were one evening sit
ting at whist-table, some playing. others
watching the game. One of the players
happened to look down on the ground, and
was Mortified by discovering cobra
coiled round one of his legs. What was
to be done? To move was certain death,
and ali that the man thus strangely
shackled could do was to sit perfectly still
and call the attention of his friends to his
dangerous predicament. For sny of the
rest of the party to have Immediately at.
been fatal to their friend. By what may
be almost called inspiration, one of the
non-players quietly left the room and or
dered in basin of milk, which was gently
put down on the ground, not far from the
snake. In few minutes, or perhaps only
seconds, which must have, however, ap-
peared an hour at least to the unhappy
captive. the cobra uncoiled himself and
went off to the milk, and when once we'll
away from their companions leg, was, of
course, very soon killed.
1t may be objected that snake would
not venture in among number of people
in the way above described. How, then,
would the directors account for the danger
run by lady, whom l could name, one
evening, in drawing-roOm full of peo-
pie? This lady was reaching out her arm
to draw . chair toward herself, with the
intention of sitting down on it, when q
snake was observed on the back thereof.
How did the snake get there? It is very
difficult to tell where snake will not be
found, but still more 90 to ascertain how
and when it reached the place of d;scov-
cry. 51$ /.
Snakes are said to run away from men,
and if the soft football of the native does
not always scare them, the lordly tread of
the booted European is supposed invari-
ably to beNtoo much for their nerves, and
this doubtless is 80 as . rule. But we
know that there is no rule without an ex-
ception, and snakes are very exceptional
animals. was walking one evening with
q friend near Pan Pr, at the foot Of the
Meats Tongue Hill, ON the other side of
Bombay Harbor. My friend had great
horror of snakea, and was rather given at
times to seeing them where they did mot
exist. As we were walking along the
walking stick or other weapon with him,
suddenly jumped back with hasty
" Here's snake!" "Nonsense," said /,
{" you are always seeking snakes" In
another moment q cobra, with his hood
expanded, put his head over the side of
the road, preparatory apparently tC Cross
ing it On seeing Us, however, be seemed
DESTROYS to sbun nearer acquaintance, and
glided back into the gutter. ] quickly
had stick, to which spectscles" soon
succumbed. He was the largest cobra l
have ever killed. IN yla18
once when out shooting across the har-
Dor stepped over live snake. had put
up and missed . snipe, and had marked
him down in some long grass mot far off
from where I was standing. / was walk
ing back with my eyes fixed on the place
where / had seen the bird settle, to have
another shOt ct him. Something on the
ground caught the corner of my eye ~ /
was thus engaged, and instinctively
made . long step over the object, and
then turned and looked down to see what
it was. It was snake, which thought
at the moment was dead, from his not
moving. To make quite sure, I touched
him with the muzxle Of my gun, when he
gave aconvulsive start aand disappeared
% rapidly into the frass which bordered
the path on which he had been lying that,