The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-03-22

~ehti HBuer, ana L could see his body
Just Below the water and wigglina
along gjHkenan neePs9H.IIepicc came at
within twehty 5afds Of the brig, Just
of'the foremast, andfaised out of the
water as he had before. His head
was at least twenty feet high, and lie
swung it zone way and the other as il
he was looking for Q place to strike
| was standing near the wheel, and
before he raised mp I told the men, to
stand byJnear the mainmast and wait
for orders. il The snake appeared j. to
look on. the brig as something alive,
andopaid no attention to tho men,,
To this fact / think woIowe our pres
eervation, as the'snake attacked the
brig instead ofouS." ,MoiE&nG O.! &nih
He looked all around, perhaps
twenty seconds, and then opened his
mouth, Which was as large as the
briggs companion way, and had teeth
on both jaws looking as ifthey " shut
up together like two saws. Tie root
,ot his mouth was streaked with red
and black, and his head was of green
color with splotehes OF yellow. ,q The
scales began on his neck just after
his head, and seemed TO grow larger
as they went back. His neck seem
ed to be about three feet through and
bis body'where it came ont of the
water was about four and half or
five feet His jaws looked a5ou
fonri feet across and six feet deep
The under one dropped down when
he opened his mouth, but it looked
very thick and strong.
Wien he first opened his mouth he
threw his head back and then struck
at the brig close by the windlass.
couldn't see what he; aimed at, but
the mate said he seemed to strike at
the windlass and just missed it. The
noise was like that of a barrelqof beet
rolling into the hold; bnth2it did not
hurt the brig, and I could not feel
any shock where | stood. From the
look of things think he must have
hit the frame around the windlass,
and he couldn't have picked out a
worse place for himself. 49, '
AS he struck he let, the weight Of
his body fall on the rail and broke it
down. Then he hauled abeck and
held up bis head TO strike again, !
bore upon him with the bomb gun,
but before I could fire he rdarted. his
head forward and / lost him, He
hit this time on the, forecastle hatch
and fetched itmoffaoI ] ordered the
boatswain to let him have it with the
carronadeand the mSte to give him
the bomb gun. They obeyed orders,
while the snake was pulling at the
hatch, and got both charges into him
just as he tore it loose from the
combings. T. ,'.'!.,' '""' "'..'' . ~ ""
He broke the rail this time about
two feet abaft the catheads, and when
the bomb and bullets went into him
he slipped off into the water. lie
lashed like a whale in a furry tor
two mipntes, or more,. and then =. lie
raised out again not more than ~ ten
yards from where Iwas. His mouth
was open and his eyes looked as big
as two binnacles.l : He was very, furi
Gus, and it was hardraiminga at him,
but l got shot in with tho bomb
gun right in the roof of his mouth,
and the Bomb Burst the instant it hit.
It seemed to bewilder him and get
him of bi6, Bearings. lie struck at
the brig, but only hit the side. Then
he fiurried around three or four
minutes. We left him astern while
he was furring, and then he headed
off to Tindward a few hundred yards
and dived, and that was the last we
saw of him. Little after this eight
bells struck and second mates watch
went below. .r. .ra' yru .. :"