The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-05
A TERRIBLE DOOM.
How Prisoners Are Punished IN New Guinea

How Prisoners Are Punished IN New Guinea.
Louis Tregance, q French sailor, long q
prisoner among the SnpuaIis VI New Guinea,
thus describes the Serpent 9 Valley:
Ii WAS d dangerous undertaking TO travel
through this opening, and no other way TO
ltootar wes known. As we stood here to
give our ronias Il blow, my guide volunteered
ID take me back 10 the entrauce 81 the valley,
that might get u better iHea OF the way he
had come [ consented Hnd on my approach
Ing its Eiouth was struck very much By tho
height aud sisD III the trees. Their clear
stems ran lip nearly a hundred feet betote the
limbs began to appear on them, ana We're
very thick Here, tao, were many paam trees,
whtHse fentherlike plumes gave graceful mp
psarunce to the whole valley. There was also
n large tree flower tn this valley, which was
new-in full bloom. ihs flower wns y bright
scarlet, which nNilR suspended In long, iolu-
Ing pendants from the branches.
AZ ID distance ono might easily imagine
these scarlet trees to be trees OF fire. wnoae
pendants. ~ they moved 10 the wind, were
The llames jumping and leapng.. J was lost
Iii adm ration a. 4 contemplated THESE thugs:
and as we continued to advance up the valley,
new beauties opened out before US.
'Stopl BEWARE Treganp cried my guide.
It'll warning tones.
/ stopped ut once, and looking forward
under his direction. saw u vast snake cured
up ut the foot 0f y tree In front " us could
not Judge of Its length, yet IL must have been
very great. Another and another Of these
coils were pointed out by him, and ] had MI
unpleasant sensation of cool perspliltlon oo1-
Ing out Of the pores of my skin.
srnke care, take care! T. he cried out In ter
| ror and, catching my pony by tho hahd. no
pulled mo back toward the mouth Oh the val
After we had got away some twenty yards,
/ Jaw lid immense boa constructor cufled
round the stem Of the tree nenr which we mad
| been standing. Thebeast's neck was stretched
| some ton or twelve feet over the pathway,
| and its head kept rlstng aud falling Ill much
| tho same way as have seen that OF IL tul Key
| wlgglo about.
| The tarriDle reptile had evidently been sun
Mug itself, and having been awakened ny our
approach, had protested TO uncotl It's I'M
mense body III order to obtain IT, mld-day
meal It was not less than sixty feet long, !
am sure, for counted at least SIX coils around
| the body OF the tree--allo wioE seven feet for
| the length OF each coil, and hftsen for the
head and neck, / made 1t about sixty feet
| long.
After this we hurried back to the guard and
| reported what he had seen
Several OF the prisoners expressing wish
to see the serpent, they were permitted TO np-
pronch the mouth Of the valley to catch "
distant glimpse of the boa, with which they
were quite satisfied. | learned Afterward-
some lew years nfterWard--thAt thi5 valley
was never tTaversed by any person, that the
| escorts really made considerable uetour, and
came out by secret channel, whose ap-
| breaches were carefully hidden by trees and
rocks. This fact was concoaled from the
mining population to hinder their return to
k'ootnr. They knew OF NO other path than
| That through the boa alley, and were too
| fearful OF It's horrors to dare an attempt
through II. Some had Indeed attempted TO
pass through 1t, but ~ they had never been
heard Ut again, IL was universally believed
that they had been destroyed by the SER
penis, and there can be but little doubt that
| such was the cass.
| have heard somewhere that an army was
once stopped by great snake, and readily
| believe that The hoas La this valley would
| hinder the progress OF the hravest army, "
not completely obstruct It.. From this point
our road by along 4 well sheltered plaiLn, Lhe
| follaged trees. In about an hour from our
leaving the valley ! was startled by hearing
a cry fur help, the cry coming, ~ y seemed
TO mo, from directly over my head.
On looking upward was mortified to see an
unfortunate wretch fastened to y tall tree BY
meanE t1s ropes, and near him was u small
snake about eight feet long. The snake was
standing erect Hna Kissing ut the unfortunate
man, who was beating HIS hands wildly and
trying to avoid the fangs Of the serpent.
"Can we not help him2' asked, greatly ex-
cited.
.No; he lii d criminal, md must die. Bet
| ter to die thus than walt to be starved or torn
to pieces by the birds. He is fortunate"
The snake had now bitten the mar--at
least 81 Judged, FOR he gave scream .Of fear
and pain, and he seized the serpent'S head
with his halt ioosenea hands. Tho venOmous
beast cs.rled itself rapidly around the neck
and arms OF the poor man, ann strove 10 draw
It's head 10 the mans face. But desperation
gave the poor man strength, and for long
| time he resisted successfully. AL last his
strength failed, and we saw TO my gre@. hor-
rur, the snakes fanRs STEADILY approaching
the mans open mouth, for he was nearly sui
| faeatsu.
| | could look no longer, and, turning my
head away, continued my journey. Again, /
remarked that the old chief was indifferent,
| and gave no more than n single glance at the
unfortunate criminal who was suffering 30
| terrible a death.
! In another half mile we saw number OF
| birds lowering over Il tree. and. on our reach
| ing 1t. saW4anpther unfortunate chained In it's
upper branches. He was Vatnly trying to de-
| fend himself from the attacks of al immense
eagle which sailed back ward and forward,
every NOW and then descending. upon the poor
! wretch and striking him with his powerful
| talons.
When we were seen. the poor fellow cried to
us In ptteous terms to save him THIS, how
ever, was impossible. The old chief was inn
movable. SO we We're compelled to ride on and
| leave hlnl to his fate. Another tree contained
the corrnpting corpses OF men who haG
shared similar fates.
TAeSe things made me look up the gov
ernor OF The gold mines vita feelings OF dis
completely in the power Of such cruel
despot.
- o -
SOUTHERN PATENTS.
Mr. H Jenkins solicitor ar pAtEylts M