The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-16
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STRANGE EXPERIENCES IN INDIA WITH PY-
THoNs AND coBRAs.
Chambers Journal

STRANGE EXPERIENCES IN iNnIA WITH ry
THONs AND COBRAs.
fchambers's Journal
Apropos OF DR.. Standings interestinc
snake anecdotes in your Journal mos. 9Cl
and 969), 1 send you note Illustrative OF
the danger OF handling certain kinds OF
snakes. Out here. individuals OF one sect OF
| fakirs-religious mendcants-are frequent.
| ly met with wearing young and tame by.
thons as necklaces. One such animal
took the fancy OF an officer, and
for few rupees was transferred
from the fakir's neck to his; and for some
time both were on very good terms. One
day our friend sat down to breakfast with
the python round his neck, Il thing he had
never before done. The tail Of the animal
came across the arm OF the chair and in
| stinctiyely cOiled round it. The leverage
thus obtained seemed to revive Its memo
rics OF victim-squeezing. and in n mo-
mont the officer was In the p9ngs oil
strangulation, bound fast to his chair, and
the awful coil Of the python around his
neck. But in that supreme moment OF
horror appalling he retained his nerve
with his left hand he seized the reptile,
head and with his right grasped n table
knife and was Just able to inllict cash be-
hind It's head, and then the suGOcating coils
fell slack. The officer was afterwards
found PROSTATE on the floor in dead faint,
from which he only recovered 10 be seized
with brain-fever, the delrium OF which
was entirely occupied with encounters
with monstrous serpents. In course OF
time he recovered, but no one could recog-
nize in that pallid. gray-hcaded, and care
worn shadow OF a man the once stalwart,
hearty, and enthusiastic sportsman.
Another note to illustrate the extreme
danger Of handling even dad snakes.
Major Dennys, police officer in the Gen.
tral provinces. was recently out shooting,
and killed large cobra. His companion
asked to see its poison fangs, and Major
Dennys, Selling the head with one hand,
opened its laws with the other to exhibit
The fangs, which, in the approaching rigid
ity Of death, closed on bis finger. Aware
OF his awful risk, he sucked his finger and
FASTENED home. But all assistance was I'M
ayailing; he died in three hours.
l once Kept and freely handled a snake
declared to he innOcu0us; il escaped. and
after much searching could not be found.
Presently nv boy ran up with tears in his
eyes. declaring that his three pet rabbits
were all dead; and, true enough, they were
so, and quite rigid. Coilcd up in the hutch
was the missing snake, which my boy and
had so frequently handled
The handling OF snakes is often I'M
avoidably forced upon us by the eXtraor-
binary and oftcntimcs incomprehensible
positions i'm which snakes are frequently
encountered. We are apt to fancy that
snakes are essentially grOvclliBg creatures,
forgetting that their yentral scales give
them admirable facilities for climbing.
Unless YOU recognize this fact it is difficult
to understand how snakes get into the roofs
Of up-country bungalows, which are sup
ported by smooth and whitewashcd walls
and pillars; how YOU meet them on the
upper shelves OF your bookcases, or in
other apparently inaccessible situations.
But when you meet snakes in the act OF
ascending trees, and apparently with no.
thing to hold OH by, you are resigned to
your fate, and are prepared for sangulne
encounters anywhere and everywhere.
II you are lady you must not be sur
prScd-aS NY wife was-at deadly
snake dropping out Of the sleeve Ct
your velvet Jacket, which your ayah
was helping YOU on with, that Jacket
having previously hung from a wall-peg,
leaving If three or four feet from the ground.
Nor, If you are going out calling, must you
be astonshcd il cobra looks in upon you
from the double roof OF your brougham.
How did the one snake ascend the smooth
wall and get into the jacket? How did
the other pass up the smooth and glass-like
sides or wheels OF the broughan and get
into ITS double roof?
| might adduce illustrations by the score
OF these strange renc0ntres, and they show
Us how we must always lie on our guard
against snakes. Yet it is marvellous that.
among Europeans, we very rarely hear oil
deaths from snake-bite, while the bare feet
and legs OF natives leave them frequently
and fatally open TO attack.