St. Landry democrat., 1883-03-03

him. Mr.. Mcleod, who was the his
torian of the Voyage of the Alceste,
was captured and kept prisoner for
many months at Whidah, on the coast
of Africa, and he states that he OBJ
served snakes nearly sixty feet In
length. Tales of fabulous snakes are
common in history. Valerius Maxlmus,
quoting Livy, refers to the alarm into
which the Roman army was thrown by
an enormous serpent that had its lair
on the banks of the Bagradus. near
Utica. This snake, according to PHny,
was one hundred and fifty feet long.
kontius refers to snakes in the Asiatlc
islands that exceed th'rty-six feet IN
length, and mentions that he has seen
persons eating the flesh Of large hogs
captured by and taken from snakes.
s.Here is rattlesnake,'' continued
the snake historian, pointing to large,
finely-mounted skeleton, THAT tested
the nerve of a friend OF mine. He is an
officer in the artillery. and before the
war was stationed in Florida. One day,
while sitting on the root of tree, with
elbows on his knees. a snake .craWled
out between his feet. He remained
perfectly quiet until it was several feet
beyond him, and then he shot it with
his revolver. No. he wasn't charmed,
but, to use his own words, he was hall
scared to death, and if he had Jumped
and been bitten it would have been Ia
tai, as there wasn't q drop OF liquor
within one hundred miles of the camp.
and that is probably the only known
cure. Wallace, the naturalist, once lett
his house in town in Malay for a few
DAYS, and, on returning, found 1T &C.
cupied by python over .eighteen, feet
long. Its tail was seen hanging down
from the ratters, and one OF the natives
Selling it, rushed out of the door, drag
ging the monster that vainly attempted
to regain its hold While being whirled
around and around the reptile was
finally stunned by being dashed against
| a tree. A Malay boat anchored one
night along the shore OF one OF the
Celebes, and man was sent ashore in
search of the betel nut. Soon AFTER
| ward the crew were aroused by his
screams, and in following them up
found him in the folds OF a gigantic
| python. It was killed. and it was found
| that the arms of the man alone bore
signs of teeth marks, his ribs and other
! bones being crushed into splinters by
| the constructive folds. The cobra OF
/ India is the most dread ,ul of all snakes,
and many thousands of natives are
| killed BY them yearly. Wallace says that
at one place in Malay they were 50 nu-
merous that, on an average, native
was killed every day in the year.
{. The great camondi snakes OF South
/ America have habit of hanging from
trees over the water, with portions OF
their bodies concealed, SO that they
would easily be taken for the great vines
! that grow so luxuriantly in these for
ests, and in this way they obtain much
! of their prey that comes unsuspiciously
along, even human game not being
neglected. Kingsley relates an occur
renee when four young women were
i bathing in lagoon. and one Of them
felt herself pulled from behind. Al
first she thought it a prank OF one OF heI
companions, but the form OF an enorm
4 Gus snake soon appeared. 1t had last
4 ened its teeth to her bathing dress. but
the others succeeded in frightening il
/. Oh. When they are gorged with food
i they coil up closely and resemble q
stump, and a case is known of a native
having made the mistake OF sitting doWr
upon one with results astonishing te
both seat and sitter. Waterton, in re
ferring TO the camondi snakes, says
that specimens from thirty to forty feet
long have been killed, and that tht
| Spaniards OF. Brazil positively affirm
I that in the unfrequented districts these
serpents sometimes attain a length o
seventy feet, and will destroy TIL
Largest and strongest bull. They cal
/ them matatoros, which means, literally
Isb ull-kilIers. ~. Y Sun.