The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-06-09
THE HOME OF BIG SNAKES.
Episodes IN AN ARTISTS VISIT
TO zULULAND.

killing the Big Snake-The
Monkeys Picnic.
The following interesting extract is
from an artists account of his adven-
lures in South Africa, published in the
San Francisco Examiner: This is place
for serpents and all kinds of snakes. Here
in the cool nights the little green
monkeys take shelter in the thick foliage
Of the tropical vegetation, locked in each
others arms like brothers and sisters
But how often is their sleep disturbed by
a sudden clasp in the jaws of a boa con-
stricter or black mumbra, who noise
lessly creep upon their innocent victims
along the branches and seize them before
they have time to awaken. Owing to the
deadly malarial effects of these ''dongas"
or hollows, the natives in their hunting
excursions give them a wide berth.
Speaking of monkeys brings to mind
a very humorous incident. One day, be-
ing on the edge of the berg, sketching a
grand view of the mountain, looking
along the edge my attention was attracted
toward a number of balloons that were
frisking about among the rocks. AS the
animals are very shy, l remained per-
tectly quiet and went on with my paint
ing, but hoping that they might come
nearer. Being thus engaged, partly with
the landscape and partly with the
balloons, what should see in the long
grass but an immense boa constructor. He
seemed at least twenty feet long and one
foot in diameter. He was crawling along
toward the balloons, and watched the
result with intense interest. No sooner
did his snakeship show his head above
the long grass than the animals scam
pered off in second. Talk about the
agility of prairie dogs and ground squir-
relsl No one would imagine that these
fellows, big and clumsy as they seemed,
could disperse so quickly. The serpent
seemed just as quick, for with a few
springs on his tail he seemed to be among
them, but he did not succeed in captur-
ing any of them. Snatching up my
shot gun, was determined to have that
serpents skin. went up to the place
where he disappeared behind the rocks.
There he was, about a hundred yards
away, crawling slowly along the edge of
the precipice. / was gaining steadily on
him, but did not like to run for fear of
alarming him-starting him into a run,
as it were, either from me or toward me.
wanted to make sure of him without
giving him chance, if could help it.
was always coward when fighting
rattle-snakes in Mendocino County; but
this whopper, twenty feet long, made me
quake in my boots worse than if there
were fifty snakes hidden there.
After following him some time be
stopped crawling; he raised his body on
rock, and, turning his face toward me,
saw me. was within range of him with
heavy shot. Bang bang went both bar
rels. The stock of my gun kicked me
affectionately, and, when the smoke
cleared away the serpent was not in
sight Reloading my piece, 1 advanced
cautiously. with my finger ON the trigger
all the while When l got to the spot
there lay my victim, twisting and tying
himself up in a knot and unraveling it
again with lightning-like rapidity. Then
he stretched himself out at his full length,
and, raising himself upon his tail,
bounded into the air several times, max
ing circle of sixteen or eighteen feet
at every Jump, till at last, with a mighty
effort, he bounded again, and fell to the
earth with a crash. He was dead past
all danger to man or beast He weighed
at least 100 pounds. My next anxiety
was as to how 1 could get that beauti-
fully colored skin. He was on the very
edge of the precipice. A final spasm Of
the lingering life that clings so tena-
ciously to the snake tribe might destroy
my hopes. 1 could only sit and wait.
1t was fully an hour before I had the
courage to commence the skinning, and
l. I II IL. I I
When he was skinned he looked so white
and clean that person could be tempted
to eat him. There were no Kaffirs
around or they would make short work
of him. They will not kill snake or
serpent if they can avoid it. They have
kind of superstitious reverence for
them, especially for the larger kind. But
when a white man kills one they readily
eat it all except the head which they
believe to be poisonous.
When I got back to my easel, chair
and umbrella, | was nearly dumbfounded
at seeing the same tribe of balloons play
ing high jinks with my painting mater
ials. Two little fellows were up among
the ribs of the umbrella and another
had his head out through a rent in the
top. He looked like little sweep with
his head through the chimney on a frosty
morning. 1t was one of the most comical
things in the monkey line l ever wit
messed. One big baboon was exploring
with all his might the contents of box
of flake white, while another was daub
ing the muzzle of a little baby that wa
sitting on its mothers back, she hersel
being engaged in breaking the handle
and pulling out the hairs of my brushes
never, in any monkey cage or menagerie
saw so many different colored monkeys
One big fellow, half red, half blue, will
a great white patch over his left eye, wa
pulling the canvas NOW twisted into
rope) from big old woman, with tive
squallirg baby monkeys with white muz
zles and pink hair. Half dozen other
were fighting for the easel Ike sailor
playing the tug of war" The who'll