Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-11-02
East India Monsters.


While the number of persons in In
dia who lose their lives by serpents
and wild animals, as returned each
wear bv official record, is so great as 10
amaze us, am satisfied that not more
than twO-thirds of the actual number
are returned. | passed five years III
that country, most of the time in the
interior among the natives, and |
know how impossible it is for officials
to collect anything like trustworthy
statistics under this head The head
men of villages are supposed to report
to certain officials, but they do so only
under pressure. Where report would
give a district bad name, ii is altered
and amended, and, no doubt, the gov
ernment connives atthis. The amount
of money paid out as bounty each
year to the slayers of serpents and
wild animals is enormous and is in
creasing yearly, proving that all at
tempts TO even lessen the general evil
have resulted in failure. The tiger,
hyena. tiger and other dangerous
beasts have been driven back as cities
and towns have been built up, but
they have not been eXterminated, nor
have their numbers been greatly les
sened. In 1888 tiger killed man
within three miles of the railroad de
pot at Hyderabad. In that same year
a tiger carried off and devoured an
English girl from the suburbs Of Ben
galore Deadly serpents are terror
to-day in the outskirts of Madras,
Bombay. Calcutta, and other seaports.
Under the tropical heat of India ami
NAL and insect life is called into being
so rapidly and nature furnishes such
bountiful nourishment that it will
ever be country of danger. | have
had tiger snuff at me as | lay wrap
ped in my blankets in a jungle camp
hundred miles from town, and |
have entered bedroom in a house at
Calcutta to find that a cobra held pos
session.
From the Bengal line on the north,
to the city of Hyderabad on the south,
and from SOnpur on the east to the
sea coast on the west, lies great ter
ritorv without a railroad crossing it.
Several large rivers cut through it,
and there are various military roads,
but Nagpoor is the only town Of any
importance. This area of country is
hill, valley, plain and jungle, and
great army might march through ii
and across it and back again, and not
frighten its perils away. 1t was from
Nagpoor that | went out on commits
sion for an animal house at Amster-
dam-one of the most singular orders
we ever got. 1t was for IA den of poi
sonous snakes for an American circus,
and it was expressly stipulated that
no serpent whose bite was not known
to be fatal should be accepted. Hav-
ing constructed the proper cages and
collected party Of natives with eXpe-
rience, we started off and made a two
days journey TO the south. This
brought us into the hills and jungles,
with animal life as plentiful and as
savage as before the English set foot in
India. We made our headquarters at
a village called BOorghet, and were
assured that we would have no trouble
in loading a ship with poisonous rep
tiles, TO say nothing of wild animals.
The head man informed me that 80 Of
the villagers had lost their lives with
in 12 months Of snake bites, and that
no record had been sent to NagpOor,
as required by law.
1T would give us a bad name, and
do nobody any good" he explained.
But they want to publish the fig
ures in England and elsewhere, " pro-
tested.
What nonsenser' he exclaimed.
WHO will care to read such a record?
There were, he assured me, in the
jungles about the village, at least
dozen species of poisonous serpentS,
and that the loss Of life in the village
from this CAUSE averaged five persons
a month. In one year his people had
killed and received bounty on eight
thousand serpentS, but the number
had in nowise diminished He gave
us many hints of caution, but we had
been in the country long enough TO
know that the only precaution man
could take was eternal vigilance. On
the first night Of our arrival a large
snake was killed while crawling with
in 20 feet of a group at a camp fire.
There were but two OF us white hun
ters, and they gave each OF Us hut
TO himself. Before we turned in for
the night the place was thoroughly
searched, the bedding beaten with
sticks. and small fires were built out
side. Soon after breakfast next morn
ing boy came running in with the
news that a large snake had been
seen TO enter a deserted hut about 40
rods away. We at once set off with
our outfit, which consisted mostly of
nets. and when it was found that the
hut had only a single opening-the
doorway-we soon had net drawn
across it. Then some of the men and
boys began pounding on the hut with