New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-25
4 NIGHT IN 4 SNAKES THROAT
A STARTLING STORY OF TIE AMAZON.
From The Boston Commercial Bulletin.
Incn.Lnr cn-r,r. .....t On tl,n

|
| Locating our camp a suitable spot the south
ni OF the Ama@on as ncay as hS river cen be
MAKO daily excursions no he forest In all directions.
u.lslg leaving two OF the boatmen in chars, OF the
camp and taking the other two along to carry supplies
&c concession proved to be most masEitcenf forest.
mahogany trees there by he thousand. needing
but the wocdman'S axe aud transportation down the
IN,l TO fetch $50 pounds apiece Tho tract was inter
sectcd By cIecks IN al directions along which timber
might readily be ioatcd TO tho river.
H. some ten day after our arrival at the
cesson, when took Mura with me for snort eXpedi-
ion into TIC forest II was feast day with The In
aians and We intended 10 return before evening we
left them all four IN camp, mercly providing ourselves
With round OF hard,ack apiece and some cold venson
:or lunch. lt noon, where We sat down TO cat our
lunch, Murrils discovered by. cnmp Of low
bushes bearing yelowsh berry. This fruit he pro
fessed to recognize a. familiar variety which he had
oiien oaicn doTD toward The coast though he had
never any before far in The interior. After
testing hcm he pronounced them delicious but OF some
what different flavor 20 those tho cast coast.
We both ea' OF the berries literally without the least
suspicion OF injurious effects, finding them. as Mu
rhla declared delicious Ton MINUTES after eating tho
r berry: hGHeyer both OF Us 6scse hred %1
happy Murna bursting out in the Portuguese doGgcrel
with bos,crous hlariiy though intoxicated with alb
ecd with PLEASING exceiaent to the very fnger-iIps.
was fairly intoxicated have vague recollection
impulse to sing by nodtns my head in rythmic ap-
prOval Of Murila's vocal outhursi-of seeing Murila
example. Then all became 4 blank
This happened about midday. Not untll nearly sun
commence TO assert it,clf. 7 then awoke-if foegy
idea Of trying 10 cxtrcate ONES self from a hideous
nightmare can he called an awakcning-vih horrible
sensation OF helDcs sncss. II seemed though the
lower half OF my body numbed and paralyzed by
heavy pressure from all directions. vague mpres
s!On that my lower limbs dead and AL the blood
forced out OF them into the upper part OF my body.
crept over me. My eyes seemed starting from their
breath came in !ahorrd pants nv throa, was 10. and
dry with raging thirst. not yet fully returned
to my senses like ono druggcd with chloroform
person freezing 70 death. my natural inclination was
to G things take hr course y se,m9i useless S,, 70
embrace that appeared to clutch me as in rubber
mould al terrible tension. from the waist down It
was only nightmare which would away IN q
littlc while And vet. 1t couldn't be nightmare for
was dlmly conscious Of being awake after all. and
not asleep and dreaming.
aroused my wenigh dormant faculties 10 sense that
something terrible was the matter The numbhcss
had no, reached my arms. and tried to raise myself
up was lying face downward. AS strove 10 rise
was dragged backward several foot along the ground
Hornfed and bewlidcred. raised myself NJ with
frantic effort. sufficient TO look toward my helpless
eNtnmIty. Ny God! was t1h cngulfed IN the
me lying at length the ground stupefed, hal deli5
craioly set about swallowing me.
Now J was thoroughly aroused, the sensation was
as though some powerful sucton-pump were employed
in dragging me remorsecssy down. down, down; inch
by inch. into the Shiny depths Of devouers stomach
was suffering physical pain speak Of the dread
fnl pressure ne tower half of the body created
only numbness there above a OF oppressive
ness. but there was utter absensc Of acute pain
An inGcscnbsbly sickening odor also emanacd from
down his throat II was the breath from the foul
and Shiny stomach that already entombed nv feet and
legs and would ere long close over my head. Mad
dcned at the loatbs0me prospect, / a Mortified
scream Of agony and clutching ancaly at the ground
struggled rantically n r"l"ase myself from the deadly
embrace 81 the serpcnts throat.
As we'll might some modern Canute try to STAY tho
tidal waves rcsstcss course. az 70 struggle for free
dom from that living strstrhed like rubber about
every hsrbreadh Of what II cngulfcd As struggled
could fool the hooked fans 4 deovurer clutch
the hnchSkin ja' kct was wearing. and hold Ike
pair Of hungry nippcrs wh!lc The horrible suction
pump below seemed to lie worked with anxious energy.
Az gAfrD LOAD hN ttffa Lpf.rl
comprising anythng by struggling a complete change
came over me- became as calm and collected as II
So cool ard Philosophical did begr to review the
situation that concluded must have suddenly gone
mad
II there was the slightest hope of escape argued
With myself. IT would he in Keeping nv presence OF
might make get loose, would land me an Inch fur
Their down into the depths of the boa's slippery tomb
The activity OF that horrible srctIon force within
Prom my schoolboy recoectons OF natural history
good twenty four hours engnldnC TO the waist
ard that by offering a merely passive resistance |
might Keep my head and shoulders outside a long as
lie remained. From the time discovered myself 10
be I'm the bOa's ethcrous grip until the above sensible
minutes.
For the first time since recovering consciousness
my thoughts found opportunity To wander from |
my own sensations, and my FIRST thought was Of MuFilla
What had become Of him Was he. too. being de- |
voured. he already destroyed? elcam OF |
hope shot through my brain &; the query. Perhaps !
he + unharmci and wien he -, from the stupcfy-
ing effects of the berries Will h. able TO render me
slstance.
In my anxiety to see II Nurna were anywhere
around, tried 10 look about ae. The movement |
disturbed the bca, and again he dragged backward
TWO three feet. and again the pressure from below
eXcncd Itself anew 10 try aad drag me In. 81 long !
a. remained perfectly quiet the boa scanned content |
to let nature axe its course aud to remain I'm a semi
comatose condition Ic seemed to realize that he |
had undertaken tremendous job. and one that r. |
qHred great deal OF patience. The least movement
on my part however. he would interpret az once into |
an effort Of his prey 10 escape and would rcclprocae
by trying 10 swallow ne.
Hours, that The horror Of my position seem to
stark. raving mad. a. felt the fang Of my hdeous
devonrer scraping against my buckskin Jacket to try
and inch me further down his q. roat
The heavy olor of The reptiles breath like
might oven be tolcrabie TO tho nosriIs
DerkneSs came. and added 10 the terror 70 my snN-
ton. NV were now badly shattered and in |
the darkness nv night was ptable I'm the extreme !
How shall describe the weird horrors OF that dreadful
niehtl II seemed an eternity spent amid all the black
ness and the mental fortunes Of nell, Itself
Morning dawrcd az last although never thought |
u would come and find me In possession OF my senses.
Why II dldnI ma me ravinE m Inac or biuobcrng
pencd
My first thought was to ascertain whether the gutta
pefcha.lIke opening In my living tomb had gained on
me during those aWiu hours OF darkness or not was
lying all this Will" fscc downward. and although by |
used nv left hand TO feel the iaut rim OF the boa
constructors laws They were three full inches higher
night had just passed through had exhausted my
lions. and ! remember that this sinister discovery
z" akeneg IN me no sense OF uncaSiness.
tried 70 form some plan of puttng end ia
exis tence: but my brain refused make connection
between NY DIM disjolntcd flights Of thought IL
was no longer eans the concentration Of definite
IDEA. I beyond all active emotions. once
fanried heard the of animal human be-
ing near by but was too far gone to pay any a'ten
ton.
AZ last all seemed to be over with me. 1t was as
though the darkness Of nghi had gradually closed over
me- again a roaring n0i.o I'm my cars continued for
awhile in the Gai kncss. and then al silent hal
sank into the unconsciousness of complete ezhausom
remember nothing more until came to NV senses
again In camp the river bank a cOupic OF
day. nursing bv Mura brought mo round that |
roud sir up and listen to his account Of my rescue.
The | ianced beard lust before sinking into w
from Mur,lla Tho effects of the
lefiVs had kent him stupefed until the dawn nf the
second day. tho close OF the night full OF horrible
,Xperi"rces 20 me. He had awakened weak and burn
ng with thirst. Rlslng be heheld rot q dnzen