The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-09-14
a BATTLE ROYAL.

While the number of persons In India
who lose their lives By serperts and wild
animals, as returned each year by official
record, is so great as to amaze u., am
satisfied that not mors than tWo-thirds of
the actual number are returned Ipassed
five years in that country, most of the
time in the interior among the natives,
and l know how impossible it is fer
officials to collect anything like trust
worthy statistics under this head. -
The head men of villages are supposed
TO report TO certain officials, but they d9
so only under pressure. Where 4 report
would give u district a bad name, it is
altered and ameSded, aud no doubt the
Government conniyes ut this. The
amount of money paid out as bounty each
year TO the slsyers Of serpents and wild
animals is enormous, and il is increasing
yearly, proving that all attempts to oven
lessen tho general evil lave resulted in
failure.
The tiger. hyena, tiger wolf. wolf,
and other dangerous beasts have been
driven back as towns and cities have been
built up, but they have not been e1-
terminated nor have their numbers been
greatly lessened. In 1883 tiger killed n
man within three miles Of the railroad
depot at Hyderabad. In that same year
tiger carried of and devoured an Eng
lish girl from the suburbs OF Bengalore
Deadly serpentI are a terror to-day in the
outskirts of Madras, Bombay, Calcutta,
and other seaports.
Under the tropical heat of India animal
and insect life Is called into being SO
rapidly, and nature furnishes such bcun-
tiful nourishment that it will ever be
country Of danger. ! have had a tiger
sniff at me rs lay wrapped in my blankets
in \ jungle camp q hundred miles from
town, and have entered a bedroom in a
house in Calcutta to End that q cobra
held possession.
From the Bengal line on the north, to
the city of Hycerabad on tho south, and
from Sorpur in the east TO the seacoast
on the west, lies n great territory with
out a railroad crossing it. Several large
rivers cut through IL, and there nre
various military roads, but N.gpoor In
the only town OF any Importance. This
area of country Is hill, valley, plain and
jungle, and great army might march
through IL and across IL and back again,
and not frighten its perils away. -
Il WAS from Nagpoor that went out
cn conmission for al animal house at
Anstsrdam-one OF the most angular
orders we ever got. IL was for den OF
poisonous snakes for an American circus
and it was expressly stipulated that no
serpent whose bito was not known to be
fatal should be accepted.
Having constructed the proper eages
and collected = party of natives with ex-
perience. we started off and made 8 two
days journey TO the south. This brought
us into the hills and iungles, with animal
life as plentiful and as savage as before
ha lf.h In
We made our headquarters at village
called Boorghst, and were assured that
we would have no trouble IN loading \
ship with poisonous reptiles, TO say moth
ing OF wild animals. The head man In
formed ne that thirty-thres of the villa
gers Lad lO.t their lives within twelve
months By snake bites, and that no
record had been sent 10 Sagpeor, rs re-
quired by law.
1T would give ia bad name, and do
nobody any good" he explained. -.
But they want to publish the figures
IN England and elssv hare" protested.
what noasense"' he exclaimed, WHO
will care TO read such = recordr'
There wero, ne assured me, N tho
1ungles about the village at lea.t a dozen
species Of poisonous serpents, and that
the loss OF life In the village from thi.
cause averaged five persons a month. In
one year his people had killed and re-
ceived bounty on eight thousand serpeuts,
but the number had IN nouise dimin-
ished.
He gavo rs many hints OF caution, but
we had been in the country long enough
TO know that the only precaution q man
could take was eternal vigilance
On the iirst night Of our arrival largo
snake was killed by crawling within
twenty feet OF a group at = camp fire.
There were but two of US white hunters,
and they gave each Of US hut TO him
self
Before we turned IN for the night tho
place WAS thoroughly searched, the hrd-
ding beaten with sticks, and small fires
wero built outside.
Soon after breakfast next morning
boy came running in with the news that
. large snake had been seen to enter a de-
serted hut about forty rods away. We at
once net of with our outfit, which consi.-
ted mostly cf nets, and when 1t ras found
that tho hut had only n single opening
the Go0rUay-we soon Lad u net drawn
across it.
Then sorne of the men and boys began
pounding on the hut with clubs snd max
Ing great row, and directly the sIl IKE
traps himself in Il pound net, but he did
not submit until after tremendous
struggle. The natives called him an
fHd,tr, hut in appearance he greatly re-
semblcd tie American blAcksnake. He
WAS nine feet long, ringcd with orange,
and WAS Possessed OF great strength and
a terrible temper.
After be had tired himself ont we landed
him in the cage. and to prove to us that
he WAS poisonous a piece OF fresh meat
was held out to him on the end of p stick
In fifteen minutes after ne had struck it
the meat turned green, and in half an
hour IT smelled so horribly that nc had to
throw it away.
We did not get through with thi. first
capture until about noon, and directly
after dinner woman came in TO tell us
that n snnpur WAS baskins in tho sun on
fat rock. This serpent was ~ much
dreaded as the African rralabar, being
ready TO attack human brings on sight,
and having n strength and temper which
render him dangerous antagonist. We
must find him asleep and steal upon him
unawarcs or some OF US would forfeit our
lives.
s scout was sent out, who came hack to
report that his snakeship was lying in his
coil in = convenient spot FOR our opera
tions, and VIC moved upon him. As IN
Offset for his dangerous characteristic,
nature makes the sampur hard OF hearing
and n heavy sleeper.
Using the utmost canton. onr head
native approached with a cast net, md by
n successful threw made the dapgerou,
fellow prisoner. IT took rs three hours
OF hard work to get him into the cage
and he did not quiet down until he had
thrashcd himself sore.
1t was not much of feat to secrre the
serpcnts we wanted, and in the course OF
q fortnight we were ready TO pull NJ