Wichita eagle., 1888-05-20
astounding sisht. We were r,ea up 70

| the left hank, and had just finished dinner,
| when fire was discovered IN the forest on
/ The ouposite shore The flames were two or
| ,hree miles back from the water, but hardly
| had we observed the great smoke before va
rious wild animals began making the Cross
inc. We could see up and down the Orinoco
1 for distance of two miles either way, and
in tf-, minutes after we saw the fire the water
| for ell this distance seemed lashed TO foam
Wild cattle. deer tapirs, ant eaters, mon
| KEYS, serpants, peccaries and jaguars came
! swimming TO our side for life. The croco-
/ dies for a long distance up and down the
| stream cot the call TO come - a rare feast,
! and believe that full 1,o0o OF them were
| in sight from the launch. The stream here
was over half mile wide, with q current OF
about three miles an hour. " ha. with their
| fear Of the flames behind them and the fierce
/ crocodiles around them. the fleeing lnhab-
| itants Of the forest were in great terror. te
1 did not for time occur to Us that we were
/ in any danger, but suddenly we observed q
! huge serpent heading straight for the launch,
! and some one shouted for all 70 seek cover.
| The snake came right aboard, and was fol-
/ lowed IN minute or two by Jaguar-
Either of the visitors could have easily
passed TO the shore as we Law against the
bank in deep water, but both seemed deter
mined TO remain with Us II wasn't two
minutes before the fierce growlS of the
iaguar proved that 4 conflict wes imminent,
and thirty seconds later serpent and beast
were having it hot and heavy along the hur-
ricane deck While the row was going on a
second iaguar boarded Us over the bows,
which were open back TO the pilot house and
looking from window it seemed as if we
were beset from the river side IL was & full
half hour before the panic subsided, and by
that time every crocodile must have had
square meal and over.
We had shut ourselves up when the serpent
came aboard. A fight certainly took place
between the snake and the first jaguar, and
when the second came aboard the fight took
OIL q new phase Whether the two beasts
were attacking the reptile together, or
whether il was triangular contest, we could
not tell bat after the panic along the river
had subsided we carefully opened the cabin
doors and looked out. One of the iaguars lay
dead on the deck, while the other and the
serpent were gone An examination of the
dead beast showed that he had been caught in
the folds of the snake, and that the latter was
boa constructor. The backbone and nearly
all the ribs were broken.
Three or four DAYS later we had a near and
plain view of still more singular combat
We had tied up TO the bank for the night
and were eating supper, when wild bull
came down TO the water by a path only 200
feet above us. He was either very thirsty or
very reckless, for he gave Us no attention.
Within ten feet of where he lowered his head
to drink was large tree, and the bull had
scarcely tasted the water when an enormous
serpent flung itself downward and outward
from large limb and seized the bull There
was a great fuss instantly. The snake had a
tail hold on the limb, but the bull was stout
and strong and could not be pulled off his
feet. While taken by surprise, he was not in
the least ratified and from the way be used
hoof and horns we saw that the serpent had
undertaken big job. Mud and leaves and
grass were flying in showers, almost hiding
tho bull from our view, when q monster
crocodile came out of q bed of reeds n few
rods above, and running along down the
bank seized the bull by fore leg The de-
fiant roars of the victim were now changed
to bellows of terror and dis.nay. While the
snake attempted to haul cne way the crocO-
die pulled the other. After three or four
minutes the saurian got an advantage. and
suddenly the serpent let go his hold Of the
tree, and then such a rumpus Kicked up
that we could see nothing Of the combat
When the air cleared little the serpent was
escaping into q thick fringe of foliage We
fired our rifles at the bull and crocodile and
scared them OF. The bull was weak and evil
dently had been badly hurt
Let ono travel on foot through the most
populous districts in the United States and
one would not see q single house dog or cat
where saw three Jag1ars along the Cri-
noco. There was not one hour during day-
light for period of three months that these
creatures were not around US, and most Of
the time one or more were in sight When
ever we ran along close to the banks we saw
them crouched down on flood wood or NOV
ing through the forest, and whenever we
came 60 a sandy beach over which the turtles
crawed a jaguar could surely be counted on
for every half mile. In the three months
we killed upward of 200 OF these animals,
and in almost every instance saved the skin.
In only one case was any of US in danger
from this cunning and ferocious beast. The
steamer had been tied TO the bank and we
had been making excursions from that spot
for three or four DAYS, when one afternoon,
when only one Of the young men was left
behind at the fire on the bank, . taguar crept
up and spTaDg upon him. 1t was a wonder
fui spring, as we afterward discovered. From
the spot where the beast crouched 10 the
place where he alighted on his victim was
just twenty-Six feet. The young man was
kneeling down and bending over a specimen
which ne was examining. and the jaguar fell
on his back and seized him by ths rignt
shoulder. The man weighed almost 10
pounds and was muscular fellow, but the
jag,iar trotted OF with hira as If be had bsoo
a shoulder Of mutton, not lifting the body
entirely clear Of the ground, but dragging it
along. Fortunately for the victim, the forest
was very dense just there, and the beast had
to take one of the several paths leading
through it. He had not gone above 800 feet
when he met one Of the party On his way
beck 10 the boat. TIE jsZuRr sprang for
limb ten feet above his head. still holding 20
the man. and such was his wonderful nuscu-
lar po77er that one Of his forepaws actually
touched the limb. When lie dropped back Il
was 70 receive a bullet IN the head. In dying
be inflicted several severe wounds on the
young man with his claws Ycrk Sun
The Women OF RnrInah.
On arriving Ia Barnsah from any part II
Eindoostaa one Is struck By the coas-as: Is
tween the women Of the two countries.
" Ee-aac IN fba ta-+sv ,r,.,.v-- "a ,.<..,.y, -