The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-05-01
THE FATHER OF SNAKES.
Thrilling Adventure on the Soil
moens River, in Brazil.
Story Of the Capture of n Sailor By a Terri
-se= bic 5tnaconda rs Kefatcd. By Member
Of the Naval Service of tho Late
Emperor.

'Thc late Empire, now Republic, of
Brazil has within her borders more nu-
merousund fargcrrcptftcs, said br. r. n.
Henderson, late Of the Brazilian naval
service, when talking to the writer a
few days ago, than are contained with
in the boundaries Of any other nation,
and in making this broad statement
will not accept even that reputcd para
disc of serrents, Upper India, where 1T
Is common thing for the python to Sc.
lect heavy OK or buffalo as choice
morsel for meals In the numerous
islands dotting the delta of the lower
Amazon there are whole colonies Of reps
tiles Which are now and then only dis
turbed by the incursions OF man, the ma
tives of those parts having a supersti-
tious dread OF Invading the thickly-
wooded morasses, Where evil spirits as
we'll as serpents are supposed by the
ignorant people to make their haunts.
ut was in the spring of 1857 that the
Brazilian corvette Pho del Norte was de-
tailed for special exploration service on
the upper waters of the great river. |
was at that time on-board of her in the
English naval officers, Joined the. Brazil
ian service on account Of the higher re-
Enumeration and more speedy prospects
of advancement which it afforded My
sole stipulation had been, when ! joined
the Pho del Norte, that my faithful SER
want and assistant, Tom Barry, who
figures very prominently in this story,
should be allowed to accompany me- AS
naval officers acting in professional ca
APaeities afe-al44 essed~effe- servant, this
was easily arranged
We had been about a year on the
corvette when She was detailed for river
exploration service. BESIDES her rcgu-
lar complement, Brazilian naturalist
of some repute called Vermejho was to
accompany the expedition, our object
being openetrate into and explore the
almost unknown country lying beyond
the falls of the Madeira, but to the
northward. These falls, almost as great
natural curiosity in their way as Mag
ara, are in latitude 939 south, longitude
63 about, west from Greenwich. The
surrounding country and thatsalong tho
course of the tributary of the Amazon
known as the Solimoens river is of the
widest and most forbidding aspect, and
wild beasts and reptiles of all kinds ind
a home in the recesses of the primeval
forests, or plunge in the waters of that
region In the daytime, when the sun
Is shining, and the gay-plumaged trop-
ical birds fit from tree to tree, or skim
the surface of the river the aspect of
nature is cheerful enough; but it is at
night the traveller most fcnls his insig=
nificance and loneliness when seated by
: bis campfire with perhaps but few
companions, the. yastness of the forest
becomes so oppressive, and the sense of
ona's distance from civilization almost
overwhelming.
After eleven days steaming, the cor=
vette arrived at Tipoagua, whore the
water shoaling rapidly, our party OK
changed our comfortable quarters in
that vessel for the less ample accommo-
dations Of a steam launch, in which
smaller vessel, of course, the real work
of the expedition was to be accom-
plished. For the next three days, as we
moved slowly up the stream with dimin-
ished speed, nothing of sufficient inter
est to relate occurred. Nermeiho and
the chief of the, expedition, Lieutenant
Juan Perez, bus cd themselves with OBJ
jects OF interest to them both, the flora
and fauna of the region, but l, not being
naturalist, could only smoke and
smoke and smoke, which did 1ncessant-
ly, stopping only.to sleep and eat and
waking to-smolSe again.
.'On the fourth day after leaving the
corvette we entered tho north branch of
the Solimoens river, and here we left
behind all traces of man, even the few
native huts on the banks of the great
river which we had heretofor met from
q time to time at long intervals now
failing us. We rarely landed except
TO cut wood for the furnace of the
launch or to- gather some strange look
ing plant or root which Nermejho and
the lieutenant declared to be Of vast
value TO science, though must confess
they all looked the same to me. 1t
was only lat night that VIC went
ashore for any length Of time,
when we usually went INTO camp.
On this particular evening we should
undoubtedly have done so, If one Of our
native guides, q shrewd fellow, had not
reported the finding of iaguar tracks in
great numbers shortly after we landed
in the immediate vicinity Of cur camp
ing place, and deeming it inexpedient
to expose our small party to danger, it
was decided to make the launch fast for
the night to a huge tree that had fallen
Sdrom the bank, partly obstructing tho
rapid current and making an excellent
breakwates. and to sleep on board.
"A light breeze down the river had
driven away the mosquitoes, which had
nearly eaten us alive ever since We had
left Tipoagga, and taking advantage Of
this, yermejho and ! slept that night in