Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-17
A rnRrLLIN0 ADVENTURE.
How . Monster snake Was BagRed In
South America.


How Monster snake was BagRed In
South America.
A writer in the New York Ledger says :
While travelling in South America I
experienced many adventures, one OF
which was particularly hazardous.
The sun had just passed the meridian In
cloudless sky there was scarcely bird
TO be seen, for the winged Inhabitants Of
the forest, overcome by heat, had retired
been like midnight silence were 1t not
that the shrill voice Of the pipi-yo every
now and then resounded from distant
tree. was sitting with q Horace" In
my hand, when negro with his little dog
came down the hill In haste, and informed
me that snake had been discovered, and
that 1t was young one called the bush
master, q rare and poisonous breed. in-
stantly rose up, and laying bold Of an
eight-fOot lance which was close by me,
started TO have look at the monster. /
was barefoot, with an old hat and check
shirt and trousers on, and pair of braces
to keep them up. The negro had his cut
lass, and we ascended the hill another
negro, armed with q cutlass, Joined us,
Judging from our pace that there was some
thing to do. The little dog came along
with us, and when we got about halfa mile
to fallen tree; all was stlll and silent. I
told the negros not to stir from the place
whore they were, and to keep the little dog
In, and that would go on and reconnoiter.
I advanced up to the place slowly and
cautiously. At last made the snake out;
II was not poisonous, but large enough to
have crushed any of us to death.
On ascertaining the size of the serpent,
retired slowly the way came, and prom
ised four dollars to the negro who had
shown 1t to me, and one to the other who
had Joined us. Aware that the day WAS
tkn hot tkn urh -
night would be detrimental to the dis
section, thought that 1 would take It
alive. imagined, IL 1 could strike it with
the lance behind the head, and pin him to
the ground, I might succeed in capturing
him. When told this to the negroes,
go for gun and bring more force, as they
were sure the snake would kill some Of us;
but had been in search of o large serpent
for years, and now having come up with
one, 1t did not become me to turn soil. So,
taking cutlass from one of the negroes,
hind me, told them to follow me and
that would cut them down If they Of
fered to fly.
When we got up to the place, the serpent
had not stirred. I could see nothing of its
head, and judged by the folds of It's body
that 1t must be at the f9rthest side of his
den. A species of woodbine had formed
complete mantel over the branches of the
fallen tree, almost impervious to the rain
or the rays of the sun. Probably the
snake had resorted to this sequestered
place for length of time, as 1t bore the
marks of an ancient settlement. l now
took my knife, determining to cut away
the woodbine, and break the twigs in the
gentlest manner possible, till could get
view of his head. One negro stood guard
close behind me with the lance and near
him the other with cutlass. The cutlass
which I had taken from the first negro
was on the ground close by me in case Of
need.
After working in dead silence for quar-
ter of an hour, with one knee all the time
on the ground, had cleared away enough
to see his head. 1t appeared coming out
between the first and second coil of his
body, and was flat on the ground. This
was the very position wished it to be in.
l rose In silence. and retreated very slowly,
making sign to the negroes to do the
same. We were at this time about twenty
yards from the snakes den. 1now ranged
the negroes behind me, and told him who
stood next to me to lay hold OF the lance
the other must attend my movements. 1t
now only remained to take their cutlasses
from them, for was sure II did not dis
arm them. they would bc tempted to strike
the snake in time of danger, and thus for
ever spoil his skin. On taking their cut
their physiognomy, they seemed to con-
slider It as most intolerable act Of ty ranny
on my part. Probably nothing kept them
from bolting but the consolation that was
to be between them and the snake.
We went slowly on in silence, without
moving our arms or heads, i'm order to pre-
vent alarm as much as possible, lest the
snake should glide off or attack us in sslf-
defense. / carried the lance perpendicu-
larly before me, with the point about a foot
from the ground. The snake had not
moved and, on getting up to him, struck
him with the lance on the near side, just
behind the neck, and pinned him to the
ground. That moment the negro next to
me seized the lance and held it firm in its
place, while l dashed head foremost into
the den to grapple with the snake, and to
get hold of its tail before II could do any
mischief. On being pinned to the ground
with the lance, it gave a tremendous loud
hiss, and the little dog ran away, bowling.
We had a sharp fray in the den, the rotten
sticks flying on all sides, and each party
struggling for superiority. The second
negro threw himself upon me, as found !
was not heavy enough, and the additional
weight was of great service. had now got
struggle or two, the snake gave in. While
the first negro continued to hold the lance
firm to the ground, and the other was
helping me, ! contrived to unloOse my
braces, and with them tied up the snakes
mouth.
We contrived to make his snakeshlp
twist round the shaft of the lance, and
then prepared to convey it out of the
forest. ! stood at its head, and held 1t
firmly under my arm, one negro support
ing the body, and the other the tail. In
this order we began TO move slowly toward
home, and reached it after resting every
ten minutes, for the snake was too heavy
for us to support It without stopping to re-
cruit our strength. AS we proceeded on
ward with 1t, 1t fought hard for freedom,
but 1t was all In vain. The day was now
too far spent to think ofdissscting 1t. Had
killed 1t, a partial putrefaction would
have taken place before morning. had
brought with me into the forest strong
bag, large enough to contain any animal I
shOuld want TO dissect i considered this
the best mode of keeping alive wild
animals when was pressed for daylight,
for the bag, yielding in every direction to
their efforts, they would have nothing solid
or fixed to work on, and thus would be
prevented from making hole through IL.
I say fixed, for after the mouth Of the bag
was closed, the bag itself was not fastened
or tied TO anything, but moved about
wherever the animal inside caused it to
roll. Amer securing afresh the mouth Of
the monster, IL was forced into this bag,
and left to its fate till morning.
cannot say 1t allowed me to have
quiet night. My hammock was In the Ion
just above him, and the floor between US
half gone to decay, SO that In parts of 1t no
boards interviewed between his lodging and
mine. He was very restless and fretful
and had Medusa been my wife. there could
not have been more continued and disa-
greeable kissing in the bed-chamber that
night. At daybreak sent to borrow ten
Of the negroes who were cutting wood at a
distance, as judged it most prudent 10
have good force, In case he should try to