The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21
CANA CUCHI AND MAyUTA.

South American Tropical saahss that
Garry Deadly, Quick-setinG venom-
"A rattlesnake In . rage is . sight that some
folks can't gaze upon without having their
their sleep disturbed for a long time. but II
any such person. after seeing An angry rattle
snake at It's worst. should see an angry cana
cuchi-ths venomous Central and South
American snake more Familiarity known as
the bushmaster'-he would feel - II he
might take the rattiesnake to his bosom and
make Q pet OF it, said tho naturalist For
t~unately for the natives where this deadly
rertile 10 found. IL 10 BY no means numer-
Gus In It's hsbitat. or the record OF
deaths from it's bite would DO com
paratively as many as those that be-
fall tho natives Of India from the fanRs OF the
snakes OF that country. BY the un-
qualified staten ents Of people In Guiana. In the
rank undergrowths OF which country the BUSH
masters are most numerous. l Was assured.
before I had seen one Of tn ose reptiles. that they
arc the equal In wilt deadliness OF venom to
the dreaded cobra Of India. and after I saw
what tho bushmaster was capable OF I had not
the slightest doubt OF any tale that had been
told me about IL
my first sight OF q canacuchi was q startling
ona In company with o native I was In Q
canoe on a mail artificial lake which supplied
water for irrigatinR surrounding plantations.
fishing for ~iaIapos. q fish peculiar to that re-
zion. This fish resembles In shape our yellow
perch. but IL Of o silvery white. with
two brilliant red spots just behind the
gill covers. The strange thing about this fish
10 Its ability to travel overland for long dis
tances In search Of other waters when the
pond In which 1t has been domiciled dries up. as
these ponds have ! way OF doing dow there.
To enable 1t to mako good Roadway on these
land trips the hsh has two movable bony
hooks on its belly. By which 1t pulls itself over
the ground. I was intent on my fishing when
I was startled by q cry from the native. and
looking up saw an expression Of great terror
on his face. He was pointing toward the shore.
which was only three or four yards distant.
"'CanAcuchi! Capacuchi!' he screamed.
. m I:9E HS,d, 2. head IL that asrp sisectton ns and h saw
I'VE feet long and a. bic sround an ny, arm. Il
had y head enormously out Of proportion to lie
body. TTc prominent EYES. that saone iike
dous rage. It's great mouth was open. show
s Upper sr j. ,snr 'A s1 L %o lsass 70 on . s1rh it s,a si Fl ' rs
formidable head constantly turned toward us.
Il: e Ell .ise TasEin thst si y sSs r a sh1 h :sp; moi
been between the boat and the snake y would
have rushsd upon US WITHOUT q seconds delay.
but i will not ontsr water.
AZ soon as my native re9ainsd s9methins
was Tor iissinS from the sight. Of the terror.
two pistol Calls in the snake's head and ended
II, n%i.a assao lin anity ,hst ! Gould / induce %fs "t The nae n"e
to paddle the canoe ashore; 80 that could
SSheP It ~. dead: He landed u. On a the s g *:
f GnsIlS' hut as n.s ssSI as r . stsp ssysrS Sp' % a.
/ found t Rsa0's Closer "f isn.pss!ion Of ths
reptile added greatly to its hidsoIs sspss;.
an!ii ssf those ss 81 sotRsr 1sno@ Gus ssrpent;; w:t:
not intended to work In sockets and he fat
Ss%in si., ,hs Sgpi e t ,fss i xsen n pist ~ us a. sSs
snake to take It with me for better inves,
tiga,ion at my quarters. but ;hs native was 20
boa. With lin that he ABSOLUTELY and .mphat:
ical!y refused to come ashore, after me nnLess
is e. a." 70 Iar S. as | could sh sss ts * h ,s1as' II ~
lea 81 ep shish ,Ss naslvss i i've IL o. n sSatsI 4nsai
is ore called the manuta. 1t abopnds In parts
S1v NsIs.nsla There 10 an old India. g1lds
Of how no started once 70 act as guide and
sss sss a. .sP. IN sR 81. ssS 10 T fi.s .5s. IL S !'.s 'Hs%
the R,au boat. '': fse h i.,ns ..' via I'D a sSfs s Inesi
fSs, h shs lifS cn hi. death .sn9s BODY d I'D nj lis sSydi
his Ne before tn" guide. K moving what ,i6s
result would be. could prevent him. The
,ather thss absorbed the deadly manut9
pore Of the boys body. and soon lay dead be.
side bis son In the boat.
Whether the old Indian guides awful tale
. rye or not have no means, Of knowing.
Dlt having seen Q mule that died In two min: |
t l.ef fise5 being bitten Ky a manuta; DO not
fhe mule was shot INN ediatsly afterward. and
IL was the only specimen of the man uta l ever
raw n general physical formation IT. reaem-
glei closely our rattlesnaks. having but two
iangs. closing up In sockets like the TattlsrA"