Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-07-12
cANAcUcHI AND MANuTA.

South American Tropical Snakes that
Carry Deadly, Quiok-acting Venom.
"a rattlesnalte in rage is sight
that some folks can't gaze upon with
out having their sleep disturbed for
long time, but if any such person, after
seeing an angry rattlesnake at its
worst, should see an angry canacuchi-
the venomous Central and South Amer
can snake more familiarly known as
the bushmaster'-he would feel as if
he might take the rattles:lalSe to his
bosom and make pet o. IL" said the
naturalist. Fortunately flr. the ma
tiT'es where this deadly reptile is found,
1T Is by no means numerous in its hab-
itat, or the record of deaths from it's
bite would be comparatively as many
as those that befall the natives of India
from the fangs of the venomous snakes
of that country. BY the unqualified
statements Of people in Guiana, in the
rank undergrowths of which country
the bushnasters are most numerous, I
was assured, before / had seen one of
these reptiles, that they are the equal
in swift deadliness of venom to the
dreaded cobra of India, and after | saw
what the bushmaster was capable of I
had not the slightest doubt of any tale
that had been told me about it.
'My first sight of a canacuchi was
startling one. In company with a ma
tive l was in a canoe on a small arti-
fetal lake which supplied water for ir-
rigating surrounding plantations, fish
ing for jalapos, fish peculiar to that
region. This fish resembles in shape
our yellow perch, but it is of silverv
white, with two brilliant red spots lust
back of the gill covers. The strange
thing about this fish is its ability to
travel overland for long distances in
search of other waters when the pond
in which it has been domiciled dries up.
as these ponds have a way of doing
down there. To enable it to make good
Roadway on these land trips the fish
has two movable bony hooks on it's
belly, by which it pulls itself over the
groune. l was intent on my fishing
when waS'stsstaed by cry from the
native, saIAd looking up saw an express
sion of great terror on his face. He
was pointing toward the shore, which
was only three or four yards distant.
'Canacuchi. Canacuchi. he screamed.
VI turned my head in that direction
and saw most horrible looking SER
pent. 1t was about five feet long and
as big around as my arm. 1t had
mead enormously ont of proportion to
its body. Two prominent eyes that
shone like Goals of fire, were set well
forward on the hideous head The
snake was in tremendous rage. Its
long, curved fangs on each side of the
upper jaw. AS it moved to and fro,
with its formidable head constantly
turned toward us, its brilliant mark
ings glittered Ia the sun. / was told
afterwards that If the water had not
been between the boat and the snake
1t would have rushed upon us without
a seconds delay, as the tactics of the
bushmaster are always offensive, but it
will not enter the water.
"As soon as my native regained somc-
thing of his composure he seized the
paddle, and was for fleeing from the
sight of the demonstrating reptile, but
/ ] strained him, and put two pistol
bal IS in the snakes head and ended it's
fur GUS maneuverings. It was with the
gre test difficulty that l could induce
the native to paddle the canoe ashoe,
50 aat could make closer examina-
ito of the snake. SO intense was his
DIRE d of the bushmaster, even when it
wa lead He landed me on the shore.
fin; ily, but as soon as stepped out of
the BOAT he padded away several yards.
I 'und that closer inspection of the
rer lie added greatly to its hideous
asl act The fangs We're nearly two
inches long, and. unlike those Of other