The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-11-09
rHg PARADISE OF SNAKES


lava Has Millions. aud Many OF the Most
Poisonous Kind.
The ftaho sugar estate In Java COM
prises over twelve thousand acres.
about one-third OF which Is In cane.
This is in one OF the most densely
wooded parts OF Java, and the bush Ia
like wall, impervious even 10 many
wild animals. but snakes flourish and
there are no less than ten varieties
that are deadly poisonous. Eight of
the coolies employed on this estate
have died inside of four months from
snake bites. The chain viper Is most
dreaded. as 10 will not get out of ones
way, and when trodden on by the
barefooted natives, strikes fatally.
Twelve miles away is the ruined city
OF Choru, wilderness OF temples
built OF stone, cut in designs as fine as
laceworlS. On the north side Of all
these buildings are long arched pas
sages, and here wild animals resort 20
get out of the intolerable heat Lead
ing from these avenues are hundreds
of small chambers having no windows
In these Turk more snakes than can
be found anywhere else In the island
II Is not surprising that the eastern
nations look upon Englishmen as luna
ties They do so many foolhardy
things from no apparent motive save
10 risk their lives Two years ago an
English naval lieutenant was here
visiting neighboring planter and his
peculiar craze was making collection
of Javan reptiles His only attendant
was an English sailor lad about six
teen, and these two, against all warm
ing, went roaming around the forests
without n guide. In Choru, the
ruined city, the lieutenant found rich
harvest and killed magnificent black
jaguar, but an adventure with snake
ended his sport. One day he and the
boy were under one of the long arch
ways of the big temple and. looking
through the doorways of one of tho
dark chambers, saw something yellow
in the far corner. Without moments
thought he entered and gave the mass
a punch with his cane. A tremendous
hiss that fairly shook the walls was
followed by an assault swift as the
leap of a tiger. and the man found
himself seized by huge Bari snake,
the most aggressive and dangerous of
our constructors. His left shoulder
was crushed by the brute's teeth, and
quick as a fash "A coil was around his
body and he felt the steel-lilSe COM
preston. But the grit of the boy
saved his masters life. lie had n
heavy, sharp wood knife. and he
struck the reptile two heavy blows
4..n ~ 1T
able part of its body. because tho thin
nest. It's backbone was divided. The
coil relaxed, but the powerful tail
dashed out, breaking the boys leg. 1t
was two hours before they were found
and brought up in cart. The lieu
tenants left shoulder was crushed be-
yond surgery and the arm was useless.
Both master and boy recovered after
spell OF fever saw the snake, a
hideous object, black and yellow, and
fifteen feet long. Such brute would
crush horse.
Cunning ono day near Che Wasil
river in the interior of the island, |
watched n number of wild hogs COM
ing to the water to drink Suddenly,
the head of snake arose above the
grass and hog squealcd. A python
had seized a full-grown one, easily
three feet high at the shoulder, and
thrown two coils around the body.
Under the tremendous pressure the
hog seemed to lengthen. and when the
snake uncoiled / saw only strip OF
meat. nothing distinguishnble hut the
head / shot the snake. 1t was twelve
feet long and not over seven inches
through, and yet its coils had crushed
the bones of its prey like chips.
There is no doubt that hidden away
In the vast swamps of the interior are
many anacondas of enormous size.
Parties have been made up TO hunt
them, but the malarious climate drives
them back. In the museum at Bata-
via is the skin of serpent that must
have been fifty feet long when living.
Such a brute would kill man MS cas-
lily as IL would rabbit have in my
possession the jumper and loiD-cloth
OF coolie that had been swallowed by
a boa. The cloths seemed TO have been
knotted by hand, so tightly are they
rolled. The only party OF the body
found was the lower jaw-bone. All the
rest had been digested.
There are certainly people who have
some occult power over snakes Wo
have here an Indian coolic who Is in
sane from blow on the head. He is
harmless. and yet terror 20 his coun-
trymen, and he always has one or
more venomous serpents about his per-
son, and these he will handle and gab-
BILE 20 by the hour. We have a coral
snake, bright scarlet, known as the
kora. IL is deadly in its bite,
and vicious In temper fighting
TO the last, yet In the coolies hands IL
is inert, and makes no attempt TO bite.
but II he puts IL on the ground IL will
attack anything in the way, killing
chickens with one dart IL Is horri-
bic sight 10 see the coolic come In with
n gray cobra. six feet long, coiled
around his neck. its hood erect and