Arizona republican., 1895-03-07
HOUSES ON STILTS.
Built So in Ecuador to Avoid
 Dangerous Reptiles.
A Residents Description of Some of the Undesirable NeighbOrs He Has in the Equatorial Wi1ds-
 Big Boas.

in the Equatorial Wi1ds-
 Big Boas.
 Among recent arrivals in San Fran cisco was Frederick Cook, of Playa de Gro, in the wilds of Ecuador, seven hundred miles south of Panama. MT. Cook has been engaged in mining for gold and battling with boa constructors, vampire bats, Ecuador tigers, and other queer products of that strange land of brought lot of skins of mammoth boas with him, as well as rare woods, heavy as iron, hides of the tiger, and other things without number.
 Some of the big snakes he killed him. self, and were from twelve to seven teen long. The skins are dried and he will now have them tanned. One of them is more than two feet wide. They are mottled in strange way appropri- ate to that part of the tropics. He said to San Francisco Examiner reporter that he is going to have them made into purses, ladies belts and slippers and then present them to his friends.
 "An impression prevails, he said, re- gently, that these boa constructors are a savage snake that lies in wait in a tree and springs upon and wraps itself about the unwary. In two years tha: was there 1 never knew a case of this sort. In fact, they are rather sluggish, and won't attack if you let them alone.
 Nevertheless, they are not very A4l. L and they will get into your house if you are not very careful. All the houses down there are built upon stilts, as well to avoid dampness as the snakes. Still this won't keep them out. 1 was living in such a house down there when a boa came in after a rooster. I was talking with a carpen- ter, and he struck at it with shovel. It escaped through a hole, and I went around and hit it with shovel and finally killed it with machete, the big knife with a blade over two feet long, used in that country.
 Another boa 1 killed with a heavy ironwood cane. The reptile was twelve feet long, fully foot and half through. 1 would not be afraid to at tack one of these with cane if he were fully fifty feet long. The black snakes are far worse. They are from twelve to twenty feet long, and these attack from trees and wrap themselves around their victim. Yet another snake to be avoided and one that is very poisonous is the occa. It is about six feet long and has a big diamond shaped head and fangs at least two inches long.
 ''The viragosa, which is similar to the occa, has a backbone like some fish, being rough like a saw. It is very vicious and poisonous and gets to be looks very much like brown piece of velvet or plush. Some of the natives killed one while I was there and it fought and struck desperately.
 This seventeen-foot boa was killed by Jamaica negro, who went right up to it and struck it with a machete. It was nine inches in diameter.
 ''To get rid of these snaky visitors I had a new house made It was not only put up on piles, but was con- structed otherwise to make it very difficult to access. In the first place I made the doors tight. The ceiling I had constructed of closely fitting bam- boo, and the floor of palm equally tight. Then I had the windows covered with wire screen. No glass is used there whatever, for that would make the house stuffy and they need all the air that can be got.
 Besides this, when I went to bed I used mosquito bar. Sand flies and different other insects get into the house here, no matter how particular you are. With all these precautions I was able to sleep secure of boa con- strictors and other reptiles, as well as the vampires or blood-sucking bats. Let me tell you here in regard to the vampires, that it is no joke to come in contact with them. If you are not careful they fasten themselves on you and you are half dead before you know it."