The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-06
A sNAKE-INFhsTED COUNTRY.
Java Has Millions of the Reptiles,
Many of the Most PoIsonous Kind.
From the PhiIadelphia Times.


Many of the Most Poisonous Kind.
From the Philadelphia Times.
The Itaho sugar estate in Java COM
prises over 1900 acres, about one-third Of
which is in cane. This is one of the most
densely wooded parts Of Java, and the
bush is like a wall, 'iinpervious even to
many wild animals, bat snakes flourish,
and there are no less than 10 varieties that
are deadly poisonous hight of the coolies
employed on this estate have died inside
of four months from snake bites. The
chain viper is most dreaded, as it will
not get out of ones way, and when trod-
den on by the bare-footed natives strikes
fatally. Twelve miles away is the ruined
city of Choru, a wilderness of temples,
built of stone. cut in designs as fine as
lace work. On the north side of all these
buildings are long arohed passages, ana
here wild animals resort to get out of the
intolerable heat Leading from these ave
nues are hundreds Of small chambers
having no windows. In these Turk more
snakes than. can be found anywhere else
in the island.
1t is not surprising that the eastern ma
tons look upon Englishmen as luna tics.
They do so many foolhardy things from
no apparent motive save TO risk their
lives. Two years ago an English navai
lieutenant was here visiting q neighbour
ing, planter and his peculiar craze was
making a collection OF Javan reptiles. His
only attendant was an English sailor lac
about l6. and these two against all warn
ing, went roaming around the forests
without a guide. In Choru, the ruined
city, the lieutenant found a rich harvest
and killed black 1aguar, but an adven-
ture with a snake ended his sport. One
day he and the boy were under one of the
long archways of the big temple ana,
looking through the doorways of one OF
nrIlNN
that fairly shook the ais Vas foiiowee
by an assault swift as the leap of tiger
and the man found himself seized BY q
huge Bari snake, the most aggressive
and dangerous Of our constructors. His
left shoulder was crushed in the brute
around his body and he feIt the st S,e k
compression. But the grit of the boy saw.
ed his masters life He had a heavy
sharp wood knife,, ana ne struck the rep
tile two heavy. blows Just back of the
head, the most vulnerable part OF its BODY
because the thinnest Its backbone was
divided. The coil relaxed, but tho power.
full tail dashed ont. breaking the boys
leg. 1t was two hours before they We're
found and brought up in a cart The
lieutenant's left shoulder was crushed be.
yond surgery and the arm was useless
Both master and boy recovered after A
spell of fever / saw the snake a Iideous
object, black and yellow, and fifteen fee
long. Such brute would crush a horse
Cunning one day near the WasiI river
IN the interior OF the Island, / watched a
number of wild hogs coming to the water
to drink. Suddenly the head of a SNAKE
rose above the grass, and a hog squealed
python had seized-sa full grown one
easily three feet high at the shoulder, and
thrown two coils around the body
Under the tremendous pressure the hoe
seemed to lengthen, and when thessna ke
uncoiied l saw only strip of meat, moth
ing dlstnguishabe but the head I shot
the snake. 1t was twelve feet long and
not over seven inches through. ana vel
rs coils had crushed the bones Of its prey
There is no doubt that hidden away in
the vast swamps Of the interior are MANY
anacondas of enormous size. Parties have
peen made up to hunt them, but the mala.
rlous climate drives them back In the
museum at Batavia is the skin Of a ser
pent that must have been fifty feet long
when living. Such brute would kill 4
man as easily as 1t would a rabbit I have
IN my possession the jumper and loin-
cloth Of coolie that had been swailoyed
py boa. The cloths seem to have been
knotted by hand, so tightly are thew rolled
The only part of the body found was tbo
gested. D-i- "a
There are certainly people who have
some occult power over snakes. we
nave here an Indian coolie who Is insane
from blow on the head. He Is harm
less, and yet terror to his countrymen.
as ne always has one or more venon1ous
serpents about his person, and these he
VIII handle and gable to by the hour We
nave coral snake, bright scarlet known
as the kora. 1t is deadly in its bite. and
vicious in temper, lighting to the last
yet in the coolies hands it Is inert. and
makes no attempt 20 bit, but If he puts
It on the ground 1t viii attack ANYTHING
in the way, killing chickens with one
dart. 1t is a horrible sight to see me
coolie coiled around his neck its hood
erect, and striking at everything Thai
comes near. So much to his grief Sha-
mul was told. under penalty of a thrash
ing, not to bring any more snakes into the
compound.
There is one curious reptile here. for
tunately not very common. 1t IS not ven
omous, and about seven feet long. and
when angered 1t emits a horrible odor
that is fairly suffccating twenty feet
away. II is said to paralyze its prey in
this manner and is much dread
ed by the natives. Then we
have very active black snake
that preys on the poison snakes exclusive
~. and Is not affected by their bite. as [
tried by putting a poison snake and a
black snake in aIarge- box. The viper bit
the other several times, but was Quickly
crushed to death. st
What becomes Of all the reptiles collect
ed and sent to Europe? A German bark
left Itaho not long since with 5000 in
boxes, one Bari snake being 10 feet long.
We can well spare tham, for not less than
5000 deaths are caused every year in
Java by the poison seFpents.