Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-10-30
BIG SERPENTS.
Java's Millions of the Most Veno-
nous Snakes.
AN ENGLISH OFFICER S HARD LUCK.
Was Grabbed by a.Boa Constructor and
Through the Bravery of His Guide
Was Rescued from Death.

The ltaho sugar estate in Java COM
prises over $4,000 acres, about one
third of which is in cane. This is in
one of the most densely wooded parts
of Java, and the bush is like a wall,
inpervious even to many wild animals.
but snakes flourish, and there are not
less than ten varieties that are deadly
poisonous. Eight of the coolies en-
ployed 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
trodden on by the bare-footed natives
strikes fatally. Twelve miles away
is the ruined city Of Choru, wilder.
ness of temples built of stone. cut in
designs as fine as lace work. says the
Philadelphia Times. On the north
side of all these buildings are long
arched passages. and here wild animals
resort to get out of the intolerable
heat. Leading 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.
It is not surprising that the Eastern
natives 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 naval lieutenant was here visit.
ing neighboring planter. and his
peculiar craze was making collection
of Javan reptiles. His only attendant
was an English sailor lad about Is, and
these two. against all warning, went
roaming around the forests without q
guide. In Choru, the ruined city. the
lieuteant found a rich harvest, and
killed a magnificent black jaugar, but
an adventure with snake ended his
sport. One day he and the boy were
under one of the long archways of the
big temple and, look ing through the
doorway of one of the dark chambers,
saw something yellow in the far corner.
Without moments thought he en-
tered. and gave the mass punch with
his cane. A tremendous hiss that fairly
shook the walls was followed by an as
sault as swift as the leap Of tiger, and
the man found himself seized by huge
Bari snake, the most aggressive and
dangerous of our constructors. His
left shoulder was crushed in the brute's
teeth, and quick as a fash a coil was
around his body and he felt the steel
like compression. But the grit of the
boy saved his masters life. He had
heavy, sharp wood knife, and he
struck the reptile two heavy blows just
back of the head, the most vulnerable
part of it's body. because the thinnest.
It's backbone was divided. The coil
relxaed, but the powerful tail dashed
out, breaking the boys leg. 1t was
two hours before they were found and
brought up in a cart. The lieuteant's
left shoulder was crushed beyond sur
gerry, and the arm was useless. Both
master and boy recovered after a spell
of fever. I saw the snake, a hideous
object, black and yellow, and fifteen
feet long. Such a brute would crush
horse.
Cunning one day near the Wasil
River in the interior Of the island, l
watched a number of wild hogs coming
to the water to drink. Suddenly the
head of snake rose above the grass
and hog squealed. A python had
seized 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 a strip of
meat, nothing distinguishable but the
head. I 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 Batavia
is the skin Of serpent that must have
been fifty feet long when living. Such
brute would kill man IS easily as
it would rabbit. I have in my pos
session the jumper and loin cloth of
coolie that had been swallowed by a
boa. The cloths seem to have been
knotted by hand, so tightly are they
rolled. The only part of the body
found was the lower jawbone. All the
rest had been digested.
There are certainly people who have
some occult power over snakes. We
have here an Indian coolie who is in
sane from blow on the head. He is
harmless and yet a terror to his coun-
trymen as he always has one or more
venomous serpents about his person.
and these he will handle and gable
to by the hour. We have coral
snake, bright scarlet. known as the
kora. 1t is deadly in its bite and
vicious in temper, fighting to the last.
and yet in the coolies hands it is inert,
and makes no attempt to bite, but if
he puts it on the ground it will attack
anything in the way, killing chicken