The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-04-29
| HARMLESS CENTIPEDE
The ISLAND VARIETY Is EVER or
INTEREST.


as well off as Ireland. St. Patricl
drove all the venomous insects an,
reptiles out of the Green Isle, bu
the Hawaiians claim that the rep
tiles and insects in the Republic
domain are in no sense of the wore
poisonous.
People who have particular deal
ings with venomous insects import
ed from the islands make the sam,
claim. A San Francisco fruit i'm
porter said the other day:
Very frequently we receive con
signments Of bananas and pine
apples packed in dried grass ant
leaves. In taking the fruit from
the boxes 1t is not uncommon tc
find big centipede crawling alone
the stalk between the bananas, do
ing his best to get used to the Cal
ifornia climate.
Tuesday afternoon l was open.
ing box Of bananas and pushed
my hand through the straw to ge,
at the stalk. l felt around for a
few seconds and thought l could
feel something moving around on
the back of my hand. l had often
heard of the presence of centipedes
in fruit shipments, SO l carefully
Withdrew my hand, to make as
little commotion as possible. I'm
agine my surprise and alarm to see
a five-inch centipede slowly creep.
ing up my arm to my coat. sleeve.
was on the point Of striking it of
and jumping all over it. when a
fruit packer standing near by
warned me to make no attempt &c
get rid Of it, but to let it crawl of
at its leisure. l had forgotten the
fact that they were not poisonous,
and l know got as white as a
sheet, believing every moment tina,
it would sink its claws into me and
send its powerful poisons through
my blood.
81 looked at it with fear and
trembling, but did not dare tc
move muscle. 1t lifted its head
and seemed perfectly satisfied tc
remain where it was. could hard
ly restrain myself from making q
quick motion and shaking it off,
but my companion warned me
again and again to keep quiet. All
1 could feel was tickling sensa.
ton as the insects legs quiveret
and felt around in every direction
The tickling increased, and 1 wa.
almost ready to faint with suppress
ed excitement. Finally the cent?
pede looked up at my sleeve anc
slowly made for it, moving all tn,
legs in unison. The sensation b,
this time was simply unbearabl,
and l feared would be unable t.
remain calm until the thing 60
entirely off. My flesh seemed t.
shrink away as the horrible crea
ture proceeded, but in a few NOR,
seconds, every one Of which seem
ed an hour, it had settled itsel
comfortably on the fabric OF IN,
clothing. and with motion quick
er than l was ever known to max,
before l routed it out with a sticl
and sat down perspiring from hea,
to foot. 1t was the most thrilling
experience ever figured in, and
made me sick the rest of the day.
my companion began to laugl
as though he would die of merri
ment, but I saw nothing particular
ly humorous in the situation.
You are crazy, said he. to &c
frightened over a little thing Xix
that. Do you not know that Ha
waiian Island centipedes are no
poisonous I told you to keel
quiet just to see how long you
nerve would last. If the thing ha,
sunk every claw into your flesh !
would only have caused a littl
swelling and nothing more. l hav
had several of them strike me, an
l apply a little ammonia or sal
water and cure it up in half al
hour -