The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-12
Philadelphia Times. ..s.s

Philadelphia Times. .szs
One of the most interesting sights to the
tourist in India is the, snakehouse IN
ment and contains representatives OF every
native reptile. The venomous class are Kept
separate and the terrible hamadryad mas
den to himself, for he Is snake-eater, ana
would soon depopulate all the other cages.
OF all the poisonous species he is the most
aggressive and deadly, with an average
length Of twelve feet and fangs three inches
long. .,a,
The cobras are all acttye-and employed IN
houses. pressing their heads against the
glass and leaving behind a green. glutinous
streak This is their poison, with which
show YOU a pint in a glass cup that has
been scraped on. 1t looks IKE orleo
mucilage. :,
thirty-four feet long. One crush OF his steel
muscles would end a mans life as effectu-
ally as cannon ball, but he hangs inert
from a tree branch, and the me, native at
tendant cleans his quarters without NOES
tation. Not so inert is the hamadryad AS
soon as your shadow falls on the glass he
makes a dart and races up ama "c Nn1hi the
but the quarter inch Of g-ass saves one
from death. Captain Kew. OF the Madras
infantry, saw one pursue a NAIVE e., a. t,,,a
the highroad The man dropped his tur-
han. The snake. bounced on it, coHed and
bit. and then resumed its pursuit or the
man.. who had sprung into s. the sr river ana 30
his heels, and was killed by strokes of an
oar.
as the cobra, but its best-known habitat is
the country OF the Gonda, in Central lndia,
in the Vindhya mountains Here the land
is covered by dense th 5nic sSakes lie noi,ed
The people were all robbers nifty years ago.
and no native force would INVADE tneir
coverts until Sir James DURAN Sook lhinss
in hand He captured some of their CHIEFS,
made friends with them and organized
corps of Gonds, who brought the oisuTict
into Subsection. but tne snSkes rem 1aan'ni
through the district had hve men Killed
from snake-bite.
In 1894 Captain Sellig, OF the First Gondas
Regiment stationed at Indur, determined TO
hove a snake battle With three companions
and two Ghorkas-these men from the noun,
tains of Nepaul are utterly fearless or WHO
animals and unlike the Hindoos, stick to
their officers ill death--tney started. coll
of wire nettiag five feet high and two nun,
dred feet long was loaded On w cae arm ned
with korbashes, or six-f0ot WHIPS, maze OF
buffalo hide and tough as wire. -. =
The wild fig tree grows low, pu s, - e an
noouslv broad; the limbs are as thick as
mans body, full of cavities, ana IN these the
snakes coil. A site was found on bare Mill
side. the netting was set In a circie, anu was
staked fast. In front was the high road, ana
an Yards away was a dense fig thicket.
Through the woods ran nulian, or ravlne'
filled with high reeds. ana TINS IL Was prs
at a huge trunk near the road, ana IN an
instant a long black and yellow oand siia 10
the ground. The man $1,000 nrm The h 5amas
dryad struck it, dashing his mead sgalhSt tne
mans body and nearly knocking him down;
The reptiles a1gs s., caught n and dne flashing the
ground like the stroke of a ,hail, the snake
died He was eleven feet long, The men
cautioned not , to ae red inder
the hot sun 1t quickly spread 10 me grass IN
the forest and every one got INSIDE Inc net
ting and waited. Soon the long s.ass Desa a.
IN move sinuously, and a loud Missing was
~ my The smoke Law dense under the trees.
and the serpents made for the open In ieis-
urely fashion, their Ions. pointed neaos up,
waving from side to fsloe' crossnAs eoen
other in involved folds -, =, az. .
And now the broad road, white In the sun,
was streaked with black . ana yellow sub bnat
creeping odor, not unlike waterman. Iney mad
not scented an enemy suddenly one OF the
snakes saw the forms peninI y rne Feet ~eue
= nrolonred hiss and dashed straight for
his enemy. The guns opened. the net shook
as the reptiles struck the wire, ana the
Ghorkas yelled as they used their .1 whips
Twice a head rose above the defense. the
ewes darling fire. AS fast as the preecn-
leaders could be fired the fusiliad :s Vas
mass In blind rage they struck one anotn-
err. coiled and fought 1t was horrible
sight to the nervous Europeans, put the
G6orkas wanted to charge. and could scarce
" he restrained. Behind the forest was
gI,orino like a furnaces and hot smoke blew
rieht Il, the mems faces. and retreat was
ordered I'D hill. II the snakes got around
the netting, look out, was the thought. For
funafely. the column turned south on the
road and were shot down.
"See. see. There come the big fellows "
sure enough. one not less than twenty feet
came on. his huge rfoldss forlked along the
path. The others parted as. with head up.
the monster moved along. Two shots were
the head reared six feet In the air and buried
ifs fanes into its own flesh. The smoke and
heat bewndered the column, and II slowly
Ghorkas charged down the hill and at
tucked the outsiders Some showed fight
bat the long whips were too much for theu5
Racing out Of the wood came three jackals!