The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
BIG SNAKE AND BIG STORY.
A GIANT ANACONDA OF 4 SOUTH
AMERICAN BAYOU.
Its Great Fights and its Great siro and tho
Great Terror II spread Abroad-A Piece OF
skin to Provo This Greatness was Real.

~ Y Hhkh'H sNe ~ bc - N
Great Terror Il spread Abroad-A Piece Of
skin to Provo This Greatness was Real.
From the little village of Quimbo, on the Anna
Eon River, whore enough Of the dense, swampy
Jungle has been cleared from a knoll to give
room for half a dozen or moro buildings and O
few banana trees, comes a story OF an anaconda.
Like other river products OF South America the
story came first from tho workers to tho local
traders, then down the river on boats to the
small traders, to the agents OF New York com.
panics. and by tramp steamer to New York.
The anaconda was a big one. A piece Of tho
skin tanned by a man at Quimbo was nve feet
long and four feet six inches wide. Allowing for
stretching the least diameter of the reptile at the
part the skin was taken from must have boon
nearly four feet. The length of the animal must
therefore have been At least twcnty-four feet. The
report said twcnty-eight feet and may be true.
Several of the stories came before the skin,
and wero doubted, but the dark, skinny napkin,
with its small scales and rather cold appear
ancc, has lent an air of truth to some OF tho tales
IL not to all of them. The first story received by
Mr.. Calvit, n partner in n South street firm, who
has kept track OF the snakes career, came up TO
New York several years ago. 1t was as follows:
Senior Juan Laundio is the chief citizen Of
Quimbo. He can boast OF the blood of Spanish
nobility as well as of native chieftains. He had
a son, also named Juan, who fell in love with a
full.blood Indian, Paluanta. Juan, Sr., was
furious on learning this. The Indian maiden
came often to Quimbo with her father from some
winding branch Of tho Amazon, leading back
nobody but an Indian knows where. Juan, ST.,
believed his son worthy Of n half blood like him
self, and demonstrated with the boy, but with no
other effect than to drive the two to a trysting
place beside q shallow bayou, where they wcro
sometimes observed by others than their fathers.
| Dt. q A. q -.,r-- Il
II little head out In the bayou. q head which was
like those commonly seen in shallow tropical
bayous, and therefore was little thought OF. Tho
head was that OF an anaconda that made the
bayou it's home.
Ono day, when n pcon happened to pass the
bayou, he saw there had been some sort of a
scrimmage. and in the mud was n wooden comb.
such as an Indian maiden wears in her hair.
The maiden and tho youth were never seen at
Quimbo aftcrward, and 1t was nearly three
weeks before tho anaconda's head was seen
again out in the bayou. Some think that Juan,
Jr.. eloped with the maiden, but others think the
horrible head in tho bayou was responsible for
their disappearance. Mr.. Calvit has no mind on
the matter. He merely rubs the piece of skin
and tells of the snakes subsequent doings.
One day a few weeks after the two lovers had
gone an Indian was seeking birds with n blow
gun near the head OF. the anaconda's lair. AS he
anaconda a few rods ahead Of him. The snake
was looking. toward an especially dense bit of
s snds one s a still I'M hu nna'a He Wsited. !! T Ess snake nlnf e..
gan TO go forward, just its head showing above
the grass. a white scar on the side of its head
identifying II with tho bayou snake. In the
clump of Jungle there was a jaguar. which
had just killed a small deer, and the snake
into the open that it might feed on 1t comfort
ably. When the snake stopped 1t was less than
dian could sec me snake gathering ifa coils in
the grass ready FOR the spring. When the snake
leaped It's whole body rose clear of the ground
big cal. by the nape of it's neck.
Slowly a turn was made about tho cats body
snake came against. a hve.inch sapling rubber
tree. and like a whiplash it wound around it.
The snake took its time about disposing OF the
laguar, recurring an hour TO get tho beasts nose
i sn"s Its A AaSfi; e got ws the s' isEaar h0 down. eefo Hbo 5hs
seen in the bayou waiting for another meal.
~ was nearly four months after the jaguar was
Killed. The anaconda came ashore and made its
monkeys in the trees. A largo monkey dropped
to a log just as the snake got there and instantly
stsn mqSn roEyen wf Srs sn' Il 1c Py "a hio 81 t h6s NEXT ftu ii.
and everything else that would serve as a mis-
s i .S came fl flying dc, down non on III, the , snake; which
opened Its jaws and the captive monkey, fed
llmpIng to a treetop. The snaked reared habits
9Th III anu ~ y thS .ohsou.
1t was a long time before the anaconda ap.
peared again. but one morning Carlos Cerviro
edge OF the woods nearest the snakes lair and
saw about fourteen feet OF snake in the trail
Lending to the main group OF houses. It was the
larger where 1t disappeared behind the grass.
The snake got two dogs on that trip, but did not
The snake sometimes caught deer that came
to drink at the bayou. A large deer was seen by
Senior Capridillo to come into the open and be-
gin to drink. The snakes head had sunk down
In the water until only the top of 1t showed.
when tho snake came shooting out Of tho water.
It was a good leap, and the snake gripped the
ffsP q Se enc r naR Of a ahs mere fSrsw i'f it! aayos siSsw hold.
The snake, which had not succeeded in. coiling
about the deer's body, served as a whiplash;
was broken of. seRppr Capridiiio stilRi G pre ess S1as
the dried end OF the snakes tail MS a mcmento.
and around by tho snake and was bleating with
pain as it was crushed to DEATH, The deer's
horns were swallowed, and when tho snake was
dissected no trace OF them was found.
One OF the nnaconda,s most remarkable OK.
R Bn1tsn WIS Ls ir sSen 1w IN E isgS by na Mho White 2, and md
Amazon Valley collecting insects for a private
entomology in London. The researches OF the
were unusually numerous. The men had been
OF which they had heard, taking care not to give
IT. an opportunity to spring on them. One day
still many feet above It's normal height, the en-,
tomologists, In their canoe, came into the cove.
The water OF the bayou was disturbed, and the
boat rocked. while from the head of tho bayou
came loud Kisses.
A smaller and leaner. anaconda had come
through the jungle and invaded the big ones
territory. There hnd been trouble at once,
and tho snakes had jumped at each other,
beginning IA death, wrestle. The home snake
was far more powerful than its antagonist, but
at the time of the mems arrival honors
were about even. To win, one snake must get
its tail about "A tree or branch that 1t might draw
Itself tightly, about the other. 1t was u fight
which only those who have seen n rattlesnake |
fighting a blacksnake can half appreciate. The
water was thrown up as II from u fountain al
at times by tho flashing OF the tails seeking some.
thing to wind about. Then tho two reared
straight up out Of the watei. paused for an in.
slant, and then fell down. driving the water to
each side.
Once the smaller snake uncoiled itself like a |
whip, and its tail shot out toward a small tree
ton feet away, but the other, before the tail
reached the tree. forced the fight further into
the water; Three times the smaller snake al
end came suddenly. Tho big snake had con.
triycd TO approach the tree. Quick ns n flash its
tail wound around IT,, Its neck slid from tho
others, and the big snake put its head six feet
or more away from the others head. Rrforn thn