Washington sentinel., 1898-01-15
Catching Big Snakes In India.

Preparations are made by ascer-
tanning from the natives a promis-
ing snake district, which is usually
a tract OF jungle with thick bam-
boo or grass underground. In
such lands snakes are found by
thousands. and after a promising
patch is discovered a beginning is
made by clearing or burning the
underground from strip entirely
surrounding the snake farm. Then
a broad expanse OF perhaps an acre
is cleared on one side, and there is
set the snake trap, a netting eX-
tending tor 900 or so yards on each
side Of the cleared tract, its wings
gradually contracting to lead the
reptile into a cHL de sac from which
there is no escape.
Several hundred natives are as
sembled, and on a day when the
wind blows from the right quart, r
they surround the district chosen
and at given signal set fire to the
jungle. After the fire has fairly
started the natives are called be-
hind the netting, as there is no
need OF their services on the other
side, for every snake tenant Of the
brush fees in the same direction
toward the fatal netting,
Behind it stand rows Of men,
armed with clubs and sticks, ready
to give their snAKeships a lively
reception. AS the fire approaches
the netting the snakes come in
crowds, by hundreds, sometimes
thousands. AT the wings the men
are concentrated, with their clubs,
ready to kill those attempting to
escape, and as the main body of
the reptiles approaches the netting
the wings are pushed toward
each other, the stakes supporting
the netting are driven firmly into
the ground and the snakes are
inclosed.
After all the smaller reptiles
which can work their way through
the meshes of the net have been
killed attention is turned to the
laAk CT OACo lllhL iii dlus
In various parts Of the netting
there are loops which can be
united and then retastened, and at
ter the slaughter OF the little
snakes lI4s LSSH fuiSlrCd Tire wUTk
Of capturing the most promising
specimens begins. The superin
tendent points out an anaconda
that will bring a good price, and
as the animal thruSts its head
against the netting in fruitless Ell.
forts to escape a stick with a wire
loop at the end is introduced, the
snake is lassoed Immediately back
OF the head, the wire is tightened,
and the future occupant OF a me.
nagerie cage, writhing and Kissing,
is dragged through and seized by a
dozen natives at once. Bundles
OF bamboo, cut into proper lengths,
have already been prepared.
Three or four men straighten the
snake and lay him on a bamboo,
sometimes placing three or four
smaller splints round him, and then
lashing him securely down with
bamboo withes every inch OF his
length. Generally the lashing is
found to be sufficient, and only
when the serpent is very large and
powerful are the extra bamboos
tied round him, for fear he might
break the stick to which he IS ias-
tened. This operation is not car
ried on without mU sh protest from
the snake. But Kissing and wrig-
Cling are all in vain; the Hindoos
lash him down, finishing the op-
Grafton by forcing his upper Jaw
upon the lower, tying the two to.
gether to a stick in such a way
that he cannot even hiss. After
all the best specimens have been
selected and tied, the remainder
are killed, beheaded, and the heads
sent to the nearest Government
station for the bounty. The cap.
tives are packed into carts tor
transportation to Bombay, where
they are disposed Of to the Euro
pean agents.