The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-02-05
Catching Big Snakes in India.
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail.
Preparations are made by ascertaining
from the natives of a promising snake dis
trict, which is usually tract Of jungle
with thick bamboo or grass undergrowth.
In such lands snakes are found by thou
sands, and after promising patch is dis
covered 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 netting extending for 300
or so yards on each side Of the cleared
tract, its wings gradually contracting to
lead the reptile into cul de sac from which
there is 40 escape.
Several hundred natives are assembled,
and on day when the wind blows from
the right quarter they surround the dis
trict chosen and at given signal set fire
to the jungle. After the fire has fairly
started the natives are called behind the
netting, as there is no need of their ser
vices on the other side, for every snake
tenant of the brush fees in the same direc-
ton toward the fatal netting.
Behind it stand rows of men, armed
with clubs and sticks, ready to give their
snakeships 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 at
tempting 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 larger ones that remain.
In various parts of the netting there
are loops which can be united and then
refastened, and after the slaughter of the
little snakes has been finished the work of
capturing the most promising specimens
begins The superintendent points out an
anaconda that will bring a good price, and
as the animal thrusts its head against the
netting in fruitless efforts to escape 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 menagerie cage,
writhing and kissing, is dragged through
and seized by 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 bamboo, sometimes placing three or
four smaller sphnters round him, and then
lashing him securely down with bamboo
swithes every inch Of his length. Gen
orally 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 fastened This oper-
alton is not carried on without much pro-
test from the snake. But kissing and
wriggling are all in vain; the Hindoos lash
him down, finishing the operation by fore
ing his upper jaw upon the lower, tying
the two together to stick in such 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 captives are
packed into carts for transportation to
Bombay, where they are disposed of to the
European agents,