Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-01-28
HUNTING SNAKES IN INDIA.
How They Are Made Helpless After he
Ing Captured.

snakes, and as India abounds in these
reptiles, perhaps to greater extent
than any other country in the world,
to India go the managers when their
stock begins to run low. Snake hunt
ing in India, unless one understands
the trade, is u perilous business, for a
larger percentage of the Indian SER
penis are more poisonous than in any
other part of the globe, and even n
Hindoo has no desire To die Of snake
bite, nor within the crushing folds Of
constructor. Besides, however, the
! demands from the menageries, the
Indian government pays o bounty on
snakes heads, SO there is double in
centive to Indian snake hunters, and
when there are sufficient orders ON
hand from the menageries n hunt is
organized.
Preparations are made by ascertain
ing from the natives n promising snake
| district, which is usually tract of
jungle with thick bamboo or grass
underground. In such lands snakes
are found by thousands, aud, after n
promising patch is discovered, a be-
ginning il made by clearing or burn
ing the underground from o strip EN-
tirely encircling the snake farm; then
II broad expanse OF perhaps an acre IL
cleared on one side, and there is To-
Gated the snake trap, anetting extend
ed for 200 or 800 yards on each side Of
the cleared tract, its wings gradually
contracting to lead the reptiles into
cul de sac, from which there is no es-
cape. Several hundred natives are
assembled, and on day when the
wind is from the right quarter they
surround the district selected, and, mt
a given signal, set fire to the jungle.
After the fire has fairly started the ma
tives are called behind the netting, as
there is no need of their services on
the other sides, for every snake ten
ant Of the brush fees in the same di-
rection 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 by thousands. At the
wings the mon are concentrated, with
their clubs, ready to kill those at
tempting to escape, and as the main
body of the reptiles approaches tho
netting the wings are pushed forward
toward each other, the stakes sup
porting the netting are driven firmly
into the ground, and the snakes are
inclosed. But snakes can climb al.
most IA well rs monkeys, and so tho
men ut the wings are kept busy killing
those that endeavor to escape over the
ropes. At the cul de sac the netting
extends above as we'll as on the sides,
aud tho larger portion Of tho reptiles
are finally concentrated within this in.
closure. There the scene IL one Of
lively animation, for the snakes are all
sizes, some Of the vonomous reptiles
OF India not being more than six or
eight INCHES in length, and, a. their
movements are very quick, the bare
footed beaters are kept lodging about
in manner at once grotesque and
amusing. their anxiety to escape the
small serpents that go through net.
ting like flash, being even greater
than their eagerness TO kill as many
snakes as possible, and thus receive .
larger share of the government bounty.
No snake is permitted to escape, and
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 which 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 promis.
ing specimens begins. The superin-
tendent points at an anaconda that
will bring a good price, and. as the
animal thrusts its head against the
netting In fruitless efforts 10 escape, Q
stick with q wire loop at the end is in.
troduced, the snake is lsssobed i'm
mediately back of the head, the wire
is frightened, and the future occupant
Of menagerie cage, kissing aud
writhing, 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 s,raighten the snake
and lay him on bamboo, sometimes
placing three or four smaller splints
around him, and then lashing him Sc
curely 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
aud powerful are the extra bamboos
tied around him for fear he might
break the stick to which he Is fas-
tened. This operation Is not carried
on without an immense amount Of
protest from the snake, which misses
In tba most terrifvino manner and