The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-08
Friday Afternoon ai o'clock, Regardless Of Weather

the aggressiveness so prominent in
other members OF the species inhabit-
ing the Isthmus and South American
countries, but once in while the crea-
ture lec0mes aroused to a sense of its
powers, ami declares war against any
thing in sight. a short time ago at
Sagua de Tanamo Capt. f. c. Smith of
the United States Postal Service had
an adventure with a huge maja which
he will probably remember for many
days. capt. Smith was mounted on u
native pony and was armed with 4
Mauser, Colts revolver and a mache-
te. Upon nearing a small stretch Of
cleared ground on the side of a hill he
noticed the maja crossing the spot AMI
riding around in front attempted to
head it off. The snake turned in an
other direction, crawling sluggishly
along, but the captain blocked it again
Then the boa became somewhat angry
and began to form a coil, but instead
OF completing the coil, threw itself in
bunch. At that moment Capt. Smith
fired. The bullet grazed the snakes
neck, but did no other damage than to
scorch the skin and cause the creature
to become furious. 1t formed Itself
into ball and, rolling like shot down
hill, threw itself with great force
against horse and rider. The impact
staggered the horse, unseated the rider
and tore the saddle loose. Capt. Smith
was thrown into the soft brush, the
frightened horse galloped away and the
maja, seeing no other victim handy, at
bn 1,
leather and woodwork to a mere bum
die of fragments. Capt. Smith had
meanwhile recovered himself, and with
his Mauser placed a shot through the
serpent's spine about seven feet from
the tail and ended it's existence. The
skin is beautifully marked, and in its
dressed state measures II feet inches
from tip to tip.
Although the fact is not generally
known. the anaconda is also a native
of Cuba.
CRABS AND OCTOPOI.
Perhaps the most interesting sight to
the stranger in tropical countries is the
countless number OF cangrejos or
climbing crabs which one meets far in
land, several miles from the shore.
Some one has said that there are more
crabs on land in Cuba than there are
in the surrounding waters; and the
visitor crossing interior prairies and
meeting these Crustaceans in great
swarms while they are migrating from
place to place, is apt to declare the
statement true. They are seen at times
when on the march covering many
miles of territory, and a horseman
suddenly surrounded by one ot these
moving armies becomes convinced that
the cangrejo was built for speed
One must travel in strange lands n
learn strange facts. In the mark Is Of
Neuvitas and Gibara the writer first
made acquaintance with the octopus
as an article of diet, and saw prawn
the size of young Holsters, grotesqu:
and hideous enough to give m, holder
the nightmare. All along the hidden
reefs and saw-tooth rocks lining the
shores of Cuba are many varieties of
the octopoid family. the most numer-
Gus of which is the aryo. which - not
without certain deg ec Of beauty. lis
body is covered with silver cloud spots
and fine dottings of rose color, which
are enhanced by broad band of ultra
marine blue crossing the back diagon-
ally and fading away in the lower
parts of the body. The animal is.
however, as dangerous as it is beauti-
full. A gentleman who not long ago
was searching for shells along the
north coast discovered among the
rocks baby argo, which upon observ-
ing him tried to escape. He was not
sufficiently cautious, for upon attempt
ing to capture the strange thing II
sprang upon him and fastened its long
tentacles to his shoulder and arm. He
could not tear 1t loose, for it's suckers
held firmly, and nothing but the will of
the animal could release him. In this
! condition he ran towards a boat that
: happened to be near, while the en-
ragged argo, with its eyes protruding
from the middle of it's body, made
every effort to get it's beak in position
TO bite. At last, nearly fainting, he
was about to give up the struggle
when a man, hearing his cries, rushed
forward and by several sharp cuts with
a boat knife killed the argO. He could
only remove portions of the carcass al
a time, so firmly did the suckers hold
| even after the animal had been killed
Il
and this specimen, which nearly con-
quered the gentleman referred to had
a body no larger than the ordinary
clenched hand. With arms expanded
1t measured from tip to tip not quite
| four feet. The true octopus is a dan.
Gcrous, repulsive thing, and is much
dreaded and feared especially by the
sponge fishermen along the Cubar
coast. 1t has two ugly, movable eyes
eight long feelers, each feeler beinl
provided with 12O powerful suckers by
means of which the creature holds lis
prey while in the act Of eating It.
INSECTS.
But 1t is in the insect creation tina
Cuba eXcels all other islands In tn,
Western Hemisphere. There are few
venomous insects flying or crawlln: