The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-08
CHARMED BY A SNAKE.
THE FEARFUL EXPERIENCE or 4
 MAN UNDER ITS SPELL.
How It Feels to Ne Fascinated by the Hypnotic Influence of Serpent Facing Certain Death and Yet Unable, to Move Limb.

hate snakes with holy hatred
 but, not being afflicted with nerves
 in any great measure. am not afraid o
 them un&ar ordinary circumstances
 and even m the somewhat out of tn
 way position in which l found mysel
 on Saturday, the 17th of April, 1893,
 can hardly say now whether it is t
 fear or fascination, as entirely dis
 tinct from terror, that my feelings ol
 that particular occasion are to b
 ascribed.
 Accompanied by my friend, MT
 Lindsay Turner. I went to spend tn
 holidays on a shooting trip in the Blut
 mountains, New South Wales
 On that memorable Saturday we ha(
 done some hard climbing amld beauti
 full scenery and around great gal when we came out on high level which
 ran back the way we had come. Wt
 decided to return, Turner keeping tt
 the higher level and I by the route wt
 had traversed, but with the under
 standing that we were not to lose sight
 of one another.
 On the return I had very little diff flculty in regaining the former level for the gap ran many yards back, and
 had only to follow it, holding by the projections of the ledge, until firmly rooted shrub assisted me.
 I had negotiated the narrow, broken 1edges and was about to enter com- parative safety when, without any warning, my friend, the snake came slipping leisurely along through the ferns and scrub within a few feet of where I stood at the extreme end of the terrace, upon four inch ledge, holding on with the fingers of both hands stuck in shoulder high crevice. Both the reptile and came to a sud- den halt upon seeing each other, the snakes black, forked tongue flickering in and out as it raised it's head threat eningly.
 wondered what on earth the brute could be doing in that spot, but sup posed 1t had got out of it's course when making for the low ground and pre- sumed that, after tn nature of its kind, 1t would scuttle back again as l advanced. I was on the point of nov ing forward when, to my utter horror, instead of retreating, it began to sway its head gently to and fro horizontally, at the same time coming toward me by imperceptible degrees until it lay with it's round nose within striking dis tance of my leggings.
 I cannot account for the feelings which took possession of me. I tried to retreat-I had only to go back pace or two. and I would be in abso- 1ute security--but for the life of me I could not do so. Let it not be thought that at this time I had the slightest fear, notwithstanding the fact that ab ie from the snake meant cer- tain death. My only sensation was that of wonder both at the serpent's behavior and the consciousness of my inability to move.
 After remaining thus for some time the reptile drew it's length by slow de- grees into coil, the transverse belly scales making a gritty, hissing rustic as they dragged over the rock. Then it raised it's head foot above the center coil, and I have an indis- tinct recollection that I tried to cry to MT. Tanner to Hook at the black snake" while a cold sweat broke out in the palms of my hands
 The beauty of the snake excited an aver- towering sense of admiration in me-its polished jet black skin, it's dia mond eyes, the lovely tints of it's belly, that flushed and glowed from bright crimson to rosy pink, and above all the eternal licking and fickerng of the ong forked tongue auiverng back and forth. After a time my attention was fixed on the tongue alone, and as I watched its incessant movement I felt ;o utterly helpless, yet so conscious of that helplessness, without, maintain the slightest approach of fear, that I how it was I continued to Seep my hold.
 The head swayed more rapidly now md a low humming murmur throbbad through my brain drumming, drum ming in my ears and keeping time to he sway, till the eyes and tongue seemed a flashing, glittering band of fight across my sights. Suddenly the movement ceased. My senses returned instantly with a great contraction of he heart, like one who is suddenly awakened to terrible danger
 I trembled in every limb; the sweat | vas pouring down my temples and dong my spine, for my danger was mmient; the snakes neck was drawn pack in a cure sideways ready to trlke:: it shot forward. I felt the light blow as it struck my logging, | nd with shriek of desperate terror I capped backward off the cliff Down, own, down I went, struck something nd came to myself again, to find MT. turner holding my head on his knee nd bathing it with icy cold water.
 My escape was almost mira culous or though I was bruised from head to cot and my shirt reduced to rags not |
 bone was fractured, not a limb only my temple and shoulder yere rather severely scratched. Of curse am hardly in position to give he details of my aerial flight, but my account, as he related it, then I recovered from my dazed con ition and after searching carefully to lake sure that the snakes fangS had ot penetrated my gaiter and the thick reeches beneath, is as follows: Seeing le regain the terrace after safely pass lg along the broken lodges, h. had icked up the camera. with the object r snap shooting me, and was moving bout to get a clear view through the 'ees when I called to him to look at le snake"
 For fully five minutes I stood per ,ctly still. at intervals calling out Snake, snakei' until suddenly l 1rang backward off the cliff. For 59