The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-01
A CURSE OF MARTINIQUE
THE FER-DE-LANcE, ONE Or THE
DEADLlEsT OF SNAKES.

a Frinhtful Danger That is Likely io
Greet Relief o. Exploration Expedi-
tiuns in the dictated iaiaud-Tho hsp-
tiles Curious History-fts Deadly bite.
Former residents of Martinique say
that the perils Of any expedition maxi
Ing exploration or bringing succor 70
the country about St. Pierre will be
doubtless gravely increased by the
presence OF the fer-de-lance.
This serpent, which Is the curse Of
the island, is said TO b. the deadllest
OF snakes outside of India. and the in
habitants of the regions infested by IL
say that not even the terrible hooded
cobra iDniCts death more swiftly or
surely Says one gentleman who lived
for some years on the island:
UNLESS all the fer defiance in the
region of St. Pierre we're destroyed by
tho eruption there is likely to be a con-
siderable mortality from snake bite
for the next few weeks. The gulches
around the city fairly swarm with the
venomous reptiles. It is principally
because Of their presence that ascents
Of Mont Pelee otherwise not particu-
larly difficult or hazardous, have been
so infrequent
$50 far as we now know the water
courses Of the locality have been chok-
ed. The vipers all require moisture,
and the fer-de-lance is very partial to
water. Undoubtedly, then, there has
been an exodus from the slopes and
gullies down to the waterfront.
1T is a curious fact that in cases Of
seismic disturbance snakes make for
the low land. / have heard that when
Mont Pelee was disturbed in the middle
Of the last century the fer-de-lance over
ran the streets of the town, although
they are naturally a grassland snake,
and a number Of people were killed by
them.
Suppose, now, that the shore be-
yond the district where all life has
been blotted out has become the refuge
of these creatures. What will happen
to the men who land there, particu-
larly if they are ignorant of the dan
ger? 1t is not pleasant to think OF.
The fer-de-lance does not wait to be
attacked. He is born murderer. When
he has once set his venomous mind on
a man he will follow until one or the
other is slain. Add to this natural
leaning the fear and fury of the snakes
at being driven forth from their own
places and think one can appreciate
that their presence will not be the least
of dangers following the catastrophe"
The history Of the fer-de-lance in
the island of Martinique is peculiar
one 1t is said that originally this is
land was entirely free from poisonous
snakes, as Cuba is now. 1t was, how
ever, overrun with particularly active
and voracious specie of rats. Some
enterprising inhabitant, hearing that
the fer-de-lance was extremely rough
on rats, sent to Trinidad and had some
imported. The visitors did their work
In few years it was said in Martin
ique that the only surviving rats were
those that had learned to climb trees
and turned into flying squirrels. How
ever that may be. the community soon
found itself confronted by the Mass
achusetts cutworm and English SPAR
row proposition, but in far more seri-
GUS form, the remedial agents proved
to be worse than the original pest. So
many persons were bitten that work in
the fields came to a standstill. Road
making ceased. 1t was said that NO
bitten person recovered except in the
case of woodcnoppers. Having their
axes handy they would, if the bite were
on the arm or leg, chop off the member
instantly and thus save their lives. 1t
lecame a. sort of cast-mark for the
woodsman to have only three out of his
four original limbs.
Then the French government got Ur
statistics and discovered that in pro-
portion to the population the deathrate
from snakebite was the highest in the
world, worse even than in the centre Of
India. A bounty was offered. Bands
of snake hunters went forth to hunt
Some few of them came back,
At this time there was living in st
Pierre a former South African. Ht
had seen the great snake-eating sec
rotary bird of that continent, and a
a very considerable expense had sew
eral pairs of the birds sent to him
His neighbors said he was crazy. The!
prophesied that the quickest-witted o
the birds would be flying swift.
southeast fifteen seconds after they ha,
first seen a fer-de-lance. The secre
tary birds we're turned loose in the in
tested districts. Within a month the,
had grown almost too fat to work
There was a corresponding diminutiol
of viperine activity. 1t became quit
q cnrnr11nn ciphf To 500 o fl1r-itirrr fnr