The Washington herald., 1909-03-07
SEA SERPENT EATS MAN
A Traveller Relates Weird Tale of Shooting at a
Hundred-foot Monster.

jaws
The men we're all good swimmers ana
raced through the bay as though water
was their natural element, but the a"iot
presence behind them steadily iesseneo
tho slight lead the fugftfves had and N
q moment a scream Of agony was heard
as the serpent claimed a victim The na-
I've who had told the story 10 our party
was IN the lead al the time. and MS Iee-
were just beginning 10 touch the sloplng,
sandy shelf He instinctively turned ana
saw a sight that he viii never forget
The serpent's head reached eight or ten
feet above the water on an arching neck.
and struggling in his jaws was one @L
the unfortunate boatmen- The cruel teeln
had fastened IN his flesh and blood IN
solid streams dripped from the snake
Jaws Even as the first native looked the
victim seemed 10 double up. his head met
his feet and HIS whole body disappeared
IN the cavernous mouth Of the monster
drawn inward by some powerful suction
in the serpents throat
Made Dash for Survivors.
THE monster. after its disgusting meal
shook itself violently, remained motion
less for a moment. as though its appetite
was satisfied. and then darted n after
another victim. But the brief pause the
monster made had given the three surviv-
OTIS the bare time TO gain the shadows
and run up the beach The snake paused
when II encountered the bottom. emitted
a bun-lIke below from its bloOd-dripping
jaws. turned IN a sweeping circle and
sped out 10 sea That was the substance
Of the story the native told. and the mo-
tions he went through were descriptive
Of the movements Of the serpent and the
struggles o. the victim. The women who
had made the display OF grief were the
wife. mother, and sister OF the dead man
We'll. the whole village went down 70
the beach and followed the sandy stretch
for d mile OF more in the direction Of the
channel vainly scanning the waters for
a glimpse Of the serpent We chree white
men. each with an improved elephant
bore rife IN the hollow Of mis- arm, led
the procession. and for a time We Wers
greatly disappointed at nor getting
glimpse Of the serpent
Finally one OF the natives called our
attention 10 the commOtiOn in the water
about a third OF a mile from shore. and
snatching Laselie's strong glasses from
his hand trained them on the spot The
bay was very calm but at the spot where
my gaze rested the waters were tossing
and tumbling about as though over a vol
canO. There's something there" I cried:
and hardly had the words left my mouth
when something rose above the surface
and the water eddied and boiled Ike a
maelsuom- The something was the head
or an enormous serpent. and as I passed
the glasses back 70 LaseHe and raised
my gun I said. with a catch IN my breath,
The niger didn't exaggerate.' The ser
pent was very plain. even 20 the naked
eye and all the natives set up weird cries.
and. running back and forth on the beach
waved their fists at the monster. CursinE
Ii In their strange 5argon, and some few
even hurled javelins at Il IN their impo-
( tent fury
starts for shore.
The snake must have heard the noise,
/ Tor it started IN our direction, and then.
I 20 our unspeakable surprise. lowered its
I head and swan closer TO shore. evidently
/ intending 70 attack US Il came 10 within
/ several hundred yards OF where we stood.
coil after coil Of its great length rising
and falling on the water. looking FOR all
( the world Ike some tabled dragon Of
/ antiquity It's course was stopped. how
ever. az the shadows. and IL contented
\ itself with lashing about in the water and
( believing furiously like a great bull
! Gentlemen. ! an not drawing on my
I imagination ore lOta when tel YOU tha.
+ the head OF that animal FISH. or reptile.
I call IL what you wiz. was as big as a
\ hOgshead. Just as TIE natives had de-
/ scribed the thing to Us once or twice 70
! opened its mouth and we saw four great
/ pronglike teeth. and q smaller row OF
I grinders, which convinced Us that the
thing was large enough 10 swallow man
! easily. I noticed one thing that the na-
3 i've. in his fright, had overlooked Al
I tached % the monster. several feet from
/ its head. were thick bristles fl two rows
I that might have served for fms.
we were able 20 get a good idea OF the
I serpents size as II tried 20 navigate in
/ the shadows, and Il could not have been
I less than 100 feet In length ] was about
70 IRE al the thing. but seeing IL coming
/ IN toward shore waited for a closer range.
I The natives for the best part fed Ike
sheep before a leopard upon the snakes
/ approach. and only Laselle. Cane. and
myself were close 10 the waters edge
Bullets Had No Effect.
we could see that the serpent vas en-
/ deavoring 70 feel its way up the incline
/ beneath the water. and as Il curved and
/ splashed about chUrned the bay into
foam II was then our time. and raising
I our rifles simultaneously We fred. The
/ huge bulk made a splendid target for our
guns. and our shots must have connected.
But TO our establishment The serpent only
! splashed and struggled more TO get
through the water to US, and il seemed
altogether unhurt Had We been aiming
( az a rhinooerOs the big beast would have
/ certainly toppled overs. but that sea
( snake had shot proof hide. and nothing
short Of an eight-pound shell would have
fixed its clock
We stood there for an hour or mora
watching the serpent and wasting sbor
on II. and finally the monster, as though
| despairing Of ever reaching Us. turned
about and raced madiy out % sea We
could see Il diving and circling as &
I went and We watched Il until IL was
only a speck on the distant horizon
I left Majanga few days latel. and
the next year I received a long letter
from my friend LaseIle. The SERPENT.
he wrote. had been seen in the bay twice
after my departure. and a week or 50
later Il made its appearance at the south
ern end of the Mozambique Channel.
Whether Il ever was seen again 7 cannot
say Yes, gentlemen. l an one oF the
few men who have used sea serpent for
a target. and II y0u doubt my word lust
pen line 10 Laselle in far or Majanga;
he viii corrobOrate every word I have
said.
why should we doubt sea serpents
I'd Ike 70 knOw2 The seas cover TWO
thirds OF the earth. and they are big
enough and deep enough 70 hide any
number Of mysteries
The JOvIaI Testers.