Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-09-09

! her huSb and. who live on Oak Lawn,
in Pennsylvania, have ample means
and consequently plenty of time for
sporting. They. as a result, spend
much of their time in the sports and
excitement of wildwood life and
search for large game.
This led to an unique and exciting
experience by the lady while ascend
ing the Amazon river 10 South Amer
lea, an experience that has probably
never befallen any other living wo-
man-no less than having been hug
ged by boa constructor. an immense
snake. which subdues its prey by en-
velOping them in coils of its immense
body and intlicting u squeeze which
soon deprives almost any living OBJ
Jet of life. The incident given in
her own words is interesting especi-
ally to the ladies and we give it in
full. She says:
We coursed up the Amazon in a
fine little boat, with half a dozen
natives Us guides and assistants.
Shooting was good, although the jun
gle was terrific. We were probably
about five hundred miles up the river
when we came to as fine stretch OF
meadow land as you could see in
United States. 1t did not look like
South America at all. 1t was smooth
and home-like. My husband and the
natives went ashore leaving our boat
tied to the bank and I was standing
looking out in the direction Of the
party which went ashore, when / felt
touch at my side. l thought it was
the little girl. YES" I said. At
that moment felt something.go slid
ing around my waist and then 1 was
pulled off my feet, just as though a
moose had been fastened around me.
Right in front Of me appeared the
head of a mOnstrOus boa constructor.
The rest of its body hung from the
limb of a great mangrove tree. The
great snake had slid its head carefully
down, wrapped itself in one twist
around my body, and there hung,
with my feet dangling about three
inches from the deck of the boat while
it carefully examined me. For mo-
ment 1 was paralyzed with fear. Then
[ let out scream. My guard came
running up. wait. Missy" he
yelled, and then he went down into
the cabin and came up in a moment
with an enormous knife. The snake
kept contemplating me. Every mo-
ment I feared its coils would tighten.
and then would be crushed to death.
but instead the pressure was not very
great-just enough to hold me fast.
was too frightened to feel the
shivers Of disgust at the touch OF the
snake. All l could see was the big
head swaying in front of me. and the
queer little green eyes of the snake
looking into mine. l began to for
get my plight. guess was being
hypnotized. Suddenly heard a yell.
There was terrific squeeze at my
waist. and then dropped 10 the
deck. l tainted. When I came to.
the little girl and the native were
throwing water on my face. On the
deck lay half of the snake. The ma.
tive had cut it in two with the knife,
and it was the convulsive squeeze
that l felt at the last. BY the time
my husband got back fully recovered
but We did not camp that night and
we never anchored close to trees after
that. either. The boa could not have
been very active or it would have
strangled me at once. l am inclined
to think that it was just curiosity:
it having never seen white woman
before. And here is something else
that seems decidedly odd. Besides
that first feeling of horror the sensa-
ton was not unpleasant. There was
o curious sense OF sleepiness and COM
fort both in the embrace of the snake
and in its slow swaying. Still l
never want to try it again.