Year: 1869

Du Chaillu, in his last book about
Africa, says:


One day l witnessed fearful scene.
A man, native of Goree, an island on
the coast of Senegambia, who had the
reputation OF being snake charmer, and
was then at the Qabocn, had succeeded
in capturing one Of these large naja. He
was bold man, and prided himself on
never being afraid of any snake, however
Venomous the reptile might be; nay, not
| only was he not afraid of any df them,
but he would fight with any Of them, and
get hold of them


I had often seen him with snakes in
his hands. He was careful, of course, to
hold them just by the neck below the
| head, in such a manner that the neck
could not turn on itself and bite him
That day he brought into largo open
place, perfectly bare of grass, one of those
wild naja that he had just captured, and
was amusing himself by teasing the hor-
rid and loathsome creature when [ arriv-
ed. 1t was a huge one


Most of the people of the village had
fed, and those natives who, Ike myself,
were looking on kept long way off
Not Mpongwe man, not a single inhab-
liant Of the whole region l have explor-
ed would have ever dared to do what the
Gorce man did.


Two or three times, as the snake crawl
ed on the ground, we made off in the op-
posite direction with the utmost speed,
myself, | am afraid, leading off in the
general staihpede, though had provided
myself with gun.


1t was perfectly fearful, perfectly horrid
and appalling, to see the titan making a
plaything Of this monster; laughing, as
we may say, at death, for it could be moth
ing else, | thc ught.


At first when saw him he had the
snake around his body; BIT he held it
firmly just below the neck, and | could
see by the muscles of his arm that he had
to use great strength. As long as this
part of the body is held firmly the snake
loses much of its great power Of crushing
one to death, as tie boa constructor or
python does with larger animals, and a,
attall snakes do with smaller game but
with this naja the danger would have
been the venomous bite


Then with the other hand he took the
tail of the snake, and gave it a swing and
gradually unfolded the reptile from his
black body, which was warm and shining
with excitement, but always holding the
head. On a sudden he threw the snake
on the ground. Then the creature began
to crawl away. when suddenly the Goree
man came il front Of it with light stick
and instantly the monster erected itself
almost to half its full length, gave tre-
mendous whistle, which we all heard,
looked glaringly and ferce'y in the mans
face with its sharp, pointed tongue out,
and then stood still as if it could not
move. The Goree man, with his little
stick in his left hand, touched it lightly,
as though to tease it. It was fearful
sight--and if he had been near enough,
the snake would, no doubt, have sprung
upon it's antagonist. The man, as he
teased and infuriated the snake with the
rod he held in his left hand, drew the
attention of the reptile toward tie stick;
then suddenly, and in the wink Of an eye,
almost as quick as lightning, with his
right hand he got hold of the creature
Just under his head.


The same thing that ! have just des
cribed again took place. The snake
folded itself round his body; then he un-
folded the snake, which was once more
let loose, and, now this horrid serpent
got so inturiated that as soon as he was
thrown upon the ground he erected him
self, and the glare of his eyes was some
thing terrible. 1t was indeed an appal-
ling scene; the air ar0nnd seemed TO be
filed with the whistling sound of the
creature.


Alas more terrible scene soon took
place J The man became bo,5er and bold
er, more and more careless, and the snake
probably more and more accustomed to
the mode of warfare ofhis antagonist, and
ust as the monster stood erect the man
attempted to seize his heck as he had
done many and many time before, but
grasped the body to low, and before he
had time to let it go, he head turned on
itself and the man was bitten | was
perfectly speeehlessj the scene had frozen