Year: 1878

piisoneI dulonR tue CapuanS, OI New
Guina, thus describes the Serpents
Valley:


1t was dangerous undertaking to
travel through this opening, and no
other way to K'ootar was known.
AS We stood here to give our ponies
blow. my guide volunteered to take me
back TO the entrance of the valley, that
| might get better idea Of the way we
had come. / consented, and, on my
approaching its mouth, l was struck
very much by the height and size Of
the trees. Their clear stems ran up
nearly hundred feet before the limbs
began to appear on them. and were
very thick. Here, too. were many
palm trees. whose featherlike plumes
gave graceful appearance to the whole
valley. There was also large tree
flower in this valley. which was now
in full bloom The flower was bright
scarlet, which hung suspended in long,
folding pendants from the branches


At distance one might easily i'm
agine these scarlet trees TO be trees of
fire, whose pendants. as they moved in
the Wild, were the flame jumping and
lesping | was lost in admiration as !
contemplated these things, and as we
continued to advance up the valley new
beauties opened out before us.


Stop! beware. Tregan.' cried my
guide. Ill warming tones.


stopped at once. and looking for
ward under his direction. saw 8 vast
snake curled up at the feot of tree in
front of US. / could not judge of its
length, but it must have been very
great. Another aud another of these
coils were pointed out by him, and l
had an unpleasant sensation of cool
perspiration oOzing out of the pores of
my skin.


! Take care, take carer he cried out in
great terror, and, catching my pony by
the head. he pulled me back toward
the mouth of the valley.


After we had got away soms twenty
yards, saw an immese boa-constructor
curled round the stem of the tree near
which we had been standing. The
beasts neck had been stretched some
ten or fifteen feet over the pathway,
and its head kept rising and falling in
much the same way as have seen q
turkey wiggle about,


The terrible reptile had evidently
been sunring itself, and, having been
awakened by our approach. had pro-
ccedcd to uncoil its immense body in
order to obtain its midday meal. 1t
wa. not less than sixty feet long, | am
sure, for counted at least six coils
round the body of the tree-allowing
seven feet for the length of each coil.
and fifteen feet for the head and neck.
made it out about sixty feet long


After this We hurried back to the
guard. aud reported what We had seen.


Several of the prisoners expressed D
wish to see the serpent, they were per-
mitted to approach the mouth of the
valley to CATCH distant glimps of the
boa. with whom they were quite salts
fled. | learned terwards-that this
valley was never traversed by any
person that the escorts really made n
considerable det0ur. and came out 10y a
secret channel, whose approaches were
carefully hidden by trees and rocks.
This fact was concealed from the min
ing population. to hinder their return
to K'ootar. They knew of no other
path than that through the boa valley,
and were too fearful of its horrors to
dare an attempt through it. Some had
indeed attempted TO pass through 1t,
but as they had never been heard of
again it was universally believed that
they had been destroyed by the ser
pents; and there can be little doubt that
such was the case.


have heard somewhere that AN
army was once stopped by great
snake, and | can readily believe that
the boas in this valley would hinder
the progress of the bravest army II not
completely obstruct it. From this
point our road lay along well SHELTER
ed plain. the track running by the
side of tall. thickl -foliaged ssees. In
abo1t an hour from our leaving the
valley, WAS startled by hearing cry
for help. the sound coming, as it SEEM
ed TO me, from directly over my head.


On looking upward | was horritied to
see an unfortunate wretch fastened to
a tall tree by means of rope. and
near him was small snake about eight
inches long. The snake was standing
erect, and Kissing at the unfortunate
man. who was beating his hands wild.
ly and trying to avoid the fsngs of the
serpent.


Can we not help himy' | asked.
greatly excited.


No; he is criminal. and must die.
Better to die thus than wait to be
starved or torn to pieces by the birds.
He is fortunate


The snake had now bitten the man
at least so l should judge, for he
gave a scream of fear and pain. and he
seized the seipent's head with his half
loosened hands. The venomous beast
curled itself rapidly round the neck
and arms of the poor man. and strove
to draw its head to the mans face.
But desperation gave the poor fellow
stsength, and for a long time he re-
sisted successfully. At last his strength
failed and we saw. TO my crest horror,
the snakes fangs steadily approaching
the mans open mouth, for he was
nearly suffocated. Ha


could look no longer, and turning
nv head away. continued my journey.
Again, remarked that the old chief
was Indifferent, and gave no more than
a single glance at the unfortunate Grim
inal, who was suffering so terrible a
death.


In another halfmile we saw lot of