FEARFUL DEATH AY A BOA CONSTRICTOR.

Dunstan Times, Issue 691, 16 July 1875, Page 4

FEARFUL DEATH AY A BOA CONSTRICTOR.

A vessel, lately arrived at Lyttelton, brings news of the loss of tiie second otlicer while lying at anchor off Madagascar, Indian Ocean. The cargo being stored, the ship was waiting for n fair wind, and shore leave was given to the crew in watches. The second officer and his crew were roaming about a short distance inland, when they reached a piece of wooded land or grove, where all hands sat down in the shade to enjoy the lunch they had brought with Mi era The mate had chosen a spot a short distance from the rest, and was eating his food by himself, when suddenly one of the men saw a large boa constrictor unwinding its body from the trunk of a tree near the second mate. ‘When first the head of the terrible creature was drawn back, its bright eyes glaring with fury, and its mouth open just enough to d sp’ay its fangs ; it was preparing to spring. The snake seemed to be twelve or fourteen feet in length, and about fifteen in circumference. A. single glance showed the men this, but before they could even raise their voic’S, the boa had struck the mate fp avently in the back of the neck, and with the rapidity of thought had ■wound its body around the doomed man. His cries and contortions were frightful, but they ceased in less than two minutes, when it appeared as though his whole, frame had been ciushed to a pulp of flesh. The monster, with the tenacity of his race, kept the braided coil of his body around his victim,' heedless of the shouts and excitement of the rest of the party. The men were pale with fear, they had no weapons but their sheath knives. The mate, however, had brought a shot gun on shore, which now lay near his lifeless body. One of these men stole up and succeeded in getting the gun and rapidly retreating again. There was no hope of saving the officer. All could sec that he was now dead. Should thev leave him to be devoured by the awful boa? They could not make up their minds to do that, tremulous with fear as they were. They resolved to rush up to him at once, each first designating a portion of the body of the snake, and cutting it as nearly through as possible, and then running away together. The gun was only leaded with bird-shot, and would do little good, yet one was to remain in reserve, and Iry to lodge the contents in the boa’s head. The men all rushed together, and each delivered a severing cut ■on the snake’s body, wbo wrs thus very nearly divided in pieces by eight knives at once, while with the gun poured the lot of shot into the monster’s head The snake died slowly, but when the men sadly bore the body of their comrade away, the boa was dead.