SNAKE AND SHARK STORIES.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1203, 11 January 1878, Page 3

SNAKE AND SHARK STORIES.

The following particulars of a thrilling snake stow have b en furnished to the " Murrurundi Times," New South Wales, by Mr G-. A. Martin, of the Oaks:—"A man in my employ has had a narrow escape of being bitten ry a snake. The man, whose name is John Orb, a Grerman, is fencing for me, and is living alone in a tent. One night last week he was awoke about midnight by a little terrier dog jumping on his face, and barking very loudly. He was sleeping on a kind of stretcher, made with bagging fastened on to poles. Without moving much he lit a candle which he had beside him, when the little dog rushed backwards and forwards through the tent, barking furiously, and then jumped towards him. He looked down, and then saw the head and neck of a large diamond snake resting on his chest. The snake was evidently watching the movements of the dog, as each time the dog ran towards the door of the tent, the snake turned his head towards him with his mouth open, and darting his tongue out. Orb says that although dreadfully frightened he did not lose his presence of mind, and he considered what he should do. During the whole of this time he had not moved. There was a butcher's knife on the small table beside the light, so he put his hand cautiously out and got it, the snake still watching the dog, which continued running to and fro, and moving its head on the bar which supported the bagging. Orb waited till its head was turned from him, and then chopped at it with the knife, succeeding in almost cutting the head off. He says he thought his legs would then have been broken, as the snake was coiled round the stretcher and over his legs, and by its violent struggles it almost brought the two sides of the bed together, making the wood crack again, and pressing on his legs a,s if they were in a vice. This lasted for some time, until he could get iip and draw the reptile out. It measured gffc. sn. long. The following exciting shark story appears in the Thames " Evening Star ": —" Two men in the employ of the Borough Council, yes terday morning went down to the powder magazine in a boat to tow off a dead whale about 12ft. long, whic aving been lying dead on the beuch for some days, emitted a most fearful stench. When they had reached a point about two miles off Tararu the men rested on their oars, and were preparing to cast loose the defunct monster of the deep when suddenly there rose, a few feet from the boat, an enormous shark, which, af,te? a great deal of splashing with its made at the whale, and in a very low seconds made it look considerably sm.u }len than it had before. The shark did not appear to notice the presence of tho man, who, to use their own words, 'were in an awful funk,' as, indeed, might be expected. Their fear was increased by the sudden appearance on the scene of another shark, fully 15ft. long, which, in passing, hit the boat a slap with its tail, almost capsizing its terror stricken occupants into the water. Shark No. 2 then rushed at Shark No. 1 and snatched the remainder of the whale from him, tossed it several feet in the air, causing it to come down with a mighty thud on the water, completely wetting the men in the boat. A fight between the two sharks, which bailies description, then took place, and theassailants were soon bleeding fcom aeveral wounds, while the water ic? yards yound was lashed into foam. Th? ftght continued for some minuteo, bptii the animals being too much to notice either the whale or the boat. The former was soon * tackled' and eaten by a school of smaller sharks, varying in size from four to eight feet in length, who then surrouuded the boat, and one of them, diving under it, again endangered the liveq ojt' the occupants. The fight between sharks Nos. 1 and 2 waß now the largest having disappeared anil shark No. 1, though badly wounded, came to the assistance of the rav3;,LOUQ crowd surrounding the boat, evidently wishful of finishing their feast with a few mouth t'uls of the men in the boat."