KAFFIR KILLED BY A SNAKE--MEDICINE NECKLACES--NARROW ESCAPE--
PUFF-ADDERS--ADVENTURE WITH A BLACK SNAKE--SNAKES DISTRESSED BY THEIR
OWN POISON--POISON-SPITTING SNAKE--A DAY'S SPORT--BOA-CONSTRICTOR
KILLED--ITS MODE OF ATTACK--SIZE OF THE SLAIN SNAKE--SECRETARY-BIRD.
One morning Inyovu, in great distress, came to tell me that his father
had been bitten by a very poisonous snake, and he was afraid that he
would not live. As his kraal was only ten miles distant, I determined
to ride over, and see what aid I could give; taking with me some _eau de
luce_ and a sharp penknife, in case it was requisite. Upon arriving at
the huts, all appeared calm and tranquil, and I hoped that the man had
recovered. I was, however, coolly informed that he had been dead some
time. Inquiring into the matter, I found that the snake was a large
black one, called by the Kaffirs _M'namba Umkulu_, or great puff-adder;
it did not resemble the ordinary puff-adder in colour, size, or
character, being larger, quite black, and having none of the peculiar
puffing which the puff-adder always shows when he is irritated. The
larger snake is as highly poisonous as the common puff-adder, and quite
as much dreaded. The man was bitten in the leg, above the knee, and not
having his snake-charm with him at the time, of course could not hope to
be saved. These charms are of peculiar kinds of wood, and are worn
round the neck, and strung like beads; the bits of wood being of all
shapes, and about the size of large beans. Each separate piece has its
_specialite_; one is to cure laziness, others the bites of snakes,
others diseases of cattle, and also to enable the wearer to escape from
the dangerous game which he may be hunting. These pieces of wood were
eaten by the Kaffirs whenever they were ill or in danger; it appeared as
though a kind of homoeopathic dose only was necessary, as but a very
small portion was taken as a remedy. I but once took of this medicine,
and I must bear witness to its efficacy in my case.
I suffered very much one day from the heat, and feeling a great
lassitude coming over me, I told Monyosi that I could not go any further
into the bush, giving him my reason. He at once said that he had some
medicine, especially for this complaint, from which he very frequently
suffered. (I strongly suspect that his only complaint was laziness.)
He offered me a piece, which I accepted on condition that he should also
eat a bit. It tasted something like rhubarb, but was also very bitter,
and hot. In a few minutes, strange to say, I felt quite recovered, and
walked many hours in the bush without distress.
Inyovu's father, from what I could gather, must have lived about three
hours between the period of the bite and his death; this would not give
a person much time to be "shriven." I saw his body, and it did not seem
to be much swollen or altered. The number of poisonous snakes in this
district was a great drawback to the delight of the sport; for when
walking through long grass one was never certain that some horrid
serpent was not ready to give a bite that would speedily terminate one's
career. Although this dread gradually wore off, it was occasionally
refreshed in the memory by some narrow escape from being bitten.
For example, I once shot a coran across the Umganie, and as it fell
amongst some long grass and bushes, I could not find it, and for some
time pushed the grass about with my ramrod. Suddenly a something, that
looked like a broad dead leaf, rose up almost under my hand from amongst
the brushwood that I had turned over. It was about a foot from me, and
only attracted my attention by a sort of waving motion, as it was a good
deal concealed by the grass, and upon looking at it, I perceived it was
a hideous cobra, with its hood extended. I stood like a statue, and the
snake dropped down and glided away. Why it did not bite me I know not,
as I must have struck it unintentionally with my ramrod. These things
are over in a few seconds, but one travels over a long space of time
during their occurrence, and the impressions which they leave are most
vivid.
When it slid away I first truly realised the danger in which I had been,
and jumped from the spot as though the ground had been red-hot. I
feared also that I might have been bitten unconsciously, and was thus
anything but happy for several hours. I searched no more for my wounded
coran in that place!
I was in the habit of bathing morning and evening in the Natal Bay, and
selected some old piles, the remains of a pier, as the most convenient
place from which to jump, as the water became deep just beyond the last
of them. An old pile-driving machine stood on the sands close by, and
it had a low square platform which was an excellent substitute for a
dressing-room. One warm evening I had undressed as usual, and was
walking over the deep sand to the plank from which I took my accustomed
header, when I noticed the sand began to heave about a yard in front of
me, and the broad ace-of-clubs shaped head of a puff-adder rise up in a
threatening attitude. I should not have been more astonished had I seen
a whale in the same place, as no cover for a snake was near, and it
seemed such a very unlikely locality. I jumped back immediately, and
looked about for a stick or stone; before I could find either, however,
the adder had shaken the sand from his back, and quietly glided under
the little platform on which all my clothes were lying. I gave up the
idea of bathing that night, and began to think how I was to regain my
raiment. I kept a watchful eye on the lower part of the platform, and
creeping up to it, made a sudden grab at my clothes and bolted away. I
took care to shake each article very carefully before putting it on, but
more particularly my boots, for on my first arrival in the colony, a
kind friend informed me that boots were a favourite resting-place for
snakes. And to assist the idea he had inserted a hair brush into one of
them, and, just as I was pulling it on, shouted for me to "look out for
the snake." I arranged a grand attack on the snake's residence the
following day, when two full-grown and five young puff-adders were
killed. It was very fortunate that none of these adders had ever taken
a fancy to locate themselves in the leg of my trousers, or the arm of my
coat, for the sake of warmth, during the time that I was cooling myself
in the water. This family must have been under the driving machine for
some weeks, and I have no doubt they admired the very regular attention
that I daily paid to my ablutions. I fear that the stamping always
necessary in drawing on a boot after bathing, must have sadly annoyed
the young fry. I never liked going near this place afterwards, and was
obliged in consequence to invest some capital in a square board upon
which to perform my toilet.
I had another escape from a snake near the Sea-cow Lake, about six miles
from Natal. I had been looking for a duiker, which I was anxious to
shoot for the purpose of concocting a bowl of soup, this particular
animal being celebrated for that purpose. As I was slowly walking
through the grass, something just in advance of me moved and the grass
shook. I stepped back, preparing for a shot, as I expected a buck to
spring up. Instead of a duiker, I saw the broad head of a black snake,
of a most poisonous species, rise up little more than a yard from me,
and draw his head back as though about to strike. I felt a
disinclination to raise the gun to my shoulder to fire at him, thinking
that he might then spring at me, so taking a quick aim from the hip, I
fired, and nearly blew his head off. He tumbled over, and, with one
twist, expired. I approached carefully, and found him to be a very
large black snake, about seven feet long, and nearly as thick as my arm.
I took him home, and on dissection saw that his poison-fangs were three
quarters of an inch long, and the bag above them was full of poison. A
bite from this fellow would have settled my account with this world in
about three hours.
It is a very difficult thing to recommend a care for a poisonous
snake's-bite. One of the most simple and classic is to suck the part.
When a person is alone, this is of course only possible if he is bitten
in the hands, arms, or low down in the legs. Cutting out the bitten
part is considered the best remedy, but this requires a tolerable amount
of nerve and determination. Some say that running about most
perseveringly will keep off the stupor that generally follows the
reception of this powerful poison into the blood. Happily, having no
personal experience in snake-bites, I cannot speak with certainty about
their cure.
I am under the impression that the poisonous snakes are much troubled,
at certain seasons of the year, by the poison-bladder becoming
surcharged, and that thus, being anxious to rid themselves of this
poison by biting something soft, and thereby pressing it out, they
naturally seize the first thing which their instinct tells them will not
injure their poisonous fangs. Two instances that occurred at Natal
appear to bear out this theory. A Hottentot was crossing the Mooi river
drift, another man following a short distance in the rear. The last man
saw a snake dart out from some rocks, seize the first Hottentot by the
leg, and glide back again; the bitten man died within a very short time
of receiving the bite. There is at the present time a man in the Royal
Arsenal at Woolwich, who, when far up the country with his master, and
walking near the waggons, perceived a puff-adder spring at his face. He
suddenly lowered his head, and the snake wound itself round his
wide-awake hat. The man knocked the hat off, and the snake was
immediately shot by a looker-on. The puff-adder always springs
backwards, and can make extraordinary leaps. There is a very fine
specimen now to be seen in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park.
I have heard from both Dutchmen and Kaffirs that there is a snake which
spits out its poison at any one who may approach, and makes capital
shots. Blindness often follows if the victim is struck in the eyes, and
a horrible disease of the skin if the face or hands are touched by the
poisonous secretion. I am not aware of the appearance or name of this
reptile. Besides the venomous snakes that I have mentioned as being
common about Natal, there is also a species of boa-constrictor which
grows to a considerable size; and although this snake is not dangerous,
still it is slaughtered by man whenever met, as it is destructive to
birds and small bucks. I shot six of these during my prowlings around
the bush and swamps of Natal; the largest was shot when I was in company
with an English gentleman who rarely went out shooting and was a prey to
despair almost before he had commenced. As the whole of that day's
proceedings serve to show that it is well never to give up or to throw
away a chance, I will describe them in detail.
We had for nearly four hours continually searched kloofs and ravines,
but we had seen no game whatsoever. As we were riding over a little
hill, I thought I saw something move on an opposite ridge, a little
behind me and on my left hand. I would not look round, but rode
steadily away until we had passed over the hill and were quite out of
sight of whatever had caught my attention. I then mentioned to my
companion that I fancied I had seen something more on the opposite hill,
and that I purposed creeping back to have a second look. He voted for
_riding_ over the hill, but this I would not hear of.
Keeping well down in the grass, I managed to peep through a tree, and
there saw a fine reitbok looking after us. He stood up for about a
minute as if he were watching to see if we had really gone away, when,
seeming to think everything safe, he laid himself down again. I
reported what I had seen to my impatient companion, and proposed that we
should make a long round, and come upon the buck from the opposite side.
We, therefore, left our horses, and crossed the ravine between the two
hills on foot, taking care to keep well out of sight. I drew my charge
of shot and loaded, so as to have a bullet in each barrel; my friend
preferring two heavy doses of buckshot. All being in readiness, we
approached the ground that I had marked as the reitbok's lair, and were
within fifty yards of it, when the buck got the alarm and bounded off.
I had only a snap shot at him, my friend fired at the same instant, and
the buck fell. We ran up, and, to the evident disappointment of one of
the party, found that the buck had been killed by a bullet-wound which
had passed close to the backbone. There was not a single shot-hole in
him besides this one; there could be no mistake, therefore, about the
arm which delivered the death-wound. We brought the horses to the spot,
mounted the dead buck on my pony, and then took up a fresh line of
country in hopes of finding another buck. We went some distance with no
luck, when my dog flushed a covey of red-winged partridges. We
dismounted, and walked about beating the bushes, when I suddenly noticed
that he was pointing at a small clump of bush; he did not stand as
though it were a bird, but occasionally drew his head back quickly. I
called him away, fearing it might be a poisonous snake or a leopard,
and, approaching the bush with caution, peeped through the branches, and
saw the thick body of an enormous boa-constrictor moving very slowly
away. I instantly sent a bullet through the part of the body that I
saw, and sprang back, when the bushes were violently shaken as though
the constrictor thought this sudden attack was anything but
satisfactory. I now loaded the discharged barrel with a heavy dose of
buckshot, and advanced to the bush. Holding my gun out at arm's length,
I pushed the branches gently on one side to get a peep at my antagonist
and see how he liked what I had done. The snake was very artful, and
waited quite quietly until I stooped a little to get a better view, when
he darted out his head, making a sort of lunge at me; he opened his
tremendous jaws as he came, and then suddenly drew back. I stepped away
quickly to avoid this attack, and gave the boa my charge of buckshot
between the eyes before he got out of sight. Turning his head round, he
seized his body with his fangs, gave a wriggle, and died.
His mode of attack gave me an insight into the method by which this
species of snake destroys animals. The teeth of boa-constrictors being
long, bent, and turned back, something in the fish-hook shape, the
snakes dart out in the manner I have just described, and seize hold of
their prey. Then drawing their heads back again, they pull the animal
to the ground at once, and, coiling round it, commence the crushing
process. This power of squeezing must be enormous. On attempting to
skin this animal, the muscles inside had the appearance of strings of
rope extending from the head to the tail; these he seemed to have the
power of contracting or extending, so that a part that might be three
feet long as he coiled himself round your body, could be instantly
reduced to about a foot, by this means giving any one in his embrace a
very tolerable squeeze. I have before remarked that these snakes are
not considered dangerous to man, as they are not poisonous; and if those
attacked had a sharp knife, and managed to keep their arms free, Mr
Snake would get the worst of it. If one happened, however, to be
asleep, and a boa-constrictor then became familiar, he might so have
wound himself round arms and body as to prevent a knife being used. I
have no doubt that they have power sufficient to crush any man to death
in a very few seconds, did they once get themselves comfortably settled
round his ribs; but I never heard of such a case during my residence at
Natal, although I made every inquiry from the Kaffirs. Formerly there
was a great deal of superstition amongst the Kaffirs with regard to this
snake, and a person who killed one had to go through a quarantine of
purifying; now, however, the Kaffirs do not seem to care much about
them. I saw an old fellow near the Umbilo River pinning a large
boa-constrictor to the ground with several assagies to prevent its
wriggling; he had about a dozen different ones stuck into its body, and
seemed to think a few more would do no harm. He told me that the snake
was a great rascal, and had killed a calf of his some time before; that
he had long watched for an opportunity of catching it out of its hole,
and at last found it so, when a smart race of some yards ended in the
Kaffir assagying the veal-eater.
We tried to skin the boa-constrictor that I had shot, but found great
difficulty in separating the skin from the muscles, and his odour was
strong and disagreeable. Whenever we put in the knife so as to touch
his nerves, he made a little sort of jump that was anything but
pleasant. We contented ourselves, therefore, with a piece of his skin
about six inches long, which remained our only trophy. The colours of
this boa were very brilliant, and they had a bloom on them like a ripe
plum; he was evidently up to good living, for he had breakfasted that
day on a partridge, as was shown by the _post-mortem_. His length was
21 feet, and circumference about 1 foot 6 inches; he must have weighed
about 200 pounds.
Our bag on this day was a reitbok, a boa-constrictor, and a brace and a
half of partridges. I believe that we should not have obtained either
of the larger animals, had it not been for a second examination of the
suspicious moving grass in the manner that I have mentioned. Had we
stopped at once to look at the object, the buck would have bounded away
without a moment's notice, but as it was, he fancied he was unobserved
and secure.
I give these details to show on what small hinges success in
South-African sport may turn.
The Kaffirs reported that a boa-constrictor lived in some long reeds
near the Umganie, and they said it was an enormous animal, and fully
fifty feet long. I once saw its spoor on the sand, and judged that it
must be nearly thirty feet long. On several occasions I sought
interviews with it, but was unsuccessful in finding it at home. It is
always better to give all snakes a wide berth, and not to go out of
one's way to destroy them, unless they have taken up their residence in
or near your house, or their destruction can be accomplished with ease
and safety.
Many snakes of South Africa are not poisonous: a very good plan for
telling them is to notice the shape of their head; anything approaching
the form of the ace-of-clubs, or a breadth across the forehead as it
were, is indicative of venom; while those with the narrow lizardlike
heads are harmless.
The secretary-bird is one of the greatest destroyers of snakes, and
either is proof against their bites or is too active to be bitten. He
seizes them generally by the neck, and goes sailing aloft with a long
reptile wriggling about in agonies. If the bird finds the snake
troublesome during his aerial voyage, he lets it fall a few thousand
feet on to the hardest ground, and then quickly following after, takes
the snake on another trip. A fine in money is very properly imposed in
the Cape colony on the destroyer of one of these birds.