During this time he continued to grasp with his mouth, though it appeared an unnecessary precaution, that part of the animal which he had first seized. The poor goat, in the mean while, continued its feeble and half stifled cries for some minutes, but they soon became more and more faint, and at last expired. The snake, however, retained it for a considerable time in its grasp. after it was apparently motionless. He then began slowly and cautiously to unfold himself, till the goat fell dead from his monstrous embrace, when he began to prepare himself for his feast. Placing his mouth in front of the head of the dead animal, he commenced by lubricating with his saliva that part of the goat; then taking its muzzle into his mouth, which had, and indeed always has, the appearance of a raw lacerated wound, he sucked it in as far as the horns would allow.

"These protuberances opposed some little difficulty, not so much from their extent as from their points; however, they also, in a short time, disappeared; that is to say, externally-but their progress was still to be traced very distinctly on the outside, threatening every moment to protrude through the skin. The victim had now descended as far as the shoulders; and it was an astonishing sight to observe the extraordinary action of the snake's muscles when stretched to such an unnatural extent an extent which must have utterly destroyed all muscular power in any animal that was not, like itself, endowed with any peculiar faculties of expansion and action at the same time. When his head and neck had no other appearance than that of a serpent's skin stuffed almost to bursting, still the workings of the muscles were evident; and his power of suction, as it is erroneously called, unabated; it was, in fact, the effect of a contractile muscular power, aided by two rows of strong hooked teeth. With all this he must be able to suspend, for a time, his respiration, for it is impossible to conceive that the process of breathing could be carried on while the mouth and throat were so completely stuffed and expanded by the body of the goat, and the lungs themselves (admitting the trachea to be ever so hard) compressed, as they must have been, by its passage downwards.

He

"The whole operation of completely gorging the goat occupied about two hours and twenty minutes, at the end of which time, the tumefaction was confined to the middle part of the body, or stomach, the superior parts, which had been so much distended, having resumed their natural dimensions. now coiled himself up again, and laid quietly in his usual torpid state for about three weeks or a month, when his last meal appearing to be completely digested and dissolved, he was presented with another goat, which he devoured with equal facility. It would appear that almost all he swallows is converted into nutrition. He had more difficulty in killing a fowl than a larger animal, the former being too small for his grasp.

"As we approached the Cape of Good Hope this animal began to droop, as was then supposed, from the increasing coldness of the weather, (which may probably have had its influence,) and he refused to kill some fowls which were offered to him. Between the Cape and St. Helena he was found dead in the cage.

"It may here be mentioned, that during a captivity of some months at Whidah, in the kingdom of Dahomey, on the coast of Africa, the author of this narrative had opportunities of observing snakes more than double the size of the one just described; but he cannot venture to say whether or not they were of the same species, though he has no doubt of their being of the genus of Boa. They killed their prey, however, precisely in the same manner;

and from their superior bulk, were capable of swallowing animals much larger than sheep or goats. Governor Abson, who had for thirty-seven years resided at Fort William, described some desperate struggles which he had either seen, or came to his knowledge, between the snakes and wild beasts, as well as the smaller cattle, in which the former were always victorious. Α negro herdsman, belonging to Mr. Abson, had been seized by one of these monsters by the thigh; but from his situation in a wood, the serpent in attempting to throw itself around him, got entangled with a tree; and the man being thus preserved from a state of compression, which would have instantly rendered him quite powerless, had presence of mind enough to cut, with a large knife which he carried about with him, deep gashes in the neck and throat of his antagonist, thereby killing it, and disengaging himself from his perilous situation. He never afterwards, however, recovered the use of that limb, which had sustained a considerable injury from its fangs, and the mere force of his jaws."

INVETERATE PIKE.

As two gentlemen were fly-fishing at South Newton, near Salisbury, in July, 1823, one of them hooked a grayling, or umber, on the opposite side of the river. In playing it, a pike seized it. In order to land the fish, it was found necessary to draw it over a large spot of weeds in the middle of the river; the pike still kept his hold, and although on the weeds, and indeed out of the water, shook his prey as a dog would a rat, and continued so to do for several minutes. At length both were drawn to the bank, and taken out together in a landing net, the pike never quitting his prey until enclosed in the net. The grayling weighed twelve ounces; and the pike two pounds only.

VIOLENT STORM.

On August 26, 1823, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the sudden heat of the atmosphere announced an approaching storm, which shewed itself coming from the S. E. over the village of Boncourt (Canton of Anet), and not far from there a remarkable water-spout made its appearance. Its base touched the earth, and its summit was lost in the clouds. It was formed of a dense dark vapour, and flames darted frequently through its centre. In its course onwards, it tore up or broke the trees for the space of a league, destroying between seven and eight hundred trees, and at length burst with vast impetuosity on the village of Marchefroy, destroying in one instant the half of the houses. The walls were shaken to the foundations, and crumbled down in every direction; they were torn off and split, and the pieces carried away half a league by the force of the wind. Some of the inhabitants who remained in the village were knocked down and wounded; those at work in the fields, fortunately the greater number, were also thrown down by the violence of the storm, which destroyed the harvest, and wounded or killed the beasts. Hailstones as big almost as a man's fist, stones and other bodies, showered down by this impetuous wind, wounded several individuals very severely. Waggons heavily laden were broken in pieces, and their burdens dispersed. Axle-trees capable of supporting the weight of eight or ten tons were broken, and large wheels were carried two or three hundred paces from where the storm found

them. One of these waggons, almost entire, was even carried over a brickkiln, some portions of which were carried to a considerable distance. A steeple, several hamlets, and isolated houses, and new walls were blown down, and other villages were considerably damaged. The spout occupied about a hundred toises at its base, if we may judge from the durable and disastrous marks it made in its progress.

CAT EATERS.

Some years ago, for a wager of £50, a fellow, who lived near the race course of Kildare, in Ireland, devoured five fox cubs, and literally began eating each while alive. It is, however, to be observed, that the devourer was a natural fool, having been born deaf, dumb, and without a palate.

About thirteen years ago, a shepherd, at Beverley, in Yorkshire, for a bet of five pounds, was produced, who was to devour a living cat. The one produced was a large black tom cat, which had not been fed for the purpose; but was chosen as the largest in that neighbourhood. The day appointed was the fair day at Beverley. The parties met. The man produced was a raw-boned fellow, about forty. The cat was then given to him; on which he took hold of its four legs with one hand, and closing its mouth with the other, he killed it by biting its head to pieces immediately, and in less than a quarter of an hour, devoured every part of the cat, tail, legs, claws, bones, and every thing. The man who laid the wager gave the fellow two guineas for doing it, and the shepherd appeared perfectly satisfied with the reward. After he had done it, he walked about the fair the whole afternoon, and appeared neither sick nor sorry. He took no emetic, nor had this brutal repast any effect upon him whatever.

SHIPWRECKS AND DISASTERS AT SEA.

A SHIP ON FIRE.

Perhaps the most aggravating circumstances under which a shipwreck can occur, are when it is occasioned by fire. It is then that death stares the mariner in the face in the most hideous form, while his means of counteracting the danger, or escaping from it, are more limited and ineffectual. Few disasters of this nature have been so calamitous as the burning of a French East Indiaman, The Prince.

She sailed from Port l'Orient on the 19th of February 1792, on a voyage bound. She suffered in the passage from being driven on a sand bank. În June she was discovered to be on fire. While the captain hastened on deck, lieutenant de la Fond ordered some sails to be dipped in the sea and the hatches to be covered with them, in order to prevent access of air. Every one was employed in procuring water; all the buckets were used, the pumps plied, and pipes introduced from them into the hold; but the rapid progress of the flames baffled every exertion to subdue them, and augmented the general consternation. The boatswain and three others took possession of the yawl and pushed off; but those on board still continued as active as ever. The master boldly went down into the hold, but the intense heat compelled him to return, and had not a quantity of water been thrown over him he would have been severely scorched. In attempting to get the long-boat out, it fell on the guns and could not be righted.

Consternation now seized on the crew, nothing but sighs and groans resounded through the vessel, and the animals on board, as if sensible of the impending danger, uttered the most dreadful cries. The chaplain, who was now on the quarter deck, gave the people general absolution, still cheering them to renewed exertions, but,

"With fruitless toil the crew oppose the flame;

No art can now the spreading mischief tame,
Some chok'd and smother'd did expiring lie,
Burn with the ship and on the waters fry;
Some, when the flames could be no more withstood,
By wild despair directed, 'midst the flood
Themselves in haste from the tall vessel threw,
And from a dry to liquid ruin flew.

Sad choice of death! when those who shun the fire,
Must to as fierce an element retire,

Uncommon sufferings did these wretches wait,

Both burnt and drowned, they met a double fate."

Self-preservation was now the only object: each was occupied in throwing overboard whatever promised the slender chance of escape,-yards, spars, hencoops, and every thing to be met with was seized in despair, and thus employed. Some leaped into the sea, as the mildest death that awaited them; others, more successful, swam to fragments of the wreck, while some crowded on the ropes and yards, hesitating which alternative of destruction to choose. A father was seen to snatch his son from the flames, clasp him to his breast, and then plunging into the waves, perished in each other's embrace.

"What ghastly ruin then deformed the deep!
Here glowing planks, and flowing ribs of oak,

Here smoking beams, and masts in sunder broke."

The floating masts and yards were covered with men struggling with the watery element, many of whom now perished by balls discharged from the guns as heated by the fire, forming thus a third means of destruction. M. de la Fond, who had hitherto borne the misfortune with the greatest fortitude, was now pierced with anguish to see that no further hope remained of preserving the ship, or the lives of his fellow-sufferers. Stripping off his clothes, he designed slipping down a yard, one end of which dipped in the water, but it was so covered with miserable beings shrinking from death, that he tumbled over them and fell into the sea. There a drowning soldier caught hold of him. Lieutenant de la Fond made every exertion to disengage himself, but in vain; twice they plunged below the surface, but still the man held him until the agonies of death were past, and he became loosed from his grasp. After clearing his way through the dead bodies, which covered the surface of the ocean, he seized on a yard, and afterwards gained a spritsail covered with people, but on which he was nevertheless permitted to take a place. Hence he got on the mainmast, which having been consumed below, fell overboard, and after killing some in its fall, afforded a temporary succour to others.

Eighty persons were now on the mainmast, including the chaplain, who, by his discourse and example, taught the duty of resignation. Lieutenant de la Fond, seeing the worthy man quit his hold and fall into the sea, lifted him up. "Let me go," said he, "I am already half drowned, and it is only protract

ing my sufferings."—" No, my friend," the lieutenant replied, “when my strength is exhausted, but not till then, we will perish together."

The flames still continued raging in the vessel; and the fire reached the magazine, when the most thundering explosion took place. A thick cloud intercepted the light of the sun, and amidst the terrific darkness, nothing but pieces of flaming timber, projected aloft in the air, could be seen, threatening to crush to atoms in their fall numbers of miserable beings, already struggling in the agonies of death. As night approached, they providentially discovered a cask of brandy, about fifteen pounds of pork, a piece of scarlet cloth, about twenty yards of linen, a dozen of pipestaves, and a small piece of cordage. The scarlet cloth was substituted for a sail, an oar was erected for a mast, and a plank for a rudder. This equipment was made in the darkness of the night; yet a great difficulty remained, for wanting charts and instruments, and being nearly two hundred leagues from land, the party were at a loss how to steer.

Eight days and nights passed in miserable succession without seeing land, the party all the while exposed to the scorching heat of the sun by day, and to the intense cold by night; suffering too from the extremities of hunger and of thirst.

When every thing seemed to predict a speedy termination to the sufferings of this unfortunate crew, they discovered the distant land on the 3d of August. It would be difficult to describe the change which the prospect of deliverance created. Their strength was renovated, and they were roused to precautions against being drifted away by the current. They reached the coast of Brazil and entered Treason Bay. As soon as they reached the shore, they prostrated themselves on the ground, and in transports of joy rolled on the sand. They exhibited the most frightful appearance; some were quite naked, others had only shirts in rags, and scarcely any thing human characterised any of them. When deliberating on the course they should follow, about fifty Portuguese of the settlement advanced, and seeing their wretched condition, pitied their misfortunes, and conducted them to their dwellings, where they were hospitably entertained.

Nearly three hundred persons perished in this dreadful catastrophe. The survivors reached Lisbon on the 17th of December and thence sailed to Port L'Orient.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT.

On the 25th of February, 1823, a span of horses, with a sleigh and lumber box, broke away from the five mile house on the old Schenectady road, and were not heard of until the 17th of March, when they were found in a swamp, about a mile and a half from the four mile house. One of the horses, having been thrown down, had, in this situation, cat off half the neck yoke, at the end of the tongue of the sleigh. He was found dead. The other was alive, having remained twenty days, during the most inclement part of the season, without food or water, except what he obtained from browsing in the short space of a hundred feet. Both horses were still in harness when found, and the articles in the sleigh were found as they had been left.-American Paper.