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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 305, 19 September 1921, Page 8

A thrilling snake story is donnected with a recent voyage of the Cttnard freighter Virgilia, which was at Auckland last year. At Zanzibar Island, off the coast of Africa,- a largo snako was taken on board the vessel, and caged in a box, where it apparently pined until it became thin enough to wriggle through a hole in the box and escape from its confinement. No trace was seen of it for a long time; but one dark night a ship’s officer, on bis way back to the quarters behiifd the bridge had to grope about to find tho rail of the deck ladder, which in this case was corded over. He found it, as he thought, and .his hand closed oil it—it wobbled. Just then the ship lun-yd a- little, and the officer instinctively queozed the support. It na.s soft. It was the lost snake. With a cold shuduer of fear the officer promptly withdrew and found his way to the quarters by a more devious route. Shortly Im bad tho whole ship’s company up in arms snake hunting. Tho search proved unavailing that night, but at an early hour the next day he was about again with a gun, and presently discovered tho object of his search in a most unexpected manner; for it fell upon him from tho rigging, and disarmed him in a moment, though quite by accident. Other, .members of tbo crow quickly came to the aid of I choir comrade. Meanwhile the snake nad made its rapid way down (Im. side of Mie ship Into the water, evidently ae frightened as tho offices- himself.