Note: The snake yarns referred to in this article were profuse in the 1890's in the pages of the Windsor and Richmond Gazette and some examples have been reproduced elsewhere in this book as they form part of the culture of the Hawkesbury.
The following extraordinary incident took place a few days ago, and may just possibly be discredited by some people; yet it is perfectly true, and has been vouched for by the parties who furnished us with the particulars. As it is something out of the common (Ham Common) we publish it. A man called McCallum, engaged on Ham Common, whilst carrying a large hollow log on his shoulders, felt something cold against his neck, and to his horror found a large snake was crawling round his neck and shoulders. In this alarming predicament, fortunately McCallum kept his presence of mind, and knowing what a great dislike snakes have for a fire, he made his way cautiously and steadily to a large log which was burning some distance off, and stood over it as near as he possibly could with safety, to get to the heat. He soon had the satisfaction of finding that his strategy was successful, and his snakeship gradually uncoiled himself and glided off. McCallum then quickly dispatched the reptile. It is very few people who would have seen a way out of the difficulty, and have thought of this.
(Windsor and Richmond Gazette- 16th January, 1892)
The following snake story has been handed to us as authentic, and on the strength of it we publish it: -Two young fellows by the name of Small reside together near Richmond, close to Mr. George Douglas', a well-known resident. The two brothers occupy the same bedroom, and sleep in separate beds placed alongside one another. During the summer weather it has been their custom to place a basin of water on a newspaper resting upon a chair between the beds, and during the night when they require a drink they reach to the chair and made use of the basin. Lately, during the night, they had found the basin, which had been previously filled and placed on the chair, empty. One of the brothers determined to watch and see for himself how the water disappeared- and placing a match ready at hand he waited. During the night a rustle was heard in the paper, and the brother, on the qui vive, instantly illuminated the abode with a ready lucifer, and, to his alarm, he saw a large black snake with its head in the basin, drinking the liquid. As it was too dangerously near to do anything to it, Small felt very small, and let the reptile depart in peace. On the next night both brothers took up their position on the same bed to watch for the intruder, armed with a gun. As expected, the snake made its appearance again, a light was struck by one of the brothers, and the other instantly fired, and the snake was non est. The reptile measured between 5 or 6 feet.
(Windsor and Richmond Gazette - 5th March, 1892)
A party of Richmond gentlemen were picnicing at the Grose one day this week, when they came upon a black snake, five feet and a half long, the reptile was stretched his full length and appeared to be asleep. It was despatched, and appearing to be very thick was opened, when a full grown opossum was discovered in its stomach, the story may be accepted, CUM GRANO SALIS, for in justice to the snake, as well as the opossum, it must be understood that it was a picnic party who told the yarn.
(Windsor & Richmond Gazette 3rd November, 1888)
According to a Northern contemporary a man rushed into a hotel on the banks of the Burdekin one day recently yelling for help. Soon it was ascertained that a fair sized black snake had crawled up inside one leg of his trousers. Willing hands helped the victim, and the reptile was, when extricated, found dead. As the man had felt many punctures, he was dosed with brandy for the following two days, and then danger being past, tended like a prince for the rest of the week, at the end of which time he took up his swag and proceeded on his lonely tramp. A few days after the driver of Cobb's coach dropped in, and being told the tale, knocked the publican into extravagant profanity by explaining that the man had played the same trick at fully a dozen hotels and shanties along the road. The plan the gentle boozer adopted was to find a snake, kill it, and, when in sight of a hotel, lodge it in his trousers.
(Windsor & Richmond Gazette 12th September, 1891)
Mr. C. J. Clulee, of Lower Portland, had a merry ten minutes a few days back, capturing a "death adder". Travelling through the bush, and just about to light his pipe, he noticed a reptile of some sort in his path, and almost stepped on it. He stopped and made an examination, fancying it was a lizzard (sic), but soon made up his mind as to its identity, and stood a bit further away. Then he returned home and provided himself with a noose of horse hair, a wattle sapling, and a half-gallon preserving jar, gently lassoed his snakeship and dropped him tail first into the bottle where he still abides, holding occasional levees.
(Windsor & Richmond Gazette 9th February, 1895)
A local "truthful James" the other day informed us that he killed a snake 17ft 6in., away on Pitt Town Common, and when opened, it contained a calf. This is pretty good, and it will take the local champion prevaricator to beat it.
(Windsor and Richmond Gazette - 23rd November, 1889)
Pitt Town on Friday night appeared to be fairly given over to solitude supreme, except that a crowd of the populace lay stretched out on the green sward opposite the local hotel, engaged in calm contemplation of the starry heavens, the while swapping lies about the monster potatoes and huge ophidians with which they had come into contact during the week then passing. Commend me to a old-style Pitt Towner, possessed of truly elastic imagination, if you want a champion fairy-tale.
(Windsor and Richmond Gazette - 8th February, 1896) Note: ophidian = snake
The lanes (beg pardon - streets) in [Pitt] town form the rendezvous for numbers of vagrant cattle and members of the porcine family, and at night, when the clouds obscure the moon's soft light, the perigrinating pedestrian stands a good chance, if not very careful, of coming a complete cropper over a cud-chewing and recumbant cow; or of running butt up against the business-end of a hungry horse. In fact, it is dangerous to be safe when meandering around the green lanes of Pitt Town at night, and future visitors to that rustic retreat will do well to religiously keep within doors once the sun goes down.
(Windsor & Richmond Gazette 10th February, 1894)
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