Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-04-22

ceased to play for single instant the cobra {
capea would have sprang on him, and des-
troyed him. | certainly never saw anything
more curious but must confess that the !
close proximity of this death-deaing mon :
sIer was by no means pleasing to my feelings. {
When the man followed at about five
yards distant by the snake,) arrived at
smooth spot in the middle OF the garden, he {
suddenly squatted down, and began to play ,
louder and more energeticaly than before. t
The animal paused moment then raising /
itself, stood upright, reared on IFS laiI. in 8
the same postion as that which 1t often as
sunnes previous to making the fatal spring.
limagasing this 10 be the case, trembling
shndder went round that portion of the par
" who had never before witnessed a similar
exhibition. The old hands, the regular Qui
HIS Ia nickname given to BengaIees,l
stood perfectly unmoyed. They were aware
OF what was about to follow. The snake.
thus painfully poised, began sort of boun-
ding up and down, keeping its eyes steadily
fixed on the musician, almost in time to the !
tune he was playing. Europeans, who
have never visited British India, may doubt
the fact but those who have been in the
: East will bear me out in the truth of the
following assertion. Tho cobra capeIla ac-
, tually danced for several minutes on its tail,
apparently charmed with the uncouth music
the jugger was playing. In the meantime
! the native boy stole round, and on GER
+, tain signal given by his master, suddenly
dropped the kedgeree-pot on the snake. A
strong waxed cloth was passed under it,
! drawn up, and tied The fatigued musician
; got up, saaned TO the company, aud carried
), his captive into the honse, where he had
e several others similarly imprisoned. In
c about half an hour the same thing was re-
s. peated with precisely similar effect Out of
d the four snakes said to lurk in the garden
" oneonly escaped his fascination; and this one
J. failure he ascribed TO the presence Of an
e evil eye amongst our followers. Even in
n in these remote parts the same superstition
'r respecting the Evil Eye exists, that tin
r ges the minds of half the students IN the
German Universities
l. The next exhibition of his powers was
le given in the hall, when certainly he per-
i" formed tricks and wonders, which | shall
is not, however, set down. Had | not seen
Is them | shonld not have believed them |
is cannot, therefore. expect that my readers
a. should do so, and will not risk my reputa-
lg ton tor veracity by relating them.
i0 Being desirous Of seeing a combat be-
tween a snake and its inveerate enemy,
- - the mungoo7e, IAN an animals similar to the
~ lcheumon Of Egypt,) requested the charm
~ er to exhibit fight of the kind He in-
sl anilss s..ss,llesss tas every one oi the these
" men carry not only snakes but tnungooze
." with thehl,) and led US out into the conf
o' polnd-he field attached to almost every
. .S' house in canlo1ments Having expressed
g our fears lest any of the party might be in
ID jured by the reptile, he proposed that the
- exhibition should take place under an enor-
IL nous pheasant coop OF worked wire, which
re was lying unused in the courtyard. This
re arrangement was acceeded to, and, a: our
ne suggestion, the snake first taken in the
morning was selected for the encounter
u The mouth Of the vessel in which he was
y; enclosed was placed under the edge Of the
nG coop, and the covering suddenly withdrawn
su In moment after the cobra capella darted
ne out. The kedgeree pot was taken away,
=, and the edges of the pheasantry let down
lie During two or three minutes the monster
poked his nose all round the enclosure,
nc evidently wishing to escape but, finding
i this impossible, he quiteIy coled himself up
Gu freeing. however, his magnificent head from
ip-c the folds, and remained in sort of listening
oil attitude.
Presently the man produced the mungooze
and let him in to his adversary. Never was
SO surprised This was the first time |
had seen one. had expected to behold a
ke- somewhat powerful opponent. Never could
It | | have faucied that so small an animal
,as- would have dared to cope with serpents of
), the largest aud deadIieu kind such, how
ere ever, was the case The little creature,
rds which now shifted round the edge of the
pts coop, was about half as large again as an
ese English rat of motled colour, with small
hat red eyes, and would have been very ugly
by animal had it not been for its tail, which
RS was long, and bushy in circumference near
we the centre, almost as large as the little body
ian to which it was attached. For time the
nee mungooze ran about without going direct
Ter. up to the snake, which, however, having
is perceived its tormentor on its first entrance
'ng had prepared to give him battle, Suddenly
ow the tiny creature, which seemed to be little
more than single mouthfu to its adversary
at saw the snake, and without hesitarion raj
SIX, at it. So apparently uneaqual a contest
in never beheld The cobra capella had reared
SER itself, aud spread out its hood, a sort @
the ieshy cape 1t initiates when irritated, an,
lar) which has given rise to its designation Tn
ver marks round his eyes resemble pair G
ing spectacles. Its marble-staned scales SCENE
and all alive, as it raised itself some three fee
be- high TO meet the attack Of the little savage
ess, whose fiery eyes seemed suddenly to gIo,
rm. like red-hot cinders as it rushed towards il
lrll- mighty enemy, and bit it. The snake da
III ted at it, squeezed it, inflicted its dreadtI
!, III wound, and then Grew itself back. Th
une mungooze was evidently disabled. Fain
ree- and almost dying, it retreated Many
us fancied the battle over, and regretted th
our untimely end Of the courageous little beas
n Alter llmping about for some minutes, an
we even lying down with exhaustion, the mur
ing gooze began to poke his nose on the gras
'oks What 1t swallowed none have been able
the trace, though large rewards have been o
xed- Tered for the discovery. What the herb
VIC which this little animal partakes of, non
the can tell, but certainly its effect are mract
rom Gus; for no sooner did the creature lmblb
The the sought for antidote, than it suddenl
hted recovered its pristine strength, and agar
rom attacked the serpent. This scene was re
lght enacted no less than seven times eac
had time the coora appearing weaker and wea
med ker, till actually tired out. The mungooz
,wly at length succeeded in catching the monsle