Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-10-26
From Du COurets ''Lits an The Desert. :"
Arab Serpent Charmers.


These performers consisted of seven Benz
Schiddad Arabs from Ainad a town lying one
huEdred and three leagues to the east of Ma
reb. Six of them were playing upon flutes
when VIC came up, but, on being requested by
ADD Bekrel Doani to exhibit their serpents to
US. they consented with alaerity.
Having made their arrangements, all seven
commenced by putting up their hands as it
holding books, while they murmured in concert
a prayer addressed to SidDer Asser, The patron
of snake charmers. This Invocation flushed,
the six musicians took their flutes and began to
play, the chief charmer spinning with great
velocity, in a kind of wild dance, round the
palm leaf basket covered with goat skin, in
which the reptiles were kept.
Suddenly the dancer stopped, aud plunging
bis hand into the basket, drew out OF it an asp,
or baska, which be whirled about, twining and
untwining it until it looked like a braid of
greeDish yellow silk. He Their wreathed the
serpent round his head, like turban. dancing
all the time, while the reptile remained where
be bad placed 1t, appearing 70 accommodate
Itself to the movepents and will Of the dauGer
The asp was then placed upoa the ground,
from which i! reared itself perpendiculary-
the position of attack taken by il when It's
haunts are invaded-waving its body from
right to leE, in time WITH the music Of The
flutes.
Then the dancer, wheeling more aud mors
rapidly, in diminishing circles, again plunged
his hand into the basket, and drew from it sue
cessively four horned vipers or leefas. These
reptiles, livelier and less doeile than the esp,
kept themselves half coiled, with their beads
slanting forward, ready to strike, as they fol-
lowed, with cleaning eyes, the motions of the
charmer, Oh whom they darted with open jaws,
when he came within reach, launching their
bodies with wonderful swiftuess, while their
tails appeared as If fixed to the ground, and
then again winding themselves into coils.
The dancer parried with his abbaye these
assaults upon his bare legs, the vipers appear
ing to impregnata the garment with their ven-
ON. He then seized Que of them behind the
head, dancing round and round, and calling in
loud voice upon his patron saint.
Opening the powerful elastic jaws of the
reptile with stick, he showed US It's fangs,
from which oozed whitish, oily sutstance.-
Then be held his arm near the snake, which
struck him Immediately, upon which he re-
doubled his coDtortions, as if in an agony of
pain, calling all the time upon Sidno Aisser,
the reptile still continuing to strike, until he
withdrew his arm, and showed us the blood
trickling from it.
Replacing the viper on the ground, the
charmer now applied his lips to the wound,
squeezing it between his teeth, aud still keep
ing up his dance, while the flutes went faster
aid faster, until at length he stopped from
sheer exhaustion.
As was confident that this man was aE ar
rant juggler, aud that the poison had been cx-
tracted from the reptile, asked him TO let Tue
handle il.
''Art thou serpeut charmor?" asked the
Benz Schlddad-''hast thou faith implicit 10
the power of Sidna Assert"
''Neither one or the other," replied I.
'Should the serpent strike thee, then thy
hour is come" rcjoined be. "Bring hither
hen, or some other living animal, andsl will
prove the truth of my words.''
Unfortunately for itself, wretched cat hap
pened to be at hand. Ii was brought to the
charmer, VINO caused the viper to strike il, i'm
medlately after which poor puss fell iuto con
vulsons, which lasted for few seconds, stag
gered abuut for moment aud then tell, stiff
aud dead, soon after which its nose and eyes
assumed q btueish tint
| need scarcely aid that this experiment
cured me of auy frantic desire to play with the
horned viper.