The hydraulic press., 1860-12-29

Arab Serpent Ghar1nerss

Schlddad Arabs from Aiand, a town living
one hundred and three leagues to the east of
March. Six of them were playing upon
flutes as we came up; but upon being re-
quested by Abu- Bekrel- Doani to exhibit their
serpents to US, they consented with alacrity.
Having made their arrangements, all sew
en- commenced by putting up their hands as
| If holding books, while they murmured in
concert prayer addressed to Sidna Asser,
the patron of snake charmers. This inyo-
cation finished the six musicians took their
flutes and began to play-the chief charm
er spinning with great velocity, in kind of
wild dance round the palm-leaf basket COW
cred with goat skin, in which the reptiles
were kept.
Suddenly, the dancer stopped and, plung-
ing his hand into the basket drew out of it
an asp, or busk, which he whirled about.
twining and untwinng it until it looked like
a braid of greenish- yellow silk He then
wreathed the serpent round his head, like
turban, dancing all the time, while the rep
tile remained where he had placed it, ap-
pearing TO accommodate itself to the move
ments and will Of the dancer.
The asp was then placed upon the ground,
from which it reared itself perpendicularly
the position Of attack taken by it when its
haunts are inyaded-waving its body from
right to left, in time with the music of the
flute.
Then the dancer, wheeling more and more
rapidly, in diminishing circles, again pung-
ed his hand into the basket, and again drew
from it successively, four horned vipers, or
leflas. These reptiles, livlier and less docle
than the asp, kept themselves half coled
up, with their heads slanting forward, ready
to strike, as they followed with cleaning
eyes, the motions of the charmer, on whom
they darted with open jaws, when he came
within reach, launching their bodies with
wonderful swiftness, while their tails ap-
peared 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 yipers ap-
peariDg to impregnate the garment with
their venom. He then seized one of them
behind the head, dancing round and round
and calling IN a loud voice upon his patron
saint.
Opening the powerful elastic jaws of the
reptile with a stick be showed US its fangs
from which oozed whtish oily substance
Then he held his arm near the snake which
struck him immediately, on which he redou-
bled his contortion5, as if in agony of pain,
calling al the time upon Sidna Aisser, the
reptile still continuing to strike, until he
withdrew his arm and showed us the blood
tricklng from it.
Replacing the viper on the ground, the
eharmer now applied his lips to the wound,
squeezing it between his teeth, and still
keeping up his dance, while the flute went
faster and faster, until he stopped from sheer
exhaustion.
As | was confident that this man was an
arrant juggler, and that the poison had been
extracted from the reptile, | asked him let
me handle it.
cart thou serpent charmer?" asked the
-Schiddad-'shast thou faith implicit
in the power of Sidna Aisser?'
''Neither the one or the other" replied I.
"Should the serpent strike thee, then thy
hour is come, rejoined be. "Bring hither
hen, or some other living animal, and
will prove the truth of my words.
Unfortunately for itself, a wretched cat
happened to be at hand. 1t was brought to
the charmer, who caused the viper to strike
it; Immediately after which poor pusS fell
into conyulsions, which lasted for a few Sec
onds, staggered about for moment, and
then fell, stiff and dead, soon after which its
nose and eyes assumed a blueish tint.
| need scarcely add that this experiment
cured me Of my frantic desire to play with
the horned viper.
OF these facts l speak from ocular expe-
rience but, although | have investigated
the matter closely, have never yet met with
any person who could propo0nd satisfac-
tory theory upon the subject l have ap-
piled to the charmers themselves, and to the
people about them, offering money in ex-
change for their secret, but invariably with
the same result.
"If we die not from the bite of serpents,
it is owing to the protection Of Sidna Ais
ser"
Superstition can satisfy the Arab for this
curious fact of the snake charmers. Tome,
who am not given to the supernatural, it
seems that these men must possess knowl-
edge Of certain herbs, the juice Of which
neutraizes the effects Of the venom; and
that they hold this remedy in their mouths
while sucking the wound, thus obtainingre
suits u ually produced By exeision and eau
terizaton. This suggestion give for what
it is w9rih.-L,fe IN The Desert.
IT