The weekly Butte record., 1861-01-12
Interview With Arab Snake Charmers.

Schnikad Arabs from Ainad, town lying one
hundred and three leagues to the east of March.
Six of them were playing on flutes when we
came up, but on being requested by Aou Bekrel
Brand to exhibit their serpants to us they con-
sented with alacrity.
Having made their arrangements, all seven
commenced by putting up their hands as if
holding books, while they murmured in con-
cert prayer addressed to Sidna Asser, the
patron of snake-charmers. This invocation
finished, the six musicians took their flutes and
began to play-the chief charmer spinning
with great velocity in kind of wild dance,
round the palm-leaf basket covered with goat
skin, in which the serpents were placed
Suddenly the dancer stopped, AMI plugging
his hand into the basket, drew out of it an asp,
or buska, when he whirled about, twining and
untwining it, until it looked like band of
greenish yellow silk He then wreathed the
serpent ronnd his head like turban, dancing
all the time, while the reptile remained where
be had placed it, appearing to accommodate
itself to the movements and will of the dancer.
The asp was then placed upon the ground,
from which it reared itself perpendiculary-
the position of attack taken by it when its
haunts are invaded its body from
right to teft, in time with the music of the
flutes.
Then the dancer, wheeling more and more
rapidly in diminishing circles, again plunged
his hand into the basket, and again drew from
it successfully four horned vpers, or lefaas-
These reptiles, livelier and less docile than the
asp, kept themselves half coiled, with their
heads slanted forward, ready to strike, as they
followed 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 swiftness while the 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 pregnate the garment with their venoms.
lie then seized one of them behind the head.
dancing round and round, and calling in
loud voice upon his patron saint.
Opening the powerful elastic jays of the
reptile with stick, he showed us its fangs
from which oozed whitish oily substance
Then he held his arm near the snake, which
struck him Immediately, and he redoubed,
his contortions, as if in agony of pain, calling
all the time upon Sidna Aisser, the reptile still
continuing to strike, until he withdrew his arm
and showed us the blood trckling from it.
Replacing the viper on the ground, the
charmer now applied his lips to the wound
squeezing it between his teeth, and still keep
ing up the dance, while the flutes went faster
and faster. until at length he stopped from
sheer exhaustion,
As l was confident that this man was an
arrant juggler, and that the poison had been
extracted from the reptile, | asked him to let
me handle it.
cart thou serpant-charmer 2" asked the
Beni-Schidad; hast thou faith implicit in
the power of Sidna Aisser ?"
Neither the one nor the other" replied |.
"Shonld the serpant bite thee then thy
hour has ceme," rejoined he. Bring hither
a hen, or some other living animal, and will
prove the truth of my words
Unfortunately for itself, a wretohed cat hap
pened to be at hand. 1t was brought to the
charmer, who caused the viper to strike it
after which the poor puss fell into
commissions, which lasted for few minutes
staggered about for moment and then fell.
stiff and dead, soon after which its nose and
eyes assumed blueish hue.
need scarcely add that this experiment
cured me of my desire to play with the horned
viper.
Of these facts speak from occular expert.
ence; but, although have investigated the
matter closely, l have never yet met with any
person who could PROFOUND satisfactory the
ory upon the subject. have applied to the
charmers themselves, and to the people about
them, Offering money in exchange for the Sc
cret, but invariably with the same result.
" If we die not from the bite of the sefpents,
they would say with an appearance of imper-
turable faith, ''it is owing to the protection OF
Sidna Aisser."
Superstition alone can satisfy the Arab for
this curious fact of the snake charmers. To
me, who am not given to the supernatural, it
seems that these men must possess knowledge
of certain herbs, the juice of which neutralizes
the effect Of the venom and that they held
this remedy in their mouth while sucking the
wound, thus obtaining results usually produced
by incision and cauterization
EXTENSIVE Cranberry Ranches are being
in the tule lands Of this State. 1t is
said the tule lands are adapted to them-they
are prolific and can be cultivated to advantage.
The native are superior in every respect to the
imported.
Bss~ \ person named Owen Moore once I
eft his creditors somewhat unceremoniously, I
upon which wag wrote: