The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-01-14
STORY OF A SNAKE CHARMER.

DU GHA1LLU, IN MS last DOCK ABOUT
Africa, says
One day witnessed fearful scene. A
man, native of Gorse, an island on the
coast of Senegambia, Who had the reputa-
ton Of being a snake charmer, and was
then at the Gaboon, had succeeded in cap
turing one of these large naja. He was a
bold man, and prided himself on never
being afraid Of any snake, however venom
GUS the reptile might be- nay, not only was
he not afraid Of any of them, but he would
fight with anyso them, and get hold of
them
had often seen him with snakes in his
hands. He was careful, of course, to hold
them just by the neck below the head, in
such a manner that the. neck could q OF turn
on itself and bite him.
That day he brought into large open
place, perfectly bare Of grass, one of these
wild naja that he had just captured, and
was amusing himself by teasing the horrid
and loathsome creature when | arrived
1t was huge one.
Most of the people of the village had
fled, and those natives who, like myself
were looking on, kept a long way off. Not
Mpongwe man, not single inhabitant
of the whole region have explored, would
have ever dared to do what the Goree man
did.
Two,or three times, as the snake crawled
on the ground, we made off in the oppo-
site direction with the utmost speed, my
self, [ am afraid, leading off in the general
stampede, though l had provided myself
| with gun.
1t was perfectly fearful, perfectly horrid
and appalling, to see that man making a
plaything of this monster, laughing, as we
may say, at death, for it could be nothing
else, thought
At first. when l saw him he had the
snake around his body, but he held it
firmly just below the neck, and could
see by the muscles of his arm that he had
to use great strength. AS long as this
part of The body is held firmly the snake
loses much of its great power of crushing
one to death, as the boa constructor or
small snakes do with smaller game; but
with this naja the danger would have
been the venomous bite.
Then with the other hand he took the
tail of the snake, and gave it swing and
gradually unfolded the reptile from his
black body, which was warm and shining
with excitement, but always holding the
head On sudden he threw the snake
on the ground. Then the creature began
to crawl away, when suddenly the Goree
man came in front of it with light stick
and instantly the monster erected itself
almost to half its full length, gave ire
mendous whistle, which we all heard,
looked glaringly and fiercely in the mans
face with its sharp, pointed tongue out,
aud then stood still as if it could not move
The Goree man, with his little stick in his
left hand, touched it lightly, as though to
tease it. 1t was fearful sight-and if he
had been near enough, the snake would,
no doubt have sprung upon his antago-
mist. The man, as he teased and infuri-
ated the snake with the rod he held in his
LEFT hand, drew the attention of the rep
tile toward the stick; then suddenly, and
in the wink of an eye, almost as quick as
lightning, with his right hand he got hold
of the creature just under his head.
The same thing that l have just de-
scribed again took place. The snake
folded itself round his body; then he un-
folded the snake, which was once more
let loose, and, now this horrid serpent got
SO Infatuated that as soon as he was thrown
upon the ground he erected himself, and
the glare of his eyes was something ter
rib1e. 1t was indeed an appalling scene;
the air around. seemed to BE filed with
the whistling sound of the creature.
Alas more terrible scene soon took
place! The man became holder and
bolder, more and more careless, and the
snake probably more and more accustomed
to the mode OF warfare Of his antagonist,
and Just as the monster stood erect the
man attempted to seize it's neck as he had
done many and many a time before, but
grasped the body too low, and before he