Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-01-15
STORY OF A SNAKE CHARMER.

DU CHAuLU, in his last book about
Africa, says;
One day witnessed fearful scene. A
man, u native of GOree, an island on the
coast of Senegambia, who had the rsputa-
tion of being u snake chaTmer, 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 any of them, and get hold of
them.
had often seen him with snakes in his
hpuds. He was careful, of course, to hold
them just by the neck below the head, in
such u manner that the neck could not turn
ON itself and bite him.
That day he brought intoa 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 luathsome creature when | arrived.
! 1t was q huge one.
| Most of the people Of the village had
! fled, aud those natives who, like myself,
were looking on, kept long way of. Not
| Mpongwc man, not a 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 of in the oppo-
site direction with the utmost speed, my
self, am afraid, leading of in thu general
| stampede, though had provided myself
with gun.
1t was perfectly fearful, perfectly horrid
| and appalling, 10 see that man making a
plaything of this monster, laughing, as we
may say, at death, for il could be nothing
else, thought
At tirst:when | saw him he had the
snake around his body but he held it
firmly just below the neck, and | could
SEQ by the muscles of his arm that he had
to use great strength. As long ss 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
python does with larger animals, and as
small snakes do with smaller game but
with this naia the danger would have
been the yeuOmous bite,
Then with the other hand he took the
tail of the snake, and gave II a 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
4 on the ground. Then the creature began
10 crawl away, when suddenly the Goree
man came in front Of II with a light stick
and instantly the monster erected itself
almost to half its full length, gave tre-
mendouS whistle, which we all heard,
| looked glaringly and tiercely in the mans
face with its sharp, pointed tongue out,
and then stood still as Ii il could not move.
The Goree man, with his little stick In his
| lel hand, touched II lightly, as though to
tease IT, 1t was fearful sight-Snd If he
had been near enough, the snake would,
no doubt, have sprung upon his antago-
mist The man, as he teased and infuri,
sted the snake with the rod he held in his
ltN 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 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 inturiated that as soon as he was thrown
upon the ground he erected himself and
the glare Of his eyes was something ter
rlble. l. was indeed an appalling scene
the air around, seemed To-. be hlled with
the whistling sound Of the creature.
Alas more terrible scene soon took
place The man became holder and
boldcr, more and more careless, and the
snakcp probably more and more accustomed
to the mode ot warfare OF his antagonist
and just rs the monster stood erect the
man attempted @ seize its neck AS he had
done many and many time before, but
grasped the body ,co low, and before hC