Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-20
JuGGLERs IN INDIA.
BYa cARLrroN."

Ju6dLEHS In INDIA
ny" cARLRroN."
ONR morning when I was In India I
heard the beating Of . drum and the
squeaking off fiageolet under my window
II was not inspiring music. The drum.
mer did not play with such spirit a. some
of the boys played who went into the
army, and the flageolet had an unpleas.
ant squeak To 1t. I was too weary with
travelling and too tired of sight seeing to
look out and see what was going on. Be-
sides it was Q very hot day and the mer-
curry in the thermometer was up to one
hundred and ten In the shade. / had my
coat, vest, stockings and shoes off, and
was lying on couch with punka going
backward and forward q few inches
above my face. Do you ask what q
punka iss 1t il . great fan. India Is q
very warm country in summer, and the
Europeans and few Americans who live
there are obliged to resort to many ex-
pedients TO keep cool. The HindOos be-
Ing natives of the country, can bear the
heat; but foreigners from cooler climes
wilt like Q cabbage plant after being
transplanted on hot June morning. One
of their contrivances Tor keeping cool Is
the punka, or fan. II is heavy frame
covered with cotton cloth aud suspended
by ropes from the ceiling, so that 1t can
be sH ung just over your bed when you
are asleep, or above the table when you
are at dinner, or little above your head
when you are writing or reading. All
Europeans living in India have punkas
in their bouses--in bedrooms, parloYs,
dining rooms, and In their stores When
you go to church on Sunday you will see
one swinging backwa and forward over
the minister's head while he Is preaching ;
another over the singers, and q dozen over
the heads Of the people They are kept
in motion by Hindoo boys who stand or sit
outside of the house, and who keep pulling
q cord that goes through hole in the wall,
and Ia attached to frame Of the punka.
There are two pullers to each punka
who take turns through tho day and night
Another contrivance is tanning mill,
placed outside of the house under the
piazza, with . long spout entering win
dow. Two men take turns at the
crank, blowing wind into the build
ing. II they did not raise the wind
In some way it would be almost
impossible for foreigner to live there
during the hot months Of the year. The
punka was going over my head and the
puller was keeping time with the drum
mer, when my Hindoo landlord, with o
great white turban ON his head nearly a.
large az bushel basket, looked into my
room and said, "DOn't you want TO see
the jugglersi" Certainly" had heard
great deal about them and wanted 70
zee them very much, and wentout and sat
upon the veranda while the jugglers went
through their performances. There were
three or four persons In the party who oil
made q low bow and then sat down ON
the ground. They were suake charmers
% well as jugglers. They sat In . row,
one beating the drum, another playing
the Hageolet, while third had an ana
conda wound around one arm, and around
his neck. The anaconda was about twelve
feet long, and its wide, fAt head was
raised two or three feet above that Of the
Hindoo. II opened Its mouth, ran ont ita
tongue, and flashed its eyes and twisted
| Its head about In such snsky way that
aid not like the look of him st ALL A
| fourth had . large, greenish snake wound
round his arm. One OF the chArmers
made low, clucking SOUND, and the Shiny
creature unwound himself, czswled down
| TO the ground and started for the veranda
10 make our acquaintance. When he was
almost up TO our feet, the charmer made
different cluck, and the snake, sfter Civ.
ing hiss and running out it, red. forked
tongue, and flashing its fiery eyes, went
back and cOiled himself once more around
the fellows arm. There were two large
earthen Jars upon the ground, and now,
a. the chaymer made another cluck, two
cobrAs raised their heads above ono Of the
vessels. The bite Of the cobra v very
deadly. The poison strikes instantly
through the system, psHalyzes 1t, and
brings on death very quickly.
The charmer made whispering noise
and they CAME creeping over the sides Of
the far and wound themselves In coils
upon the ground Just a. sailor coils ,
rope upon the deck Of the ship. There
they were with their heads nearly foot
above the centre Of the coil, waving them
backward and forward with their mouths
wide open, and the two sharp fangs In
their upper Jaw exposed, their eyes flash.
ing and their tongues in motion. - Cobra
de Capella u Portuguese word, meaning
hooded snake, ana II Is sometimes called
the hooded snake, |" because Il has . sort
of hood upon its bead. q The charmer
struck at them with his fingers, and they
struck back again. When they are en-.
ragged they show their anger BY putting
up their hoods, BY kissing, flashing their
eyes and striking ct everything near
them. As the charmer continued 70
plague them they became very wrsshful.
|. How their eyes flashed How their
tongues went! And what hissing they
made! They seemed angry enough to
strike their tosmsntor dead. They are
vesy slow motioned, End - there Wa no
danger that they would got at us, We ~
and watched them with composu1e; boz
sides W knew that the charnsf had them
under perfect control; for when they
we're q angry e they could be, he give .
low whistle which Gained them ma mo-
mcut snd sent them back into the jsr.
Then the charmey put his hald into m.
other vessel and took out . dozen or more
great scorpions. Their sling causes ex.
| cruaiatang ,pAin-fax worse than that Of
horuetA These were - large - some Of
ths csah that i've along our Ocean shcres.