Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-11-26
NMEMPHIs, TENN: TUESDAY EVENING NOVEMBER 26 1872

very act OF springing, ana then, win
few words spoken in low musical tones,
and gentle droning movement OF his
hand, he seemed TO throw the cobra into
the same trance-like state that the bird
had evinced, while the latter reused up
and flew eagerly into the juggler's bosom
which had been opened Tor its reception.
From this same capacious receptacle
apparently exhaustless in its resources,
was drawn out another cobra, and after
allowing them time to make each other 8
acquaintance, sometimes melting them
to anger, and again soothing to quietude
by his soft words and droning motions,
the iuggler wrapped them both about his
neck and arms, and stood with exultant
pride, allowing them to touch his nose,
the tip Of his tongue, and in one instance
even the pupil Of his eye, with their
vibrating tongues. But all this while he
held q small lutte in his hand, and when
words seemed to fail he played few
notes on the instrument, which soon
reduced the reptiles to a state Of dreamy
quiescence. After performing various
daring feats with them, to show the au-
dience that the snakes had been in no
way multilated, he threw large chicken
between them. Both struck at it, and
it died in about FIVE minutes. .fr
| afterward saw more of this snake
charming in Bangkok, and in this par
ticular branch of jugglery the Siamese
are said to excel all other 0rientals |
have seen them hang half dozen diff
ferent kinds serpents-cobras, hooded
sunsnakes and vipers-about their necks
at once, placing whole coil of them in
their bosom, aud even taking the reptiles
heads in their mouths. Then they will
place some ten or fifteen of as many
different species in a deep basket with a
long, narrow neck, and without looking
in, thrust down their hands, draw up one
or. more, toy with it for while, and
then, throwing it back, takeup another,
and so on as long as they can obtain
paying spectators. These jugglers de-
vote themselves exclusively 10 the study
and practice of their profession, and
each company tries to outdo all others
in dexterity and daring. They are high
ly esteemed, exert large influence in the
community, and are accredited by their
credulous compatriots with authority
over all diseases, which they profess to
summon or drive off at will, as well as
evil spirits. ghosts and genii Despite
the palpable absurdity of these preten'
sons, the reality Of the power they claim
over yenomous reptiles admits Of not the
shadow of a doubt, though how this
power is maintained is not SO
easily shown 1t is doubtless, to
some extent, the effect OF music, which
is always employed by the jugglers to
throw the reptiles into sort Of spell dE-
ring their performances, aided also by
monotonous waving to and fro Of the
oharmer's body-a motion that seems to
lnll the snakes into dreamy, mesmeric
trance, in which they can be kept for
days together. In addition to this, the
snakes are. very carefully tended, never
suffered 10 become hungry, nor yet fed
to snch repietion as TO occasion either
torpor or habit of hankering after
blood, The jugglers also keep their own
bodies smeared with some oily substance,
the nature of which they will not d.
vulge, but we may infer that it is some
thing for which the snake has a natural
antipathy or that exerts a narcotic in
auence on its nerves. These. combined
influences seem quite sufficient to pro-
duce the marvellous power exercised by
Oriental snake charmers. 1t is abso-
lutely certain that the poisonous fangs
are not extracted, as some assert, but
the reptiles are brought wholly humili-
ated into the arena. have myself seen
them perform with snakes they had
never before touched, and which have
been returned to me perfect as / handed
them over Some of these are now bot
tied in my cabinet. ra