The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-04-26

10 see some amusements, writes q tn elef,
the performance began by the magician
taking small pearl bon out of bis bosom,
opening il and holding It toward some
butterflies. They seemed to observe the
downy cotton With which the box was
lined. and in circling curves they moved
toward it and crouched down, with wings
still Outspread, upon the dainty couch pre-
pared for them. The juggler closed the
box at once and as he did so, we saw
seated upon the top live canary, that
carrolled forth sweet songs until its little
trroat seemed ready to split, as if striving
to compensate for the departure of our
butterfly fayorites. Suddenly the song of
joy was changed to piercing notes that
betokened horror or alarm; and we saw at
the conjurer's feet deadly cobra de ca
pello, coiled as if for spring, and with
its glittering eyes fixed on the bird, that
seemed spell-bound to the spot, either too
frightened or fascinated to move. The
man waited till the snake was in the very
act Of springing, and then, with few
words spoken in low musical tones, and
gentle droning movement Of the hand, he
seemed to throw the cobra into the same
trance-like state that the bird had eyinced,
while the latter reused up and few eagerly
into the juggler's bosom which had been
opened for its reception From this same
capacious receptacle, apparently exhaust
less in its resources, was drawn out aaoth-
er cobra; and after allowing them time to
make each others acquaintance, some-
times melting them to anger, and again
soothing to quietude by his soft words and
droninng motions, the juggler 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 a small lutte in his
hand; and when words seemed to fail, he
played few notes on the instrument
which soon reduced the reptiles to state
of dreamy quiescence. After performing
various daring feats with them, to show
the audience that the snakes had been in
no way mutilated, he threw large chick.
en- between them. Both struck at 1t, and
it died in about FIVE minutes.
| afterward saw more Of this snake.
charming in Bankgkok and in this par
ticular branch of jugglery the Siamese are
said to excel all other 0rientals. 1 have
seen them hang half dozen different
kinds of serpents-cobras, hooded sun.
snakes and vipers--about their necks at
once, placing whole coil Of them in theii
bosoms, and even taking the reptiles heads
in their mouths. Then they viii place
some ten or fifteen of as many different
species in deep basket with long, mar.
row neck, and without looking in, thrust
down their hands, draw up one or more
toy with it for while, and then throwing
it back, take up another, and SO on as long
as they can obtain paying spectators
These jugglers devote themselves exclu.
sively to the study and practice Of their
profession, and each company tries to out.
do all others in dexterity and daring
They are highly esteemed, exert large in.
huence in the community, and are accred,
tied by their credulous eompatriots with
authority over all diseases, which they
profess to summon or drive off at will, a.
well as evil spirits, ghosts and genii.
Despite the palpable absurdity of these
pretensions, the reality of the power they
claim over venomous reptiles admits Of not
the shadow of doubt, though how this
power is maintained is not 50 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 during their performances, aided
also BY monotonOus waving to and fro Of
the charmer's body--a molten that seems
to lull the snakes into dreamy, mcsmeric
trance, in which they can be kept for dav
together. In addition to this, the snakes
are very carefully tended, never suffered
to become hungry, nor yet fed to such re.
pletion as to occasion either. torpor or q
habit of hankering after the blood. The
jugglers also keep their bodies smeared
with some oily substance, the nature o,
which they viii not divulge but we ma,
infer that it is something for which IN,
snake has a natural antipathy or that exert,
a narcotic influence on its nerves. Thes.