The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-24

and would let ME know, waited a
week in Rome but no notice came: I
tell YOU the Pope. don't dare discuss it,,
| hen he didn't see you g.
,ti'"No. sir. But I wrote him letter
from Naples IL t. II, itti,lya@t 81 T4,s
| ,. perhaps he won't answer it, 49,.
swell, fine dosn't, that is confes.
sion that he cant. lie leaves me the field.
| That will satisfy me.'' ...<,.,.. ri ..,,,.i
said thought he would be satisfied.
| SNAKE ,CHARAIING IN INDIA. =.
Mungul Deem, the charmer, was fat,
| middle aged man, with intellectual coun-
tenance and sparkling eye. He wore
mou>tache but no beard, which seemed to
be peculiarly affected by The Mahometans.
Mungul had the light, copper colored
complexion which obtains among the ma
tives Of the Upper Punjaub, in strong con-
trast to the coal black hue of the natives
Of Lower Bengal. His dress was freely
decorated with all sorts of signs, includ-
ing snakes Of every form and size, was of
white linen and scrupulously we'll adjust
ed, from the becoming turban downwards.
Everything being pronounced ready by
Mungul, he first lighted small fire, into
which he threw something which flashed
up with a blue blaze, and then the fire
was allowed quickly to die out. He
then went fearlessly all over the snake
infested ground, distributing as he walked
some sort of powder, the nature of
which was known only to himself;
after which he seated himself
on terra trina, singing the inevitable
''tum-tum' around his neck, and holding
an instrument in his hand which emitted
a sound when played upon very much
like that of bag-pipe. The spectators,
who we're natives, except myself and two
gentlemen named Harrison and Ball, who
were travelling in India for their pleasure,
showed their appreciation Of the music
by occasional howls of delight. Mungul
consecrated his instruments, throwing up
his arms, and then began his music with
a wild discordant air. Not snake had
been seen as yet, but as soon as what I
may call the concert had fairly opened,
snakes swarmcd from all sides with heads
erect and hoods expanded. After while
a large concourse Of of snakes, some hun.
dreds in number, could be seen twisting
and turning on their tails to where Mum
gull Deem sat tum.tumming and piping as
unconcerned as if he were receiving visits
from the doves of Paradise instead of
the deadly enemies of mankind.
The only change noticeable in him was
that he moved his head continually as if
salaaming to the snakes. At last, when
a very large company of cobras was gath.
cred round the magician, and many an
anxious fear was expressed by the look.
crs-on lest he should be stung to death,
it was apparent that he very perceptibly
changed the strain of his rude music
from the wild discordant sound which had
marked it to a rather plaintive air, which
[ thought his instruments incapable of
producing, judging from the previous
performance.
Every one now noticed that the snakes
were, in military 2hraseology, ''changing
front to the rear upon the center,'' by
turning round upon their tails. with
heads down, and on their bellies, winding
back as if intent on reaching their
holes as fast as they had come from
them. In so doing their mouths came,
or seemed to come, in contact with the
powder which Muugul Deem had previ-
ously scattered, and, as it seemed, on
tasting it, they Immediately gave up the
ghost in whatever part of the field they
CHANGED to be.
The snake.charmer continued his pip
ing for some time, after which he per-
formed dance that would have done
honor to the Dervishes. This dance
lasted about fifteen minutes, during which
Mongul kept at first slowly moving bis
body in circle, until the movement and
excitement of the dancer seemed to grow
intense. His arms were raised and low
cred; his head swayed to and fro as if it
would come of, and at last he fell to the
ground, apparently in state of complete
exhaustion. This was not so, however,
for upon an attendant administering some
potion from cup, he stood up and de.
clared the battle won and himself I'm.
scathed.
The spectators then descended from
their rostrum, and can testify as one of
the party that on inspection that ground
was found to be well covered with the
carcasses of dead cobras, the most deadly
of the genus hydra. I learned some time
efterward that the owner Of the land,
Mean Raj, was no more troubled with his
former plague; in fact, was so we'll con.
tent that he had rewarded Mungul Deem
literally, while his servants no more re-
fused to till the ground where the Indian
snake.charmer had charmed so wisely and
so we'll.
! DIRECTIONS FOR CALCLAfINING.
Buy the best bleached glue if the walls
are to be white or some light tint (if dark
it is immaterial so the glue is clean), and