Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-10-23


A way curious case was lately refoile"
in an American newspaper OF u snahe-
charming operation in the East ihuies'
which came under my own observation'
a in which case A man charmed the snakes,
the number of snakes affected upon Which
occasion. asweIl as the death-dealing pow
era of the reptiles. make the case q nVaoie
/. Jone, SET +: e. e
j n Some time after servant OF NINE had
Z a;etl of the bite of cobra, being in the
Z neiohborhood of Attock, On the banks Oh
The Indus. when visiting some Hindoo
temples in the vicinity met a worshipper
named Mean Raj. who applied frequent
" 10 the officiating Fakir, or priest,
tor dcliyerance from II plague OF cobra
snakes which infested pot OF ground
belonging to him t., such degree that his
servants were unwilling to labor upon IT,
especially as most of them went barefoot
The church falling to help him, his dostS.
or friends, recommend him to apply to
the charmers. This he did by seeking the
services Of one Mungu Deem, who avowed
his readiness to coax the snakes out OF
their holes to their death as eifectually as
st. Patrick is said TO have done in Ireland.
| NAV here mention that snake charmers
are magicians in the East, and separate
caste or class by themselves. The word
..caste" throughout India denotes the par
ticular calling to which an individual be-
LONGS, Eastern charmcrs or mFgicians
are found frequently to be Of the Brahmini-
cad or priest caste, which Is the highest
order, in consequence of its connection
with the Hindoo religion and its mysteries.
The order of Brahmins wear sting over
the shoulder, to distinguish them. Th,
string, which is Of peculiar construction
and difficult of imitation. is conferred and
placed ON the body In infancy, with much
religious ceremony attending the opera
ton. Such snake charmers as belong to
this caste wear the sacred string. Eastern
charmers are nomandic in their habits,
wandering over India in every direction.
Like the priests. they lead lives OF celiba-
cy, or nj least pretend 10 do so. The In
dian maglcians appear to be a thriving
class of men. content ii they can only
show their fellow mortals their mystical
power and gain living. Ga the occas-
Of which / write, q sort of grard stand,
composed of wooden steps, arranged one
above the other. had been erected. from
which to view the operation of charming
the snakes.
~ Mnngui Deen, the charmer. fat, mid
dle-aged man, with intellectual counte
nance and sparkling eye. He wore a
mustache, bat no beard, which seem to be
particularly affected by the Mahometans
Mungul had the light, copper-colored
complexion which obtains among the ma
ytiycs of the Upper Punjuab, in strong con-
trsst to the coal-black hue of the natives
of Lower Bengal. His dress was freely
decorated with all sorts Of signs, inciud.
ing snakes of every form and size. was Of
white linen, and scrupulously well adjust
ed, from the becoming turban downwards.
Everything being pronounced ready
by Mungul, he first lighted a small fire,
into which he threw something which
flashed up with blue blaze, and
then the fire was allowed quickly TO
die ont. He then went fearlessly on over
the snake infested ground, distributing rs
he walked some sort ofpowder. the nature
of which was known only to himself; af'
ter which he seated himselfon terra. f,ma,
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 a bag-pipe.
The spectators, who were natives, except
myself and two gentlemen named Harri-
son and Ball, who were travelling in In
dia for their pleasure, showed their APP
probation of the music by occasional bowls
OF delight. Mungul consecrated his in
struments, throwing mp his arms, and then
began his music with wild discordant
air.a Not snake had been seen as yet,
Int as soon as what may call the concert
had fairly opened. snakes swarmed from
all q Y.
banded. After while large concourse
Of snakes. some hundreds in number,
could be seen twisting and turning on their
tails to where Mungul Deem sat tum-tum-
ming and piping as unconcerped 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 contin-
ually as If salaaming TO the snakes. At
last, when a very large company OF cobras
was gathered round the magician, and
many an anxious fear was expressed by
the lockers on lest he should be stung 10
death. it was apparent that he very per-
ceptibly changed the strain of his rule
music from the wild discordant sound
which had marked it to rather plainiivc
air. which thought his instruments inca
p7tuiC VI ptoouSiS J"u=''- 'i''A- Wv PiN
vious performance.
Every one now noticed that the snakes
were. in military phraseology. changing
front to the rear upon the centre by turn
ing 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 Mungul
Deem had previously scattered and,
rs it seemed, on tasting it they inn
mediately gave up the ghost in whatever
part of the field they CHANGED to be.
The snake-eharmer continued his piping
Tor some time. after which he performed
"a dance that would have done honor to
the Deryishes. This dance lasted about
fifteen minutes. during which Mungul
kept at first slowly moving his body in
circle, until the movement and excite
ment of the dancer seemed to grow in
tense. His arms were raised and lowered
his head swayed to and fro as if it would
come OFT, and at last he fell to the ground,
apparently in a state Of complete exhaus-
ton. This was not so, however, for up
ON an attendant administering some po-