The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-12-15
EASTERN SCENES.
HindOO COntWFerS and Snake.
Charmers-MarVe Feats.

The special correspondent OF the Lon
don Telegraph, with the Prince of Wales,
writes from Bombay, on Oct. 18th:
An incident of the "quiet day." was
one which is de rigueur with all visitors to
all visitors to India-namely an hour or
so with the Hindoo coujurers and snake
charmers, of whom Bombay possesses
many skillful and extraordinary speci-
mems. The professions of Juggler and
charmer are very often united in the
same persons or company, and no doubt
the Prince saw something to astonish
him even after the puzzling performance
of the Houdins and Maskelynes of
Europe. There is certainly much that
is highly curious in these snake-charmers
of the East; nor has anyone yet thor
oughly explained the method of many of
their tricks. The men themselves, always
of low caste, possess an amazing command
of the deadly varieties of reptiles, which
they bring in fiat wicker baskets to the
door of any one who will pay a trife for
the exhibition. They lift the lid, and
out glides the dreaded cobra but at
pluck of his tail, or light touch with
stick, 4" the living death rears his head
and neck, pufs out his hood, and dances
time to the sound of the tunabi, rude
instrument which the 'samp-wallah" blows
upon, being a gourd stuck over with the
red and black seeds of the abrlts prec0to-
riIs, and fitted with double reed. The
gray, horrid eyes of the serpent fix them
selves steadfastly upon the mau's gourd,
or turban, and the creature mods back
o,.1 81 ri IL,
an obedient movement which follows
every bend of the charmer. Armed with
the same rude musical instrument. these
men profess, as is well known, to be able
to draw venomous snakes from their holes
but it may be doubted whether the
reptiles care for the playing, or even
hear it, since the auditory apparatus of
the cobra is imperfectly developed, and
in Burmah, as we'll as Egypt, they play
the same trick with this snake, not only
without any such music, but when the
fangs are not extracted as they almost
always are in the case of these tanned
reptiles. The majority of cobras carried
about by these men will be found not
only fangless, but with the fang-gum
cauterized, so that the poison-teeth can
not grow again. At the same time in
stances are common enough, like those
quoted by Forbes, in his 6 Oriental Me-
moirs," to show that many of the charm
ers are not at all afraid to handle new
caught and deadly snakes, as indeed
everybody must confess who has watched
them at work in an Indian garden. Mr.,
Nicholson, in his excellent book on
Indian ophiology, has very truly pointed
out that even the deadliest snakes may be
taken up with impunity by those who
have nerve and quickness of touch. I'm
less frightened or hurt, they are remarka- |
bly, slow to exercise their power. They
seem to have an instinct which warns
them to economic it for real extremity.
for once spent by angry striking, the |
COBRA, it seems, must have time to collect |
his lethal force-not, however, his venom,
for he elects but drop of that at each |
stroke. Mr.. Nicholson says. 81 have |
often envied the nerve of a man here
who puts his hand into narrow-mouthed |
basket containing several fresh cobras
and picks out the one he wants, without
the slightest objection On the part Of the |
snake, beyond furious Kissing" The |
great thing IS, in fact, not to terrify the
terrible maya; and half the mystery of |
The business stands explained when this
odd amiabiiity in the deadly cobra is
understood. and the perfectly collected
manner of the charmer is also observed.
The snake, judiciousiy handled, seems to
Know he viii not be hurt; and even
When he emerges, Individually fresh and
atal, from his hole, it is lesson which
Rarey would have treasured, to see how
he charmer presses his head quietly to
be ground, and takes him upe calmly
nd smilinglya kissing and expanded.
hough one-sixteenth Of an inch of that
nrved needle-tooth driven in earnest, is
leath beyond hope. In illustration of
bis curious good temper in poisonous
makes, we may mention that the Hin
Ioos have little or no fear of them. 1t
] considered rather lucky to have q
obraaln the etappssT of the hut, and the :
hildren put ont milk and. eggs every
aght Ter their uncle who keeps down
ne rats, and viii live a whole season !
bout the place without doing any kind
harm. Religion and legend eombnneI !
protect these reptiles In Indie, and.
esides all the mythology which clusters |
ound the great serpent Of Yishnu and
$ antique worship Hindoes believe that
obras guard all kind of underground
'easures. They account for SHOOTING
ars by saving that when the serpent
nds buried gold he curls round it and
changes it into a gem, which
} finally bears away to tbs. Nagas. the {
range serpent race living iii the North.
he track &c BE shooting star is The nffllI-
nee of the TRANSPORTED Jewel The I
neilaa an the robsa's head ere, By.
ra - 1870 go
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