, 1875-12-27

An Hour with IRtnaoo C0njurvrs and
SnAtto-Churnurk.
Another little incident OF tho "quiot day Nss
one which is do r1Tuour with all visitors to Ia.
dia--nxnoy, m honr or so with tho HulIoo con-
iureTs and suato.cl!Armers, Of whom Bombay
lsoBseHses many akiIiful and extraordinary Hl,eci
tnene. The professions Of iuRBlcr aud cllatmer
arc very often united iu tho ssms porrous or
compuny, aud no doubt tho Prince saw some
thing to as:ouish hiul, eyan Aftor the pnzzliuG
perGal ,naucen Of the Houdips uni blaskelrnea
nf Europe, Thero is certainly much thxtishigh-
" curious III These suako-eharmers OF tho East;
nor las any one yet thoroughly explained tho
method OF many Of their tricks. Tho mon
tsiuustelyee, slways OF low csstu, nossoss AT
amazing command OF the deadly Varieties Ut
raptilea watcn thoy bring IN fiat vater-basketg
10 the door OF auy ono who vii! Cny trie for
tile exhibition. Ihey lit u,a lid and out s!ftlea
tho srepastl cohsh; but ut rrck OF Ills tuil, or
u light tuiri1 with stick, tho ''Ity!n6 death "
ssaurcs time tr tho sound Of tho tnrnbi. t! rude
instrument Whica tho "eaulpWa!lali" blows
upon, being gnunl etuck over ni.h the rod sud
nleck HoeAa Of thu Ghrua pecatorlas. End tited
with s1nnbe re,~i. Tho erny, l,otrd eyes Of tho
herrcnt liz themselves otondtastr upon tbs tnan'a
En,tsd or tnrban. and tho cscstlra uods baca.
wAria OF forwards, this way or thst, With all
uhtd.nnt movement which foloHa every
Lend Of tho chA.mrr. Arulud With tho Ea:le
rudo MuE,rRl instrument, those tnen profess. lii
is woli knoaE, to bo Ahlo to draw veuomn1.s
r:akcs fruul their hnlos-but 1t n,aJ DO no1b.ad
whether the rcptllee carr for tho plaunE, OK
bear it, h.tiuo tho auditory apparatus NJ the
Cobra Il ,mnertaclly developed, An1 IN nurmah
AZ we'll ~ Egypt thoy play tho eAtno trick with
tnis snake not only without any such rus;o,
but whou tho fangs ara not e1tracttd as they
almost always nro in tho case Ut these tsmcd
reptiles. Tho 1usj jor1ty Ut cobras cesr'su about
tr.k Hr+-i1 Anf If-
but with the faug-gum cautcrized, 10 that tho
poIaon.tcoth cannot gro~ again. AZ tho as.no
t'n,o inasancss aro common enough. Like thoss
quoted by Forbes IN hts - Oriental M0noirs." to
show that many OF tho eharmesa Io not at
all afraid TO handlo neW.caught mud tlratlly
srakes. as iudcel eycsybpdy must oonteas Who
han watchaI thstu 1t work In Ill Indian Earisu.
Mr. Nicholson, In lis excellent book on lnitan
ophiotusy, has very truly pointed out that oven
the deadIlest nnakos may be taken up with I'M
pupty hY thosa who have nerve and Iucknegs
Vt touch. Uulgss frightened or hurt, tAoy are
remarkIhiy allow TO exercise then po"er.. They
seem To il4yu an Instinct which WaFna them to
eeonolntze it for rea! e1tEeG'ity for onco
must havs tm0 10 poloct bin lethhl forco-not.
lloweycr, hss Yeuoa., for hs stacts but drop Of
that 1t oaoh stroke. aIr. Nicholson ssys. II
have often enyied tho nerve OF mao here who
puts his hand into lerroW.m0nth04 baskek
containing seyo1al freah cobEas, sud poks out the
one ha wants. without tho slightest objeo-
ton on tho part OF tic snake beyond furious
Kissing" Tho great thing is. IN fact, not to
tarnfy tho terrible na9a; snd half tho mystery
Ut tho busiooss:stanas explained wLeu this odd
alniAblltY In the deadly cobrs IL understood. and
tho perfectly collected msunsr Of tho charmeta
il also observed. Tho suake, jutiicous'y han
oiod, soonls u know he will not DO hurt aud
syen whom 10 amerges. iudubitah>y fresh snd
fatal, from his toio, II IL lcsaon which AaEey
would have treasured 70 $50 how tho ehatalar
ptsaaea his hs4d quietly TO tho ground Aad takes
h!m lip calmly and sGllus!y, hissnR and az
pandsd, though hous,st1tsAnth OF ~ lnah Of thaA