The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-02
SNAKE CIIARMERS OF INDIA
now THE JUGGLERs HANDLH THE
DbdDLIEST or REPTILES.


than the snake Charmers Wonderful
Fcuts thnt Bcwiidcr the senses.
or e'pondelceofMe Loiubn Tcgraph
Another httle incident OF the quiet
day" was one IN which Il ne rigi,cur with an VIA
itors to India, namely: an hour or ~ with tho
llind"o COM rcrs nd snake ch rmcrs. Of whom
Bumpay uOsses .cs many skiltul aud cNtriOrdi-
nary suecinens. There h cert iuly nuch that
l. higuiV curious In these snake charmers Of
panrd the method ~ many OF their tricks.
The men themselves, slwavs of low cast, pos
sess an amazing command Of the deadly varte-
tics of reptil s. which they bring In II Vt wicker
baskets ~ the door OF any one who WI pay .
trie for the exhibition. they lift the lid and
out giides the dreaded cobra; tut at pluck Of
his tail, OF HIGHT touch wi stick. the living
death" 10 re- hi head and neck, puts out bis
hood, aud dances time to the sound of the
tUu.bi, rude instrument which the "samp-
wallah" blows upon, being euurd stuck over
with the rcd and black seeds ~ the nrts pred
tOrius, ana fitted with aJouue reed. Ine gray.
hoirid c,es Of the serpent Il * themselves stead
fistly uuun the nirn's Courd or tn b IN, and the
creature nod backward or forward, this way or
that. with an obcdicnt movement which follows
every boud Of tho chafner.
the majority Of Cubr.s c"rricd about by these
men win toe found not only fanrlnss, hut with
the fang-gum cautofized, 30 that the poison
tee Il mot grow q in. At the same time,
iustducesar common enough, like those quot cd
10y Forbes IN his oriental Memoirs, to show that
many Of the charncrs are not ~ all afraid 10
handle new caught ana deadly snakes, rs indeed
ever BODY must confess WHO have watched them
at work in an inIiau garden.
Mr. nicholson. III hts excellent book on Indian
Ophtolply. has very truly ppntcd out that even
the utlNli 20 SNAKE ~ ~ toe tax IN IN VIII Inn
ruutv by tmnse Who have nerve ana duickness
Of touch. Unless frightened or hutt, they are
remarkably slow to ex, rcise their power. They
seem to have an in-tiuct which warns them TO
ecOnOmizc IL for a real extremity; To- once
spent hy angry striking. the coufa. 1t seems.
must have time to collect his lcthal toroe--nOt,
. lweVe., his venom, for ho elects but a drop Of
TINT at each stroke.
Il l. considered rather lucky to have cobra
In the thUIiUr oi tue hut. I'D tine children Tut
out nIlN aiil e-g- over, ught Tor their uncle"
who keeps down the rats, aud Will live "A whole
a.
OF harm. Religion Huu g"nd combine TO pfO-
te,t these reptiles In India; and, besides all tho
mvthNl uly winch clusters round tne great SER
p"nt ~ t-uuu Hnd ~ antique w.r' mn. NM
docs believe that cuulas guard all kinds OF nn-
H'ItI"nhn treasures; NV A'.nunt l"I sn nl,-
! iur--t r. uy saying nat when the serpent unds
buried gold he tutls round IL and gfaduaiiv
oh ngcs u INTO Gem, which he finally bears
awey q the Na-a-. the strange serpent race
| LIVING in the Noih. # a curtous uoiut. how
ever That one of the signs OF the dccayins iriu-
eNce Ol the Hludop rtlgi nis seen m the l's4et-
NJ ven ration shown flr snakes. Fur q sueht
reward the atricultur. teuple now KILL them
with mucn readiness and industry.
Tie cuujurcts If luDia are Net more remark
! able IN ~ the snake charucrs and nothing done
/ by professional INIT tors here can rival tho
and laughing vignbonds. WITH absolutely 10
| pfrai heruat', aud only the doorstep or tie
| gravel uatn for a VI utorm, they acc i've every
seuse ana C II outw,t the most pfacuc q "D-
server vino hls not bought the secret a. ia ir
| art. rhe best Illusions ~ our "ure-lidigita-
| tours" are borrowed from them; the famous
| basket tuck, tuc tisn oI ducks produced IN water
/ from nowhere. the cttld or Mlu AuSiendcd IN
! air the teuIiils which creep long the ground
/ at sign. amt he chatties whicn roll hithcr pr
! thitler ubtoucnri. or Wiihout fire emit sWuk",
/ or are sudden, fan # water aud a. suddenly
/ emuty--til tne-e tours d' fprcc will be shown
/ vi nnlt rag OF garment TO ia tue deception,
] or any tuptr tu= but few old ua-kVt1 and red
/ aud WHIte Clofns. No doubt the L ince saw
! yes crdIV tie always astonishing cuup Of tho
/ mango tree. winch H. mlde to grow Out ot no.
thing, to uuu, t. put turta lie ,ves, aud To mo-
DUE fruit before the amazed eyes Of the spec
] taturs.
Among similar strange exhibi' ious there ex-
ISIS, We believe. the solcmtn 'vernm NJ rec ri
/ Of the feat shown 10y a iakir 4 .ngra, In the
PAM 10, who, IN the presenr, Of Ruuj-c Singh
cuutt and the brush Resident allowed himself
to he buried alive. naNii., "a was said. he irn ID
| some secret way ~ su-prhdtng separation. Ac-
| cordiug To- tine account, thus mon was Inferred,
| aud wne..t was suwu over ii- grave, win h prf ",
/ ripened, aud WAS reaped under guard, ate
! which, the earth being tcuprucd, the f.kir was
taken fOfth. and, bv Processes directed by his
friends, restored to actlve life. "JutWu5
Apellt' and others NAV ind II all SERIOUSLY re-
| lated I'm OH 'iai documents and In any case such
| an Instance shows what some Of these HindOo
conjurers pretend 10 effect. liz truth, the
| Julsltng performed by some + tie 3ozi1ah- "
| The NortN west l. so astuuuatu. that the tneis
| description Of 1t would an ear too incredible.
| letting alone any attempt at explanation.