The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-20
THE SECRET or sNIKE CHARMING.
simply - Question OF Whether snake or
Jugglcr IL Quickest.


In India the favorite snake for exhibition
is the cobra. partly bccauseoi It's more striking
appearance. nnd phrtly because. it, deadly
character being so we'll known any trinine with
II appears 10 The unnitiated public the y ore
wonderful. Nor. indeed, do the performances
Of the Hindu snake charmcr lose. on butter ac-
quaintance, all their marvellQusness for cour.
age ~ nigh order, arising partly from the
confidence acquired by long practice. II man
iicsicd IN Selling and baggins the dreadful
In most cases the charmer renders the rep
tiles harmless by drawing their poison iUnEe.
and the exhibition becOmrs then merely one OF
Che snakes highly trained condition. On tho
Other hand. 1t often happens that tho basket
contains the vertHble death deal"r. and a cobra
with his iaugs undrilWn Ii nearly always forth
coming II the temptation In money be- SUI
iicenty strong. But in the handling of tho
creature when one" exposed there IS ~ hesita-
ton, Tor hesitation means death. md IN tie
swift seizure AMI sudden r"leaEe mere, Is dnr-
ing Of an exceptional Kind cobra strikrs.
when II has really iii,de W is mind 10 strike.
with lightning rapidly. ana 20 dodge Lightning.
su .r''ssiully requires considerable agility.
, the snake chnrmers however. when put on
their mct,lt. VIII grasp thr erect cobra with i'm
their movements Tor by Il feint they provoke
the reptile 10 strike, and before II can recover
lis attitude scZr IL below the lAWs. In the same
way the ichncumon or monEooSc secures IN
contest with Vrnpmous snakes u comparative
immunity. Ii wis for IA long time an article OF
:hith with writers Ot popular works On natural
history. that this animal cnlOycd q complete
immunity, but scientific experiment has cor
confined together fought freely. and though the
latter seemed 10 tho eye "a strike his antagonist
repeatedly. IA" mongOosr on being examined
after II had Killed the snake. was found 10 be
untouched.
Another cobra was then brought on t. the
scene. and, hrLg made to close rs iaug- ON the
monogp1s leg the animal confessed lis sus-
ceptiblity to the poison Dy dying IN about four
minutes. 1t was thrreioreby iis supcriorRctiVity
alone that IN fair fight with the reptile It had
escaped unhuu. and 10 the same ruusr the
snak" churmer oW"h tho immunity that attends
his exhibition. Blu, as in the case 0f The mon-
goose. thr snake chHrmer when actually bitten
dies rs rapidly ms any other creature. and in
spite OF all the powers OF his charms. roots. and
snake stones. The Hindu spectator refuses to
believe this. Hnd enjoys. therefore. 10y his ere
dullty. IA pleasure dentcd 10 more Intelligent
audiences. for ii We could only accept Us truth
the charmer's statement thai he hHs really been
bitten. and that red drops on the bitten spot
were actually blood exudng from the fual
pun "ure, aud could then believe that the root
he smrlt the stone he applied to the wound. and
the charms he muttered were VcrtAbly counter
acting the magic 81 the.cobra's poison, the spec
tlcle would lie OF surprising interest since 1t
would be n miracle.
For tho cobra's bite there Is no remedy except
instant amputalion. and the snake chHrmor
himself knows this well. As Il means of general
security be coniidos in his deXtrrous sleight OF
hand but in c0sc OF accidents he carries
broad-Dladed knife.