Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27
A sNAKE-CHARNrERs TALE.
Nala Damajante, the HinssoO, TelIs Of
Some Wonderful Adventures.

Phi{gdelpbia Record
II think that this little lady could talk
much more interestingly to you concern
ing the dangers of show life than | could
remarked Charles A. Davis, of the Great
FOrepaugh Show, when asked by re-
porter to relate a few incidents If the va
ried and thrilling experiences which en-
ter into the life of nearly every one c0G-
nected with a circus, "becauSe she can
relate a personal adventure. This" con-
tinued Mr.. Davis, bringing forward a
dark-skinned. black-eved woman of grace
ful carriage and faultless form, lis Malta
Damaiante, the HindOO snak-ch lrmer
She has had enough of wonderful adv, H.
lures with her crawling pets i'm tn last
half dozen years to fill a volume" and
fifteen minutes conversation fully justi-
fed the assertion.
Miss Damajante, although engaged in
the rather unfeminine occupation of hand-
ling enormous anacondas and tWining
about her body the deadly folds of power
full pythOns. is decidedly interesting in
appearance and conyersat on. While
native of HindOstan, she speaks French
fluently, has a smattering of Portuguese Sc.
and is bravely engaged in mastering the
intricacies of English. She is OF medium
height, delicately built, and shows her
Eastern origin IN an oval face, eXquis t.
ly cut features, pair of melting eyes.
black as night, and an abundance of raven
black hair. which, when uncOntined, falls
below her waist. Her skin is of that pc
culiarly swarthy hue seen only among the
high caste HindOos. 1t is not dark, like
that of the OctOrOon, nor cOpper-cOlOred,
as in the North American Indian. IL is
rather deep, rich olive, with the faintest
suggestion OF peach bloom shining through
which intensties and comes and goes as
the speaker becomes animated.
The snake-charmer talked mOdestly,
and with a charming absence OF any
''alrs" that would lead one to think she
thought herself in any respect Drawer than
ordinary mOrtals. Il hardly know how
TO begin" said she, in her pretty broken
English, because, you See, l am more at
home with my snakes than IN talking TO
you gentlemen of the newspapers. You
want to know why | fear not the big
snakes. l will tell you. 1t is because
love them, and they love me; it is-ah !
no; mistake there-they do not always
love me. Sometimes | shake-what you
say in English, you shiver-because the
snake wants to squeeze me too tight.
Then l feel afraid. Suppose you live in a
powder mill all your lifetime. You are
not afraid? No. Other people are afraid
Yes. Some day the powder mill will
burst and kill everybody. The people
who are afraid are not killed, because
they are far away. You are killed be-
cause you are not afraid, and are in the
mill. Do you understand meY
As if to illustrate what she had said,
Miss Damajante opened a box standing in
the corner of the tent and took from be-
meath the folds of gaudy blanket huge
python, whose forked tongue was darting
in and out like lightning, and whose eyes
were scintillating like diamonds. With
out the slightest hesitancy she wrapped
the enormous reptile about her neck, and
there it writhed like a living necklace.
'YOu see," she said, as the snake sud
denly attempted to encirce her chest,
''thIs is what have to guard against at
the same time Selling the monster just
back of the head, causing it to hiss hOrTi-
bly,. "When | was IN Madrid nv largest
snake, weighing 120pOunds, nearly chOked
me to death; and it took two strong men
to get him loose. | lost the grip ON his
neck. Another time, in London, the same
snake frightened about my chest so
powerfully that it made my nose bleed.
In Philadelphia, last season, NV
snake, that didn't know me, got beyond
my control, and before | could seize
his neck had nearly crushed my arm.
was so sorry that the newspapers told
about it. l do not want the people to
think that | am afraid. In one of the
! Western States-I cannot remember the
name urea 10 SHOW now nanuleu
/ three snakes at once. The smallest one
got away from me, and in trying to catch
him ! let go of the others. The next mo-
ment they were both wrapped around my
body and tightening their folds. | was
unable to speak, and threw myself on my
back TO attract attention. Two of the
attendants rushed forward and rescued
me. l find the greatest danger on very
warm days. The snakes are full of life
then, and want to squeeze tight. On cold,
damp days they will hardly move.
| would like to tell you how | give them a
feed them on live rabbits, but see you
are impatient to 90. Shall | say 'goOd-by'
| in HindOstanee? Well, then, 'Ketah Vale, ,
or, as they would say in Paris, 'Au
| reYOir.'"