Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-06
THE SNAKE CHARMER>.
A TRAVELLER DESCRIBES SOME or
THE THRILLING SIGHTS OF TUNlS.

Tamb"urine-A Disgusting but Terrible
scene-ACoupIe of Wild, Weird Look
fnG Bed"uins-A Scared Crowd.
A few days after my arrival in Tunis
there came tn the street in front Of NV
hotel one of thuSp famous serpent charm
ers which We read 81 much about hut -
seldom. If ever. see He was a lurG,, black
Ethiopian. of "A forbiddiug appearance,
harehpadcd, burly limbs and holy scarcely
concealed hy "A dirty hcrnuu>e He had with
him a rude tamhOurine or drum head,
covered with the rawhide Of some wild
animal. and a black leather hag. the myS-
tCriuuS contents Of which were soon tu he
revealed L. me. Seeing that | WAS wat h
ing him with some curiosity. he at once
squatted down upon the ground and com
mrnCed operations. jntying the hag, he
pulled ont dozen or more venOmuuS look
ing snakes of different species. measuring
from three 10 six and seven feet in length.
which he threw down in the middle of he
middle Of the street. where they lay for a
moment in "A torpid state rs if benumbcd
with cold. Throwing the bag at a dis
tancc, the Ethiopian caught his tambou
rIne. and, jumping his feet. commenced
dHnCIuga circle around the reptiles. at the
same time hcHIing his rude instrument
and singing wild song that would have
done credit toa North American IndHin.
The snakes began at once 10 show signs
of life 10y priCking up their heads and
dartIuE ont their furked Tongues in an an
CRY manner. Several commenced gliding
away IN different directions aS if 10 eS-
cape. hut the negro who still kept up his
wild music and dancing, would keep them
an the circle 10y pushing them back with
his naked feet. Seating himself once
more ON the ground, in the midst uf the
crawling reptiles, he caught them in his
lap and commenced playing with them as
n child would with 50 many kittens; let
them crawl over hlm. up his back and
over his shoulders. They would twipc
themselves around his legs and arms, $d
CRANE their ugly locking heads around
into his face rs if Ia sean his features
Standing erect once more with n quick
movement. he shook the snakes upon the
ground. and catching up two of the larg
est, made a turhan of them around his
head. tied two or three of the smaller ones
ones around his neck for a CraVat and two
savage looking fellows were wound
around his body for "A belt Having pro
Creled thus far in the adorning Of his per
son, he finished his decorations by sus-
pending a five or six foot ~uTnanent'
from each side of his head by fastening its
fanES into the lubtS Of his ears. and. in a
like manner. suspended one from his nose
and one from his prutruding tongue.
The sight If the serpent charmer, like
the neurological McduSa that guarded
the gales OF lIcsprrideS, was now not only
Disgusting but terrible 10 look upon. He
was almost entirely envelnpri with the
squirming reptiles, whose angry heads,
with gliSteuing eyes and forked tongues,
were standing out from his body in all
directions. Throwing piece uf Tuni>ian
coin at the serpent Charmer's feet. | was
about Ia turn away from the sickeniug
spectacle when the man mutiOned me with
his hand, as much as to say, Wait Il
moment christening the snakes, which
were still clinging Ia his nose and tongue.
he tossed one upon the ground, and the
head of the other he inserted into his huge.
wide, open mouth, As il he was in the act
of swallowing ii whole. This was more
than my already trembling nerves could
stand, and beat a hasty retreat, fully
satisfied with what | had seen Of snake
charming
\ VI 4 Ii ''E T ANUS h-Als hEisN
A few days after this. however, while !
in the suburbs of the city with |
the interpreter Of the English legation, we
came aCruSs "A crowd of Arabs and Be |
douinS who were witnessing some kind Of
performance or show that evidently was of
intensr interest Pushing our way through |
the crowd as best we could to see what the !
attraction was. We found another seance |
Of snake charming i'll progress, this time
presided over 10y two wild. wirrd looking !
E,-'luuiUs, who the interpreter informed !
me were the most famous snake Charmers |
in the regency of Tunis. The ground in !
front nf them was literally covered with |
snakes, of a larger and evidently Of a |
ficrcrr species than those Of the Ethiopian. |
Several of them, the interpreter informed |
me, were very venomuus, and one Of the
sin wild. incOherent speech, |
was eneavnring Ia impress the fact upon !
his audience, and also that their poisonous |
fangS had not been extracted. Picking up |
pme of the largest and most savage look
ing, he would hold it at arms length and /
it until it would spring back and !
faSten its fangS into his face or some part |
Of his body. Dropping it, he would then
uraw out from under his bernouse a small t.
box Of ointment and apply 1T to the
wound, which he claimed. removed all the .
poisonous effects.
BY the time he had finished this part of
the entert ainment, the crowd of Arabs had |
largely increased, and had 50 far en-
upon the open space or ring
where the show was being held that there
was scarcely room for the snake charmers
to move about To make the crowd fall
back, one Of the Bedouins adopted a quick
and most effective temedy. Grasping the
ugly fellow from the ground that had Just
been exhibiting its savage nature and ven
DmOus famgs and which must have meas
ured eight feet in length, he commenced
running around the ring. and thrusting its
angry head into the frightened faces of
the spectators. The snake was standing
out in "A horizontal line, and the BedOuin
was holding it about two-Ihirds the dis
tanCe from the head As it came near the +
Arabs, it would spring at them with its
wide, open mouth, and its eyes flashing
fire in a most diabolical manner
One tall Arab. who was on his knees
leaning forward, intensely watching the
not getting out of the way
in time, was seized by the savage reptile,
which fastened its fangs into the hood of
his bernOu>e, in close proximity to his
hose The poor fellow, thinking he had
received his death wound, commenced .
bowling and yelling in a manner that
must have frightened the tigers i'll the dis
tant Jungles. During the excitement that !
and while the two BedOuins
were tndeavOriDg to unfasten the fangs of |
the serpent from the Arabs hood, to |
" hich il WAS clinging with a death-like |
grip. the 1ther serpents on the ground !
commenced gliding quickly away in diff .
ferent directions, close at the heels Of the !
Arabs, who were running
different ways, as if the poisonous sur
pents were in full chase, ready to fasten .
IN their bare feet. About the same time
L L.