Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28


dies or rather undulates along the street.
Her costume is very picturesque, especially
if she be of the richer class They are
clothed in fine silks of Respondent hues of a
Drlgnt req. yellow or green and wear sort
pends Il loose, white dTapery. Turkish
trousers and dainty slippers, the heel Of
which barely reaches the middle of the foot,
complete the costume
In the public squares the negress bread
vcnderS squat In front of their pile of Pass
Over-Shaped loaves ranged on broad board.
Some of them hide their ebony visages from
the public gaze with black wells. just as the
houTts of the harem do. They wear garments
which vie with the rainbow in brightness
and variety of color.
Exhibitions by the Serpent Charmers.
The serpent charmers of the nomad tribes
frequently give exhibitions in the streets Of
Tunis There are generally about dozen
in each band-three or four musicians, tho
serpent charmer himself and the women
folk and children. The musicians squat on
the ground and play shrill flutes, and beat
drums formed by stretching pieces of parch-
ment over the bottoms of earthenware Jars
The serpent charIner is usually the most
frantical looking individual conceivable,
bareheaded and barefoted. and wearing
long linen Overalls from which issue attenu-
ated brown spindle shanks His head is
closely shaved, with the exception of cir
Cul1E SDOO on D0S CTOWn, ITOLn WHICH Q0-
pends mass of coal-black ringlets. The
Arab expects TO be pulled into heaven by
this top-knot. His small eyes are wild, dark
and piercing, as BELTS charEIer of serpents,
After collecting Il sufficient number Of
''karronbuS"-c copper coins - the music
strikes up and the serpent charmer opens q
pillow-iike bag lying on the ground, and
two or more speckled serpentS issue.
Now and then the music ceases, the
charmer takes wiSp of dried grass in his
hand, places some small pebbles In certain
positions on the ground addresses some wild
words of incarnation to the tribe, musicians
and all, and then turns to the Serpents and
squats on his launches. Tho SerpentS raise
their heads viciously, fatten their neckS to
an extraordinary width, protrude their
fangS and viciOuSly dart ut the charmer's
head to which he viciously responds. He
takes one of the serpents by the neck, stares
at him with his wild, fanatical eyes and
strikes him against his forehead. The SER
pents are decorated with glittering coins
which hang from their heads like earrings.
Occasionally one darts out among the crowd
and creates a panic. One French youth Of
the audience, OF which / was q member one
day, had q colossal mastif by his side, and
the Inastiff seeing the serpents raise their
heads became excited and darted into the
ring TO gobble them up. The charmer tried
to charm the mastif, but the mastt6 would
not charm.
The serpent charmer, on this occasion,
concluded his performance with q most dis
gushing exhibition-nothing less than eating
one Of the serpents alive. But such q diet iS
as enjoyable to him as roast beef to an En-
glishman. This exhibition was held in the
Arab quarter of the city, and the audience,
who were almost all natives, were as inter-
esting as the troupe.
There is an astonishing number Of bow
legged people in Tunis. The sketch send
Is from life. DE w oLEE ScAELA1.