The morning call., 1892-09-24
A SNAKE-CHARMER'S TRICK.
How a Willy Hindoo Worked
It for Coin.
Captain Tottenham's Curious Researches in
Hirdostan-He Tells a Queer lac
to The Call"

81 can tell you something interesting
about snakes in India" said Captain w.
Tottenham OF the British Indian army to
CALL reporter at the American Exchange
Hotel.
II have made special study of snakes in
that country. As result got at the bot
tom of the great snake harmer frauds and
also [ think. made an important discovery
in connection with the cure of venomous
snake bites At least ! never failed In my
experiments.
when | was stationed at Kurmaul, In
the northwest provinces of India, occupied
The usual officers bungalow with large
garden around the building.
"One day MY servants complained OF the
snakes in the garden and asked II thty
might send Tor snake-charmeT. vi course
l agreed.
and | consented to the usual terms-j0 cents
a head for each snake caught.
Then he set to work and l followed ana
watched him closely.
''He went into tie stable first and COM
menced blowing horn.
presently n snake came craving out Oh
a hole aud made toward him. He suddenly
grabbed it by the neck and put it into his
basket
This was repeated three times.
'Once he got bite on the knuckle.
"They were all cobras, from three TO four
feet long, and | watched for results.
''He pulled a pebble from his pocket,
mumbied some lamentations over IL and then
bound it over his wound. which he shoA ed
me.
Il only chuckled.
Two things had struck me f0reibly,
Zone was that cobTas do not climb Of
their own accord They are ground snakes.
Again it struck me that he seemed To
know where to go for his snake each time.
Il ordered him to catch some more, but
he declared that was ali.
II insisted on his trying round the COM
pound, and so he marched round blowing
his horn, but no more snakes came.
Then | thought 1t time 10 turn the tables
81 paid him over the three rupees and
seized the basket with the three snakes.
He looked alarmed. | sent for my
sword and block Of wood
He asked me what ! was going to do.
II told him the snakes were mine by right
OF purchase and was going to cut off their
heads.
''He fell on his knees and writhed at my
feet, rs only Hindoo can, mplOring me to
have mercy upon him.
~ consented 10 give him back bis snakes
If lie would make clean and open confess
sion to me-
'He did so.
What do you suppose the rascal told
me? He said il was their custom in the
trade to 60 out at the proper season and
hunt mother cobra with her brood.
"They kill the mother and capture the
fifteen TO twenty little fiye-inch snakes which
constitute the brood.
These are too young to be harmful.
"They then pull out the two eyeteeth,
which are tie fangs that kill.
Then they set 10 work to train the snakes.
They feed them on basin OF milk and
blow this horn when feeding-time arrives.
After three or four months the snakes
get TO understand the signal and come from
all parts of the room 10 feed at the basin.
"By this time they are grown up a decent
size and all ready for business.
The charmer goes round the night before
and plants his snakes in different places.
Next day he approaches the premises
casually and offers 10 rid the place Of snakes
at 50 cents head.
Invariably his offer is accepted. as you
can understand.
Then he goes and blows his horn.
"The snakes, which are all starving with
hunger promptly come to the wel-known
call for food and then he catches and
pouches them.
mo one wants snakes, particularly, and
his humble supplication to take away the
snakes for tanning purposes is invariably
assented TO by the sood-natured Anglo In
dian.
In the course of a week he makes good
deal of money"