The morning call., 1893-04-08
SNAKE-CHARMING FAKIRS.
Ingenious Tricks Played by the Pro-
feSSionaI Fakir of the Orient

II can tell you something interesting
about snakes in India" said Captain w.
Tyttenham of the British India army to n
Boston Traveller man. II have made
special study of snakes in that country. AS
result got at the bottom of the great
snake-charmer frauds, and also, l think,
made an important discovery in connection
with the cure OF venomenous snake bites.
at least L never failed in my experiments
when l was stationed at Kurmaul. in
the northwest province Of India. occupied
the usual officers bungalow, with a large
garden around the building. One day my
servants complained of the snakes in the
garden and asked if they might send for
snake-charmer OF course, ! agreed. The
usual professional appeared, and l con-
sented to the usual terms-50 cents a head
for each snake caught. Then he set TO
work and l followed and watched him
closely.
he went to the stable first aud COM
menced blowing horn. Presently snake
came crawling out of a hole and made toward
him. He suddenly grabbed it by the neck
and put 1t into basket. This was repeated
three times. Once he got bite on the
knuckle. They were all cobras from Three
to four feet long, and l watched for results.
He pulled pebble from his pocket, mumbled
some incantations over 1t and then bound it
over his wound. which he showed me. only
ehuckied.
Two things had struck me fOrcibly. One
was that cobras do not climb of their own
accord. They are ground snakes. Again it
struck me that he seemed to know where to
go tor his snake each time. / ordered him
10 catch some more, but he declared that
was all. insisted on his trying, and he
marched around blowing his horn, but no
more snakes came.
Then | thought it time to turn the ta-
blcs. paid him over the 3 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. told him the snakes were
mine by right OF purchase and was going
TO cut OH their heads. He fel! on his knees
and Wrlthed at my feet as only Hinduo
can, imploring ME to have mercy on him. /
consented 10 give him back his snakes If lie
would make clean and open confession to
me. He did SO. He said it was their Gus
tom i'll the trade 10 go out at the proper sea-
son and hunt a mother cobra with her
brood.
They kill the mother and capture the
fifteen or twenty little five-iGch snakes
which constitute the brood. They are too
young to be harmful. Then they pull our
the two eyeteeth. which are the fangs that
Kill. They set TO work to train the snakes
Ihey iced them on basin of milk, and
blow the horn when feeding time arrives
Alter three or four months the snakes get
to understanding the signal. and come from
AL parts OF the room to feed at the basin.
by this time they are grown up to decent
size and all ready for business.
The charmer goes round the night be-
lore and plants his snakes in different
places. Next day he approaches the prem
ises cautiously and offers to rid the place of
snakes at 80 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 well-known call for
iood, and then be catches and pouches
tneni. NO one wants snakes particularly.
and his humble snppllcation to take away
the snakes for tanning purposes is inyari-