The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-04-12
SNAKE CHARMING IN 4lNDoosTAN,
Ingenious Tricks Played by the Profess
siona1 Fakir of the Orient.

II can tell you something interesting
about snakes in India" said Capt. w.
Tottenham of the British India army
to Boston Traveler man. "I have
made special study of snakes in that
country. AS result ! got at the bot
tom of the great snake-charmer
frauds, and also, think, made an inn
portant discovery in connection with
the cure of venomous snake bites. AT
least never failed in my experiments.
@When I was stationed at Kurmaul,
in the northwest provinces of India, ]
occupied the usual officers bungalow,
| with large garden around the build
ing. One day my servants complained
of the snakes in the garden and asked
er. Of course I agreed. The usual
professional appeared and consented
to the usual termsE50 cents head
for each snake caught. Then he set
to work and l followed and watched
him closely.
"He went to the stable first and com-
menced blowing horn. Presently a
snake came crawling out of hole and
made toward him. He suddenly
grabbed it by the neck and put it into
a basket. This was repeated three
times. Once he got a bite on the
knuckle. They were all cobras from
three to four feet long, and watched
for results. He pulled pebble from
his pocket, mumbled some incanta-
tions over it, and then bound it over
his wound, which he showed me. ]
only chuckled. 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 for his snake each time. ordered
him to catch some more, but he de-
clared that was all. insisted on his
trying and he marched around blow
ing his horn, but no more snakes
came.
"Then I thought 1t time to turn the
tables. paid him over the 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 that 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 as only
Hindoo can, imploring me to have
mercy upon him. / consented to give
him back his snakes If he would make
clean and open confession to me. He
did so. He said it was their custom
in the trade to go out at the proper
season and hunt mother cobra with
her brood.
aThey kill the mother and capture
the fifteen to twenty little five-inch
snakes which constitute the brood.
They are too young to be harmful.
Then they pull out the two eye teeth,
which are the fangs that kill. Then
they set to work to train the snakes.
They teed them on basin of milk, and
blow the horn when feeding time ar
rives. After three or four months the
snakes get to understanding the sig
nal and come from all parts of the
room to feed at the basin. By this
time they are grown up to a decent
size, and all ready for business.
"The charmer goes round the night
before and plants his snakes in differ
ent places. Next day he approaches
the premises casually and offers to rid
the place of snakes at so 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 food,
and then he catches and pouches them.
No one wants snakes particularly, and
his humble snpplication to take away
the snakes for tanning purposes is in
variably assented to by the good-nat-
ured Anglo-Indian. In the course of
a week he makes good deal Of
monevn