The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-01

where and how to catch them, like the
remarkable man of whose daring eX-
| ploits with poisonous snakes am about
to give some description, quite an easy
and honest livelihood is to be made,
and 1t is not surprising that Delhl
should have become the home OF many
a professional snake catcher.
With view to procuring snake ven
ON for Professor Calmette, Major Den
nys employed, at monthly wage of
one pound, the master snake catcher OF
the district, low bred Mahometar Of
the name of Kullan. For this small
pay Kullan undertook to supply the
doctor 18th about one hundred living
venomowus snakes weekly, and to eX-
tract their venom from them.
Kullan was powerfully built little
man, aged about thirty-five years. His
name was we'll known in the neighbour
hood of his skill and daring in the pro-
fession OF his adoption. 1t was gene
rally supposed that he possessed some
kind of magic powers over the reptiles
that he handled daily, and from the
capture of which he earned his precari-
Gus livelihood.
A room was specially fitted UP at the
hospital for the purpose of these exper-
iments. The floor was of polished Port
land cement This was considered an
essential, as the polished surface on
which the snakes were placed rendered
them extraordinarily helpless, and ena-
bled the snake catcher to handle some
of them In manner that he would not
have dared to do otherwise. Snakes are
scarcely able to make any progress on
polished surface.
On the particular day when / was
first introduced to Kullan and his
methods the doctor ordered the three
snake catchers to bring their crawling
burdens into the laboratory Kullan
headed the procession, carrying over
his shoulder an ordinary canvas sack,
which was literally heaving and sway
Ing about with the movements of some
sixty or eighty vipers which were con-
! fined therein. The two other men car
rled several small ''gharas," or earthen
| pots, their mouths being closed by
| pieces of rag tied over them. These
| ''gharas' each contained two three and
| sometimes as many as four snakes,
| either cobras or keraits.
| It seemed almost Incredible that the
| three men who now sat in the labora-
| tory, surrounded by about a hundred
| venomous snakes, had really been able
| to catch them all alive during the last
| week, as they stoutly alleged they had
| done.
! Major Dennys was anxious to satisfy
! himself on this point and said IF the
| process of catching wild snakes Is such
| an easy matter, Kulan, would you be
| willing to take me or one of these ha-
| hibs with you some morning and show
us how you do it7"
Kullan hesitated for a moment,
| Your Honor thinks we breed these
| snakes? Sahibs have often charged
me with that before, but your honor Is
| welcome to come to our home and
search the place, and, If he finds any
signs of what he suspects, put US into
| prison, sahib. This humble one assures
your honor that snakes cannot be bred
| in captivity. In years gone by this
slave kept a number Of cobras and 9TH
er snakes with hope of being able to
| breed them but 1t was a failure They
are too timid and he has never sue
| ceeded in breeding them in captivity.
| Your slave admits that he has some
| times taken cobras eggs and kept them
| till they Matched. He has also kept In
| captivity female viper who appeared
heavy with young. After a time she
| presented your slave with eleven young
| ones, and so he got the reward for
| twelve vipers instead Of one. But this
is quite different thing from breeding
| snakes, sahib."
| But" said the doctor, In concilia-
tory tone, Il have no wish to prevent
your earning your living by catching
snakes. If you do not breed them. and
are able to catch them as you assert,
you have perfect right to the rewords
you recsive, and I will help you by
making it known to district officers
| that there Is no doubt that you do not
breed them. But you must let me sat
isfy myself first that you catch them
as you say you do"
Very WELL sahib," said Kullan, eft
| you are prepared to come with this
| humble one some morning he will show
| your honor how he catches snakes"
A short time after this Kullan de-
monstrated in the most unmistakable
manner his marvellous power Of finding
snakes In their natural homes Major
| Dennys told Kullan to meet.him on
| given morning at the hospital and ac-
! company him to spot previously I'M
| known to the snake man, The doctor
| then took him to the Delhi Jail garden
| and set him to work to try and find
venomous snakes