Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-27

brook, until he reached small river, ana
plunged in, hoping thus to escape his formlda-
BILE pursuer. But the furious snake was on tine
other bank as soon as he was and, with eyes
dilated and gistenng with rage, raised the
fore part of the body, like COBRA preparatory
to burying its fangs in the trembling natives
body. In utter despair the man tore on tne
large turban which he wore and dashed it at
the snake. The creature d9rted at 1T like
lightning, and bit il savagey many times,
while the man escaped. The snake appeared
to be satisfied with having wreaked its ven
geance upon something, for the BurTnan was
A doctor named Sir Joseph Fayrer. who
served very long in India, and who is the
great authority upon the snakes of that coun-
try, has himself seen the ophiophagus swallow
captivity; and those which have been brought
TO the Geological Gadens in the Regents Park
of London refused all other food, so that inno-
cent English snakes had to be regularly
caught and brought to them.
|. But it is said thae the king snake, in his
own haunts, does not disdain birds or squir-
rels when snakes scarce, and is able, from
his great agility, to climb trees very rapidly
and to be often found resting on limb after
meal.
In Bengal there are four classes of men who
deal in snakes. OF these the Nal, who arc
very lowcaste Hindoos, catch and exhibit
these creatures, while they also sell medicinal
herbs, which they say will cure the bite.
Then there are the Modaris and Bediyas, or
Gipsies The latter are mostly jugglers, bear
leaders and trainers of learned monkeys, while
they also sell medicines, tell fortunes, prac-
tice witchcraft and serve as cuppers and ap-
pliers of moxas.
They are also "snake-charmers," and have
the reputation, in addition, of being great
thieves. In their wanderings about the coun-
try the Mails never take their women and chill
dren with them, but the Others do, and have
no settled home.
The "snake-charmers" of Bengal are called
''Tubri-wallahs." They generally wear yellow
clothes and very large turbans, and blow
doublepipe, mounted in large gourd to in
crease the sound. This instrument is called
the tubr., The Malls pretend to draw snakes
from cracks and holes in the walls, or from
often snakes in those places, but it is very
well proved that these people generally carry
the snakes about them, with the poison fangs
extracted, and they are SO adroit in producing
them at the proper time that it is hard for a
bystander to say that they do not bring them
from the places they pretend
At the same time these people do not seem
to be at all afraid of poisonous snakes, if they
are allowed to handle them in their own way,
and do not seem to dread their poison fangs.
put they are well aware of the danger, and
Their immunity comes from the dexterity
with which they seize them. Generally they
exhibit the cobra di capello, bringing them out
OF OF their - narrow-necked baskets and making
IHe IuOUlOn OF the hand their
rude music is played. This is called dancing,
but really means an intention in the snake to
strike, which is prevented by the noise of the
pipe and the strange surroundings
Inc iangs are generally removed; but they
grow again, SO that it requires an extens;ve
operation to remove those which are full
grown and the ones which are in reserve. as
snakes often break off their fangs in striking.
place. ~ ''O" W ''Ae ITO
When these snake-charmers have an onb;o.
phaggs or king snake, they are always very
proud. and charge more for their exhibitions
as 1t t. Is so very rare dangerous to catch and
handle, and hard to manage, on account of its
dozen cobras to these snake-chamers. "0i'"