The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-03-01
4 Willy ORIENTAL
Guile of a Tricky Native Snake
Charrer In India.
GATHERED IN THE sERPENTs.
It Was No Trouble to Him to Lure the
Reptiles into His Basket, and tho
Supply Was In No Danger Of Giving
Gu. and Losing Him q Job.


Supply Was In Ne Danger of Giving
Gu. and Losing Him Job.
Among the numerous Objectionable
and dangerous creatures peculiar to
the orient none IS more repulsive than
the snake. Oae shudders iavolunta1ly
as one thinks Of It's wissiins body and
vicious characteristics. During my
residence in India nevcs felt safe
from its presence had my closets,
bed and even ny bath.Ib searched ev-
cry day lest one should be found coiled
up in some corner. writes Eliza X
Van Bergen in the Christian I0telli-
ge2ceS.
was always on the watch tor the
! creatures and ever IL mortal terror Of
t.ead:2S on one. Il never occurred to
ne to sleep without light. and 4
stick WIS always near at hand lest
might find one uaawares and be un-
| prepared 20 meet It I even looked
upon my thin mosquito curtain as q
slight protection, for it would 1T least
break its fall should Z snake tumble
down suddenly from the ceiling.
The creatures have decided pref
erence for cool. damp places and often
choose the bathroom and sometimes
the tub tor their habitaton, much to
the discomfort OF its rish6ul habitue-
It IS not unalloyed bliss to live n 4
place infested with serpeats. With
such formidable enemies, one never
foSSe:s TO be cautions, nor to guard
against their presence and sudden at
tack. It makes one alert to be in the
midst Of danger and adds spice to life.
Well, IS I started out to say. my
garden was infested with snakes. and
I was persuaded to have native
charmer summoned to lure them
away. His h!deous occupation. weird
incant2tso2s and strange pets sur
round the snake charner with pc
crl.a1 fascination BIS magnetism
ard skin are considered phenomenal
in the east
This specimen was tall and lank and
had deep. cavernous eyes and an ab-
stacted air Some OF tie creatures
were ca.led around his wrist, which
made hin still more repellant He
handled them as Il they were per
fectIy harmless. About the neck be
wore = chain with Hute attached.
Two other jusslers accompanied him.
similarly attired. bot linus the
snakes One carried a closed basket
on bis arm.
He stopped at respectful distance
TO make his "salaan." which IS the
customary salute Of the country. Then
be approached the aloe hedge which
iociosed my grounds, squatted himself
tailor fashion oa the grass and began
to produce weird. plaiative sounds on
the flute, to which music the reptiles
en.wined themselves around hin and
seemed to sway their bodies to and
to.
After some time q snake appeared.
gliding slowly and stealthi!y out from
tie hedge toward the spot where It
heard the enchanting music. The
cha-ner allowed st to come quite
close and to wind itself around his
arm Another followed and yet an
other, while the other two men stood
by holding basket ready to receive
them as soon as they unwound them
selves At least half dozen ap-
peared and were disposed Of IN this
manner. After being captured they
appeared as Il in stupor.
Horrised with his performance I
begged him to step and bade hin
leave the place. he assented and,
picking up the basket, departed with
the snakes without ever ceasios to
play his unca2ny tcne. His coupsn-
ions gathered up the rest ct his be.
,oaSinss ard followed him I paid
cereaia sum for each snake thus cts-
pstche::.
Ee came repeatedly thereafter and
went through the same performance.
eonjrins up more reptiles sad dispos-
Ing OF them II the same way until I
began to suspect some tr.ckery. he
refused to allow the snakes to be kill
ed. insisting that they were sacred and
must not be pu. to death It looked
as Il he replaced the snakes IN tho
hedge after removing them. and thus
he multiplied their number and In
creased his gains.
was finally forced to hare him re-
moved BY the police and threatened
with punishment il order to keep him
away. Nothing would persuade me to
permit one 0: the fellows TO enter ny
premises again