Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-08-28
ABID. AKBAR.soL

lence, and we followed hin
quietly. almost stealthily. - We
walked. chanting solemnly. writes
George Renwick in the London Chron
icle. Suddenly the chant ceased. he
stopped. and Immediately we. too
stood still and waited. watching Gag
erly. expectantly. for We were hunt
ing for serpents in the sacred pre-
cincts Of Karnak itself. Comparative
ly few people today are interested In
the ancient art Of snake charming and
yet 1t 10 one Of the oldest arts that
exist. known long before the days Of
Ptolemies. and used even now when
snakes become too numerous and q
trouble to the people of Egypt.
Although many Indians and Egyp
tians profess to have the power Ia
fascinate serpents. there are but two
or three men at present who ara really
expert. % that we were exceptionally
fortunate that at the time Of our visit
to Luxor Moussa-el-Hawy. the most
famous Of them. should be there also
and that We were able to arrange q
hunting expedition with him.
Hunting With Moussa-slhawy.
Mounted on sturdy donkeys We had
ridden out from the great hotel on the
eastern bank Of the Nile. out past the
gardens filled with palms and Labbak
trees. past the great avenue Of sacred
sphinxes placed there 5000 years agd
BY Rameses II. Then. just before We
reached the Grand Pylon itself. va
turned abruptly to the right and gal.
Looping across the sand. drew up u
the entrance Of q grove of date palms
surrounded By . high mud wall.
"Awad-El-Halla Mahammed-Hamdi-
Allah" Again the weird chanting BE-.
gan, words that to M meant nothing;
they sounded but . series Of names.
but In them lay the secret Of the
charm. The meaning MOUSSE told M
when We asked him later was this:
oh! sacred IL the power I hold over
Is varieties Of reptile. descended to
me from the prophet Oh! come you
snakes to mo and I viii not harm you.
for should kill you would lose my
charm"
MOUSSE shook his head and started
forward again. walking cautiously. mo
tioning to N to follow, and this time
a. he stopped he smiled. showing his
perfect white teeth. "One snake" he
said, and plunging his arm into the
vegetation 1t the foot Of & tree. he
drew out . long. thin reptile. wrig.
Cling violently and showing its thin.
pointed tongue. Moussa dropped It for
an instant. and then. - the snake
was about to escape. he seized II
Just above the head and. holding II
close to his face. spoke to It softly
while he said to N. - ct last he put
the now quiet creature into . basket
he had brought, "Moussa now ind one
big cobra, but not In this garden" and
20 on We went across the desert
A. We mounted our donkeys, Nous
sa-el-Hawy had pointed to the temple
Of Karnak. but - We rode toward one
Of the eastern gates It suddenly oc-
Cured to ~ that It would be well 20
test his powers, and. choosing . spot
where there was only IN old tumbled
wall, We called to him to zee what he
could nnd here whore he must be en-
tirsly unpreparsd. Willingly the snake
charmer Jumped down and. walk
ing directly TO the wall. picked from
the top large scorpion which crawled
and chung 70 his hand. Without even
stopping to put the horrible thing into
his basket, he started on again. walk
ing swiftly this time. ~ though ON
the track Of something worth while.
chanting softly - though oblivious Of