Year: 1878




In India the favorite snake for exhi-
bition is the cobra, partly because of its
more striking appearance, and partly be-
cause, its deadly character being so well
known, any trifing with It appears to
the uninitiated public the more wonder
full. Nor, indeed, do the performances
of the Hindoo snake charmer lose, on
better acquaintance, all their marvellous
ness, for courage of high order, arising
partly from the confidence acquired by
long practice, is manifested in seizing
and bagging the dreadful ophidian.


In most cases the charmer renders the
reptiles harmless by drawing their poison
fangs, and the exhibition becomes then
merely one of the snakes highly trained
condition. On the other hand it often
happens that the basket contains the
veritablc death-dealer, and cobra with
his fangs uudrawn is nearly always
forthcoming if the temptation in money
be sufficiently strong. But in the hand
ling of the creature when once exposed
there is no hesitation, for hesitation
means death, and in the swift seizure
and sudden release there is daring of
an exceptional kind.


A cobra strikes, when it has really
made up its mind to strike, with light
ming rapidity, and to dodge lightning
successfully requires considerable agility.


The snake ,charmers, however, when
put on their mettle will grasp the erect
cobra with impunity, owing solely to
the superior speed of their movements,
for by feint they provoke the reptile
to strike, and before it can recover its
attitude seize it below the jaws. In the
same way the ichneumon or mongoose
secures in contest with venomous snakes
comparative immunity. 1t was for a
long time an article of faith with writers
of popular works ON natural history,
that this animal enjoyed complete inn
munity, but scienti ic experiment has
corrected this fallac.y A mongoose
and cobra confined together fought freely,
and though the latter seemed to the eye
to strike his antagonist repeatedly, the
mongoose, on being examined after it
had killed the snake was found to be un-
touched.


Another cobra was then brought on to
the scene, and being made to close its
fangs on the mongoose's leg, the animal
confessed its susceptibility to the poison
by dying in about four minutes,


1t was, therefore, by its superior ac-
tiyity alone that in fair fight with the
reptile it had escaped unhurt, and to
the same cause the snake charmer owes
the immunity that attends his exhibi-
ton. But as in the case of the mon
goose, the snake charmeT, when actually
bitten, dies as rapidly as any other crea
ture, and in spite of all the powers Of
his charms, roots and snake stone. The
Hindoo spectator refuses to believe this
and enjoys therefore, by his credulity
a pleasure denied to more intelligent
audiences, for if we could only accept a.
truth the charmer's statement that HI
has really been bitten and the red drop
on the bitten spot were actually hlooc
exuding from the fatal puncture, anC
could then believe that the root he smelt
the stone be applied to the wound, anC
| the charms he muttered were veritably
counteracting the magic of the cobra
poison, the spectacle would be of sur
passing interest, since it would be mir
acle.


For the cobra's bite there is no remed,
except instant amputation, and til
snake charmer knows this well. As
means of general security he confde
in his dextrous sleight of hand, but i
case of accident he carries broad-blade
knife,