Year: 1873

On being invited by Siamess family
to see some amusements, writes travel
er, the performance began by the magi-
clan taking a small pearl box out Of his


bosom, opening it and holding it toward
some butterflies. They seemed to OBJ


serve the downy cotton with which the
box was lined, and in circling curves they
moved toward it and couched down, with
wings still outspread, upon the dainty
couch prepared for them. The juggler
closed the box at once ; and as he did so,
we saw seated upon the box live cana
ry, that earolled forth sweet songs until
its little throat seemed ready to split, as
If striving to compensate us for the de-


parture of our butterfly favorites. Sud


denly the song of joy was changed to
piercing notes that betokened horror or


alarm ; and we saw at the conjuror's feet


deadly cobra di cdpello, coiled as if for
a spring, and with its glittering eyes fixed


on the bird, that seemed spell-bound to
the spot either too frightened or fascinated


to move. The man waited till the snake
was in the very act Of springing, and
then, with few words spoken in low
musical tones and gentle droning
movement of his hand, he seemed to
throw the cobra into tho same trance
like state that the bird had evinced, while
the latter reused up and flew eagerly
into the juggler's bosom, which had been
opened for its reception. From this ca
pacious receptacle, apparently exhaust
less in its resources, was drawn out an
other cobra and after allowing them
time to make each others acquaintance,
sometimes exciting them to anger, and
again soothing to quietude by his soft
words and droning motions, the Jug
gler wrapped them both about his neck
and arms, and stood with exultant pride.
allowing them to touch his nose, the tip
of his tongue, and in one instance tho pit
pill ofhis eye, with their vibrating tongues.
But all this while he held small Lutte in
his hand ; and when word seemed to fail,
he played II few notes on the instrument.
which soon reduced the reptiles to state
of dreamy quiesence. After performing
various daring teats with them, to show
the audience that the snakes had been in
no way mutlated, he threw large chick
en- between them. Both struck at it, and
it died in about five minutes.


l afterward saw more of the snake
charmer in Bangkok and in this partic-
ular branch of jugglery the Siamese are
said to excel all other Orientals. l have
seen them hang half dozen different
kinds OF serpents-cobras, hooded sun
snakes and vipers-about their necks at
once, placing whole coil of them in
their bosoms, and even taking the rep
tiles heads in their mouths. Then they
will place some ten or fifteen Of as many
different species in deep basket with
long, narrow neck, and without looking
in, thrust down their hands, draw up one
or more, toy with it for while, and thtn
throwing it back, take up another, and
so on, as long as they can obtain paying
spectators. These jugglers devote them
selves exclusively to the study and prac-
tico of their profession, and each compa-
ny tries to outdo all others in dexterity
and daring. They are highly esteemed,
exert large influence in the community,
and are accredited by their credulous
compatriots with authority over all dis
eases, which they profess to summon or
drive off at will, as we'll as evil spirit',
ghosts and genii.


Despite the palpable absurdity Of thcso
pretensions, the reality of the power they
claim over venemous reptiles admits OF
not the shadow of doubt, though how
this power is maintained Is not so easily
shown. 1t is doubtless, to some extent,
the effect of the music, which is always
employed by the jugglers to throw the
reptiles into sort Of spell during their
performances, aided also by monoto-
nous waving to and fro Of the charmer's
body-a motion that seems to lull the
snakes into dreamy, mesmeric trance,
in which they can be kept for days to-
gether. In addition to this, the snakes
are very carefully tended, never suffered
to become hungry, nor yet fed to such
repletion as to occasion either torpor or
habit of haEkering after blood. The jug
glers also keep their bodies smeared with
some oily substance, the nature of which
they will not not divulge; but we may
infer that it is something for which the
snake has natural antipathy or that
exerts a narcotic influence on its nerves.
These combined influences seem quite
sufficient to produce the marvellous pow
or exercised by the Oriental snake-charm-
ers. 1t is absolutely certain that the poi
sonous fangs are not extracted, as some
have asserted, but that the reptiles are
brought into the arena. ! have myself
seen charmers perform with snakes they
have never before touched, and which
have been returned to me perfect as l
handed them over. Some of these are
now bottled in my cabinet.