Year: 1870

as rule, leave home with a wholesome dread
of snakes, and the creeping plaques of the East
in general. In point of fact, however, am per-
suaded that in the Presidency, and other large
cities, the chances of being bitten are about
equal to those of being knocked on the head
when chimney-pots are flying about on windy
day at home. The natives undoubtedly run
great risks, and occasionally drop down dead in
the employers compound (garden)i but they
are fatalist, and wander unconcernedly about at
night, in places where cobras nhabit. Foreign
ers never, if they can help it, walk in the dark.
boy carries a lantern in front, and the sahib
follows in security. In Bombay, where the
hooded snake is to be frequently found, | never
| remember, during a residence of four years, one
instance in which an American or European
had been bitten. There may be one in your
garden, coled luxuriously round small stem,
and the malice could easily kill it. But, for all
he knows, the soul of man, a dear but wicked
relative, may have passed into that venomous
head in lieu of purgatory and so, instead OF
cutting the reptile in two with bis hook, he bolts
to his master, breathless with the interesting
| intelligence. Out flies the sabib with stick,
fand, rushing to the spot indicated by the malice,
is about to administer stunning thwack to the
garden plague, when the thing seems to wink,
and, almost as quick as lightning, uncois, aud
darts away in the direction of some shelter. If
there are no holes, you may have half an hours
fine, exciting sport running it down. so long as
there is room to dart about, the snake will not
turn upon its pursuer; but remarkably sharp
eye must be kept on the flashing white and yell
low wrigglng BODY.


| remember killing Formidable male cobra in
Khandalla one of the cooling stations the
Bhore Ghaut for baked Bombayites. friend
and myself were enjoying cheroot on the YER
andah, when Rama jee, the butler, ran in, crying:
- Sab b, sahib, samphai ~ and on taking up my
riding crop and running to the scene of action,
we saw, sure enough, a seven-foot cobra wrig-
Cling about the halGgrown grass, about thirty
yards from the bungalow. Where it came from,
goodness knows but in several directions were
snake-charmers, some playing their pipes, others
dancing and shouting, to keep the cobra from
gliding down the side of the ravine close by as,
if taken alive, it would be a great catch for pur
| poses of exhibition. Bnt no amount Of piping,
sweet as may have been the sound on the reptile
organ, had any effect. 1t grew enraged at last,
when escape seemed to be cut off, and, darting
here and there, it would have made short work
of its tormentors, but that at every dart its at
tention was distracted by shrek from behind


1t was thus savagely employed when rushed
up. | was implored not to kill it. 1t was, the
blacks said, worth fifteen rupees but being de-
termined to have trophy of some sort to take
back with me, | told the people to beat the
snake on the plain, level ground, where could


watch its movements. When they did so, and
! the thing came rushing at me, with its head
raised high from the ground, It's broad hood ex-
tended to its utmost, and its vlainous eyes
glistening with rsge, and the quiverpg, lance
like fangs but yard from my body, almost
shrank from the contest but it was too late.
My arm, just as the fatal thrust was about to be
made, swung round, and the iron head of the
crop catching the cobra below the hood, it was
sent stunned some distance from my feet. An
other blow finished it, and the skinner was sent
for.


1t has long been matter of dispute as to
whether the mungoose, after being bitten by
cobra, has in its own blood or body an element
which neutralzes the effect of snake-poison, or
whether it seeks, after the contest, antidote in
the long jungle grass. Experiments have been
tried, over and over again, but ! belive the ad
vocates of the one conjecture are as positive as
the other Therefore, day, with a view to
settle the difficulty, we engaged sDake-charmer
to bring to our bungalow a cobra with its poison


intact, and a full-grown mungoose on the day
folowing-which be did. A large, empty bed
room was prepared for the contest, our object
being to prevent the mungoose leaving for the
garden after killing the snake. If it survived
for any length of time, it was conclusive proof
that in own body lay the antidote. If he died,
we could safely conclude that its preservation
lay in some particular herb unknown or what
is more probable, nipping from various herbs.
The room in which the snake and its brave little
antagonist were to fight was a long, narrow
space, with no means of escape whatever. At
one end the cbarmer sat on his baunches, with
llttle round, fiat basket before him, in which
reposed his yellow-skinned beauty. At the
other end was in possession of the mungoose.
1t was in II bag, they are to strangers by no
means peaceaby inclined, and would, | dare
say, nip off ones thumb cbeefully as separat-
ing snakes neck from its body. The mouth
is peculiarly suggestive of pair of nppers in
the form of the letter V, and is thckly studded
with lance-like teeth Before commencing the
performance my HindOo friend opposite, by way
OF encouraging his imam, sung doleful dtty
in Hindnstani, and, on concluding, lifted the lid
of the basket, and, giving a sharp tap to the
snake, seized his pipes to soothe the cobra's an
ger should il feel tempted to retalate Up sprang
the broad hood, and for moment the serpent
swayed too and fro as if undecided as to who
should be the victim. | then let the munkoose
out OF the bag. II lodged about the room for
little time, apparently unconcious of its enemys
presence. The snake was the first to sound the
preliminary note of defiance, as on observing the
Zoe slowly wandering down the room, it uncoiled


itself fully from the basket and with hiss of
anger awaited, half erect, the attack of its an
tagonlst. The mungoose gradually got nearer
and nearer, until almost under the snakes hood,
when it rushed in and pinned its teeth in the
cobra flesh Then commenced the battle the
snakes head seemed to rise and fall like light
ming, and each time it had evidently left mark;
but undaunted, the mnngoose snapped and bit,
getting higher and nearer the neck each time
Then, when the favorte spot was reached, it
seemed to open its jaws to the utmost limit, and
closing them on the cobras throat, ceased to
struggle. The other, in the agones of death,
wrapped itself round its destroyer, and tried
hard to crush it but it was useless the little
beast never opened its mouth although the two
rolled over one another, the snake twisting 10 a
hundred shapes and straning every nerve to
leosen the grip of the mungoose. The fight
lasted long time, but at last the snake expired
and the victor was pulled from the body. The
niue beast then ran all about the room, as if
looking for means of exit, but there were of
course none. 1t looked as if had been severelv
bitten, and was evidently much tired but there
was no signs of the poison taking effect, as far
as could judge. ! waited for a considerable