NOTE -BOOK OF A NATUEALIST. 201 



men camong them. Many of the lighter and lower sort talked of 

 enchantments by words and by writing, but they all knew how to 

 prepare any person by medicines, A\hich were decoctions of herbs 

 and roots. 



Bruce was evidently satisfied in his own mind that a 

 person could be so prepared as to do the same feats as 

 these fascinators performed ; and it is to be regretted 

 that he did not make the experiment, or have it made, 

 though it can hardly be a subject of wonder or blame 

 that he did not. 



I have seen many (says Bruce) thus armed for a season do 

 pretty much the same feats as those that possessed the exemption 

 naturally. The drugs were given me, and I several times armed 

 myself, as I thought, resolved to tiy the experiment, but my heart 

 always failed me when I came to the trial ; because, among these 

 wretched people, it was a pretence they might very probably have 

 sheltered themselves under, that I was a Christian,— that, there- 

 fore, it had no effect upon me. I have still remaining by me a 

 small quantity of this root, but never had an opportunity of trying 

 the experiment. 



On the 26th of May, the day on which I first saw the 

 hippopotamus, I witnessed the performance of the Arab 

 snake-charmers, of whom I have already spoken. After 

 their dinner they came from the giraffe-house, proceeding 

 along the gravel walk to the reptile-house, on the floor 

 of which, about three o'clock in the afternoon, or a little 

 later, the performance took place. The charmers took 

 up a position at the end of the house, opposite to the 

 lodging of the great Pythons, of whose size the old Arab 

 had heard with something very like incredulity. The 

 company stood in a semicircle, and at a respectful dis- 

 tance. There was not much difficulty in getting a front 

 place, but those behind pressed the bolder spectators 

 rather inconveniently forward. 



Standing in the open space the old Arab said some- 

 thing to the young one, who stooped down under the 

 reptile cases on the north side of the room, and took out 

 a large deal box with a sliding cover, which looked like 



k3 



