526 
which he escaped “injury! Hato the 
pheton was broken te pias)! thé Tas 
theromortally wounded, and the ‘ino- 
ther much meio °° Mr. Wy hals since 
becothe\ ar-ornament of ‘the Housé of 
Commons, and hasproved himself an 
able economist'and public’ writer.” 
‘0 DANCING | $NAKES OP INDIA. | °!!!"! 
In every country there’exists a elas¢ 
of mem who found their means of 
existence! upon the ‘credulity ‘and ‘cn- 
riosity of others;’but in rio part’of the 
world is: this’ class’ so’ numerous as ‘in 
India. Scarcely has °a’ stranger dis- 
embarked on that shore, when‘a ¢rowd 
of jugglers, | dancers, © leaperts, ‘and 
others, surround him, and solicit’ the 
honour of contributing to his amuse- 
ment, for the: trifling ‘consideration of 
a fanon, or about six-pence. 
, Amongst this crowd of people, who 
live by their wits, those who astonish, 
and at the ‘same’ time ‘terrify, ‘the 
European the most, ‘are the men who 
make the stiakes dance; and this asto- 
nishment and terror is more incréased, 
upon learning that the snake which 
serves for this spectacle is the second 
on the list of those which are the most 
venomous: the bite of it is followed 
by certain death, after an interval of 
generally not more than fifteen or se- 
venteen minutes. On the Coromandel 
coast this sort-of snake is very abun- 
dant, and there, as well'as throughout 
India, is ¢alled’' a cobra capello, or 
hooded ‘snake’ its ordinary length is 
from three’ to: four feet, and the pre- 
vailing colout of these reptilesis yellow, 
spotted with black ; its form resembles 
that‘of ‘other oriental snakes, with the 
exception of a pouch, which runs from 
the ‘back: of ‘the “head ‘two or three 
inches down the back. This» pocket 
is but little visible’ when the reptile 
ereeps; or is ina state of tranquillity ; 
but,-as. soonias its’ moved by anger 
or by: pleasure} this beconies inflated) 
and stretches on leach side the head 
of the animal?’ it then ‘presents:a flat 
sSarface, on which“a' pair “of black 
spectacles are stretched upon adirty 
yellow ground’ The*head of the -crea- 
ture appears to issue horizontally from 
the upper part of this) fbuch/2o'Phe 
quality which'distmgtishés tthis snake 
from allthe other speciéspistits exées- 
sive’ fondness formusic Sand his past 
sion, if sucha termimay le used) as 
strong? in it tian even in the white 
snake: this is so incontestable, ‘that 
when ‘the place ‘of! ‘his retreat’ Gs 
known, he is invariably caught by 
Stephensiana,;’Now EX. 
[July 1, 
these means: The Indians, who gain 
a’ livélihood’ by ‘exhibititic; are ‘also 
thosé'who take, them ;and,'as the me- 
thod “which! 'théy ‘employ for doing» it 
is not gonérally known, the’ following 
scene, which? took place at’ théshouse 
of the ‘govertior of Pondicherry, may 
be considered as interesting: “Diwing 
dinner A servant came! to. inform ‘the 
fanrily, that ‘a hirge vobra capelio had 
been seenéntering! the ee Har # orders 
were given that snakevcatcherishould 
be sent for, and’every onerepdired to 
the cellar 'when'*he artivedvou\fter 
having examinéd ‘the place; tose eer! 
tain where the’ reptile was ‘conceal 
the Malabar squatted ‘down cpon his 
heels, and began to“play pon an in- © 
strument, ‘whicli‘in shape’ resémbled 
a flagcolct, but had’ something of the 
sharp sound ofa’ bagpipe: “Sdarvely 
had a minute elapsed when ‘a cobra 
capello, about “three feetoan Yength; 
crept from under a mat} and placed 
himself at’ a short distance from "the 
man, raising and ‘giving a sort ‘oftvit 
bratory motion to the wpperopartoot 
his body, ‘and ‘extending his pouchp4 
an evident sign of the pleasure which 
the animal felt. 19129 euld Jode 
When all present! had sufficiently 
witnessed this proceeding; @ sign Was 
made to the Malahar, who, seizing: the 
animal by the éendof the tail, took him 
up with rapidity, and place@hin dman 
empty basket. “Before admitting chim 
into the troop of dancers,for! one lof 
them, he, as well as' mostofthe cobra 
capellos that are taken, was destined 
to become,—it' was necessary! to de 
prive him of the means of being amis- 
chievous: ‘Todo this, he wasoplacedsat 
liberty upon the ground,’ he was then 
provoked ‘by being struck with piece 
of red cloth, fastened at the* end of :a 
stick; until at lasthe sprang furiously 
upon the ¢loth, which was then'shaken 
with so ‘much vidlence that. his ‘teeth 
were? at) length pulled ‘out. He owas 
then taken’ again’ ‘by othe! tail) cand 
placed in the basket.1> 
The basketsin which the snakes are 
kept, and of) which ‘the: Indians) géne- 
rallyi carry six) are’ flat’ andrround); 
and fastened like oscalés vat .eaelp send 
éfapieedcof barhbooywhieht restsnpon 
theoshouldérs) of the: bedarero(dWhen 
the. erson “who! keeps the roptiles'ex~ 
hibits them in 'publicsshev commences 
isl J2zoneoin 
by ranking the'baskets beforediim/inia 
semicirele, andsmakes the snakescome 
out in'succession)'! Atthe sound of the 
instrument the animal becomes creet, 
resting 
