LEAVES FROM THE NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 



65 



the 24th, who was expert enough, and in dexterity 

 equalled those we have in Europe ; but can do one 

 thing the Europeans are not able to imitate ; namely, 

 fascinate serpents. They take the most poisonous 

 vipers with their bare hands, play with them, put 

 them in their bosoms, and use a great many more 

 tricks with them, as I have often seen. The per- 

 son I saw on the above day had only a small viper, 

 but I have frequently seen them handle those that 

 are three or four feet long, and of the most horrid 

 sort. I inquired and examined whether they had 

 cut out the viper's poisonous teeth ; but I have seen 

 with my own eyes they do not : we may therefore 

 conclude, that there are to this day Psylli in Egypt ; 

 but what art they use is not easily known. Some 

 people are very superstitious ; and the generality 

 believe this to be done by some supernatural art, 

 which they obtain from invisible beings. I do not 

 know whether their power is to be ascribed to good 

 or evil ; but I am persuaded that those who under- 

 take it use many superstitions. I shall hereafter 

 give a plainer description, with some observations 

 on this subject.* 



This was in June, and, according to his promise, 

 Hasselquist thus resumes the subject : 



The 3d (July.) Now was the time to catch 

 all sorts of snakes to be met with in Egypt, the 

 great heats bringing forth these vermin ; I there- 

 fore made preparation to get as many as I could, 

 and at once received four different sorts, which I 

 have described and preserved in aqua vita. These 

 were the common Viper, the Cerastes of Alpin, 

 Jaculus, and an Anguis marinus. They were 

 brought me by a Psylli, who put me, together with 

 the French consul, Lironcourt, and all the French 

 nation present, in consternation. They gathered 

 about us to see how she handled the most poison- 

 ous and dreadful creatures, alive and brisk, without 

 their doing, or even offering to do, her the least 

 harm. When she put them into the bottle where 

 they were to be preserved, she took them with her 

 bare hands, and handled them as our ladies do their 

 laces. She had no difficulty with any but the Vi- 

 perae officinales, which were not fond of their lodg- 

 ing. They found means to creep out before the bot- 

 tle could be corked. They crept over the hands 

 and bare arms of the woman, without occasioning 

 the least fear in her ; she with great calmness took 

 the snakes from her body, and put them into the place 

 destined for their grave. She had taken these ser- 

 pents in the field with the same ease she handled 

 them before us ; this we were told by the Arab who 

 brought her to us. Doubtless this woman had some 

 unknown art which enabled her to handle these 

 creatures. It was impossible to get any informa- 

 tion from her, for on this subject she would not 

 open her lips. The art of fascinating serpents is a 

 secret among the Egyptians. It is worthy the en- 

 deavors of all naturalists, and the attention of every 

 traveller, to learn something decisive relative to 

 this affair. How ancient this art is amongst the 

 Africans, may be concluded from the ancient Marsi 

 and Psylli, who were from Africa, and daily showed 

 proofs of it at Rome. It is very remarkable that 

 this should be kept a secret for more than 2000 

 years, being known only to a few, when we have 

 seen how many other secrets have within that time 

 been revealed. 



Monsieur Jacquin wrote to Linnaeus that he had 

 purchased the secret of charming serpents, and 



* Voyages and Travels in the Levant, in the years 

 1749, 50, 51, 52. 



that the Aristolochia anguicida, the Mexican Aris- 

 tolochia, or Birthwort, was the plant used by 

 the Indians for that purpose. Forskhal also in- 

 formed the illustrious Swede that the Egyptians 

 use a species of Aristolochia, but without desig- 

 nating it. To return to Hasselquist : 



The circumstances relating to the fascination of 

 serpents in Egypt stated to me, were principally, 



1st. That the art is only known to certain fami- 

 lies, who propagate it to their offspring. 



2d. The person who knows how to fascinate 

 serpents, never meddles with other poisonous ani- 

 mals ; such as scorpions, &c. There are different 

 persons who know how to fascinate these animals ; 

 and they again never meddle with serpents. 



3d. Those that fascinate serpents eat them both 

 raw and boiled, and even make broth of them, which 

 they eat very commonly amongst them ; but in 

 particular, they eat such a dish when they go out 

 to catch them. I have even been told that serpents, 

 fried or boiled, are frequently eaten by the Ara- 

 bians, both in Egypt and Arabia, though they know 

 not how to fascinate them, but catch them either 

 alive or dead. 



4th. After they have eaten their soup, they 

 procure a blessing from their scheik, who uses 

 some superstitious ceremonies, and, amongst others, 

 spits on them several times with certain gestures. 



After making this statement, Hasselquisl thus 

 continues : 



The matter of getting a blessing from the priest 

 is pure superstition, and certainly cannot in the least 

 help to fascinate serpents ; but they beli&ve, or will 

 at least persuade others, that the power of fasci- 

 nating serpents depends upon this circumstance. 

 We see, by this, that they know how to make use 

 of the same means used by other nations; namely, 

 to hide under the superstitious cloak of religion 

 what may be easily and naturally explained, espe- 

 cially when they cannot or will not explain the nat- 

 ural reason. I am inclined to think that all which 

 was formerly, and is yet, reckoned witchcraft, 

 might come under the same article with the fasci- 

 nation of serpents. The discovery of a small 

 matter may in time teach everybody to fascinate 

 serpents ; and then this power may be exercised by 

 those who have not got it from the hands of the 

 holy scheik, just as the heat would naturally hatch 

 chickens in an Egyptian oven ; whether a scheik 

 did or did not lay himself naked on it, when the 

 eggs are just put in : yet to this ceremony do the 

 superstitious Egyptians ascribe the happy event of 

 the chicken being hatched, when they are asked 

 the reason. I have been told of a plant with which 

 they anoint or rub themselves before they touch the 

 serpents ; but I have not hitherto received the least 

 description of it, therefore I regard it as fabulous. 



Bruce, whose testimony is worthy of all credit, 

 notwithstanding the vile usage he met with from 

 many of his contemporaries, shall next be 

 called : 



The cerastes (writes the Abyssinian traveller) 

 moves with great rapidity, and in all directions 

 forward, backward, and sideways. When he in- 

 clines to surprise any one who is too far from him, 

 he creeps with his side towards the person, and his 

 head averted, till, judging his distance, he turns 

 round, springs upon him, and fastens upon the part 

 next to him; for it is not true what is said, that 

 the cerastes does not leap or spring. I saw one of 



