50 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



reputed adepts at curing rheumatisn, gout, tooth- 

 ache, and other complaints ; professors of witch- 

 craft, experts in cupping, applying moxas and 

 actual cautery, as well as snake-charmers. In 

 fact, they take to whatever comes in their way 

 to protect themselves from being taken up by 

 the police as thieves, for thieves they are of the 

 most inveterate type. Some time ago I put a 

 few notes together about them 



" As snake-charmers these people are by no 

 means successful or noted. They differ from the 

 Mai in taking their women to join them in their 

 profession, which the Mais never do. I have 

 never seen a Mai woman. The Sanyis are known 

 in Bengal by the name of tubri-wallahs. I am 

 not aware of where their head-quarters are, but 

 there is no doubt they come to Bengal from the 

 North- West. They are always dressed in yellow 

 clothes and a large turban, and have a double 

 pipe mounted on a gourd shell — the tubri — with 

 the music of which they pretend to charm and 

 draw out snakes from holes and cracks, not un- 

 often from the bedding in the houfees of the per- 

 sons who employ them. For this purpose they 

 carry about several snakes on their persons hid- 

 den under the folds of their flowing garments ; 



