SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE. 51 



but openly they shew only a few or none. As 

 professed vagrants they may purloin whatever 

 falls in their way, but they are by no means 

 notorious as thieves. They may be seen every- 

 where in the North-West, and I believe (though 

 I cannot speak from personal knowledge) also in 

 Southern India. I have met with notices of them 

 in old Sanskrit books, and it is probable that, as 

 a class, they have existed in India from a very 

 early age. Their pipe is peculiar to them ; it is 

 never used by the Mais, the Modaris, and the 

 Bediyas for charming snakes, nor by any of the 

 Indian races for musical entertainment." Most 

 of these snake-charmers, especially the tubri- 

 wallahs, are very fond of alcohol, particularly 

 brandy ; the more fiery the better. The crime snakes used 



• • T 1 11* 1 1 1 /^i ****" criminal 



of homicide by snake-bite, we are told by Uhevers, purposes. 

 was rather a full history from very ancient times. 

 Snakes were employed also for purposes of war. 

 Hannibal and Antiochus defeated the Romans in 

 a novel action by throwing earthen pots filled 

 with the reptiles into their ships. In Paradin's 

 " Chronique de Savoye " it is mentioned that a 

 Saracen ship was taken, in which were snakes in 

 cages, which were intended to be thrown among 

 the Christians in their camp. He gives other 



