112 



instruments have but one note each, which is played without intermis- 

 sion by different persons. They have the exact effect of the drones of 

 bagpipes, and can be tuned to any key which the leading instruments 

 require, by altering the position of the mouthpiece or reed, and the 

 pipes are tuned to different keys in the same manner. 



16. tHt[ {Poongi). — Snake Chaemee's Pipe. 



These instruments have six notes, and three semitones. Simple, 

 plaintive airs, generally in minor keys, can be played upon them ; bat 

 they are not used with other musical instruments, and belong exclu- 

 sively to the snake charmers and various tribes of jugglers, acrobats, 

 and the like. By the snake charmers, a few notes only are played 

 which seem to have the effect of rousing the snakes to be exhibite " 

 usually cobra di capellos, to action ; and as the reptiles raise themselve 

 on their tails, expand their hoods, and wave themselves to and fro, th 

 players become more excited, while the motion of the snakes is acce 

 lerated by the rapidity of their execution. So also in feats of jugglery 

 or sleight of hand, the poongi, accompanied by a small hand drum, 

 seems to assist the performer, especially when throwing knives or balls 

 into the air, catching them in succession, and throwing them up again. 



I think there is no doubt that the tones of this instrument have an 

 effect upon all snakes, especially cobras, though this is denied by many. 

 As an instance of this I may mention that one very large cobra, which 

 frequented my garden at Ellichpoor, and of which every one was in 

 dread, was caught by some professional snake charmers in my own pre- 

 sence by means of the poongi. It was played at first very softly be- 

 fore the aloe bush, underneath which the snake lived in a hole ; gra- 

 dually the performer increased the tone and time of his playing, and a 

 the snake showed its head, he retreated gently till it was fairly outside 

 and erected itself in a defiant manner. At that moment another man 

 stepped dexterously behind, and, while the snake's attention was ab- 

 sorbed by the player before, threw a heavy blanket upon it, seizing 

 it by the head under the jaws. The head was then pinned down by a 

 forked stick, and the fangs and teeth extracted by strong pincers. The 

 snake was then turned loose, apparently completely cowed and exhausted, 

 and finally transferred to a basket for education as a performer. There 

 was no mistake as to the identity of the reptile ; for a portion of its tail 

 had been shot off in an attempt to destroy it. The same men afterwards 

 drew snakes from the thatch of my house, all of which seemed to obey 

 the fascination of the pipe. 



17. nTO^ (Soor Sotta). 18. flT^TT {Tumboora). 



19. Do. 20. Do. — Eoue-stelnged Lutes, laege and small. 



The four instruments, 17 to 20, are called soor sotta, or tumboora, 

 and are only variations of the tumboora. They consist of a large gourd 



