CHARM AGAINST SNAKES. 
101 
commence early, the locusts early gain strength; and it is then that 
their depredations are most feared, because they commence them before 
the corn has had time to ripen, and they attack the stem when it is 
still tender. 
Harmer* would probably have derived some help from what has hap¬ 
pened to fall under my observation on this subject, in his illustration of the 
17th verse of the 3d chapter of the prophet Nahum; for I conjecture, 
that camping in the hedges in the cold day may be explained by the eggs 
being deposited during the winter; and when the sun ariseth they flee 
away^ may also be illustrated by the flying away of the insect as soon 
as it had felt the sun’s influence. 
The Persians have great faith in a charm called the dum, or breath, 
which they say secures them against the bite of snakes and the sting of 
scorpions ; and the courage was remarkable with which those who pos¬ 
sessed it encountered those reptiles. We had among our servants one 
or two who had this charm; and whenever a snake or a scorpion was 
found, they were immediately called to seize it. The Ferash Bashi, or 
chief of the tent-pitchers, was remarkable for his prowess in such en¬ 
counters ; for I saw him one day seize a snake with his naked hand, 
but which turned upon him, bit him, and hung upon him until blood 
came. The snake was not venomous, and therefore perhaps he seized 
it with confidence. 
Not long ago at Shiraz lived a man greatly celebrated for his sanc¬ 
tity, who had the reputation to possess the dum to such a degree, that 
he communicated it to mureeds^) or disciples, who again dispensed it to 
the multitude. AyoungMirza, brother to the then acting Vizier of Shi¬ 
raz, gave to the Ambassador, as a great present, a knife, which he said 
had been charmed by this holy man, and if rubbed over the bite of a 
snake would instantly cure it. One of his disciples w^as at Shiraz 
whilst we were there, and he willingly complied with our request, that 
he would communicate his charm to us. The operation was simple 
enough. From his pocket he took a piece of sugar, over which he 
* Vol. i. p. 366 to 369. 4th ed. 
