is produced we know not, but the snake remains on its back,
perfectly still, as if dead. During this time the first cobra has remained
coiled up, with head erect, apparently watching the proceedings of the
Arab. After a pause, the lad takes up the second cobra, and carrying it to
the first, pinches and irritates both, to make them fight; the fiercer
snake seizes the other by the throat, and coiling round him, they roll
struggling across the stage. Mohammed then leaves these serpents in charge
of Jubar and draws a third snake out of the box. This he first ties in a
variety of apparently impossible knots, and then holding him at a little
distance from his face, allows the snake to strike at it, just dodging
back each time sufficiently far to avoid the blow. The serpent is then
placed in his bosom next his skin, and left there, but it is not so easy
after a time to draw it out of its warm resting-place. The tail is pulled;
but, no! the serpent is round the lad's body, and will not come. After
several unsuccessful efforts, Mohammed rubs the tail briskly between his
two hands, a process which--judging from the writhings of the serpent,
which are plainly visible--is the reverse of agreeable. At last Mohammed
pulls him hand-over-hand--as the sailors say--and, just, as the head flies
out, the cobra makes a parting snap at his tormentor's face, for which he
receives a smart cuff on the head, and is then with the others replaced in
the box.

Dr. John Davy, in his valuable work on Ceylon, denies that the fangs are
extracted from the serpents which are thus exhibited; and says that the
only charm employed is that of courage and confidence--the natives avoiding
the stroke of the serpent with wonderful agility; adding, that they will
play their tricks with any hooded snake, but with no other poisonous
serpent.

In order that we might get at the truth, we sought it from the
fountain-head, and our questions were thus most freely answered by
Jubar-Abou-Haijab, Hamet acting as interpreter:

_Q._ How are the serpents caught in the first instance?

_A._ I take this adze (holding up a sort of geological hammer mounted on a
long handle) and as soon as I have found a hole containing a cobra, I
knock away the earth till he comes out or can be got at; I then take a
stick in my right hand, and seizing the snake by the tail with the left,
hold it at arm's length. He keeps trying to bite, but I push his head away
with the stick. After doing thi