sequences attending the bite of these animals, by chewing a certain root, and washing themselves (it is not anointing) with an infusion of certain plants in water. One day, when I was sitting with the brother of Sheikh Adelan, prime minister of Sennaar, a slave of his brought a Cerastes, which he had just taken out of a hole and was using with every sort of familiarity. I told him my suspicion that the teeth had been drawn; but he assured me they were not, as did his master Kitton, who took it from him, wound it round his arm, and at my desire ordered the servant to carry it home with me. I took a chicken by the neck, and made it flutter before him; his seeming indifference left him, and he bit it with great signs of anger; the chicken died almost immediately. I say his seeming indifference, for I constantly observed that, however lively the Viper was before, yet, upon being seized by any of these barbarians, he seemed as if taken with sickness and feebleness, frequently shut his eyes, and never turned his mouth towards the arm of the person who held him.”
Sir W. Jones was assured by a learned native of India, that he had frequently seen the most venomous and malignant Snakes leave their holes upon hearing notes from a flute, which, as he supposed, gave them peculiar delight. Mr. Gogerly, a missionary in India, confirms this statement. He observes, that some persons who were incredulous on the subject, after taking the most careful precautions against any trick or artifice being played, sent a charmer into the garden to prove his powers:—“The man began to play upon his pipe, and proceeding from one part of
