Page
VICKERS LONDON CIN
of Sver
The Label which is “A CERTIFICATE OF PURITY!'
ปา
“Foth Brands are Foncficial"
FINEST LONDON OLD TOM FINEST LONDON Unsweetened
THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TE. 1998.
Price: Per Case, 1 doz. qts., Duty Paid-826.00--
SOLE AGENTS:
1
A CHARMER OF SNAKES.
UNCANNY
THE REAL 'EAST,”.
POWERS "OF A NOMAD.
[FROM A CORUKSPUNDEŃT TO
THE TIMES."]
It was a hot day. I was sitting at my office table, which had been brought out ea to the veranlah to avoid the stuffs atmosphere of the room in which usually work. My munchi timian olerki squatted on a 'miat beside me and was droning out the day's vernacular core. apondence in his usual agmotor,
Gradually horne to my cars on the light laceze eye the musical chant of the
OF
-Walking quickly across the lawn to the carriage drive, my strange visitor threw the make on to the gravel, au na it Wriggled its way towards the grass, be mado a quick movement and again; seized it-this time behind the head. The snake wis now powerless, and the man lifted it. writhing, from the ground. Then, taking! up his discarded saffron-coloured robe, he rolled one curter of it into a sunl! ball
um thrust it at the reptile's head." The head shot forward, and two white fangs buried thetaselves deep in the cloth. The snakechariner gave the cloth a left twist and a sharp "pull, then opened it, show. ing a wet patch of poison with two Bleed-
WORLD THEATRE
at 5.15 and 9.15 p..
EDWARD
"THE
sin," the pipe useil by the snake ing fangs embedded in the centre, while!" THE
ghatimers all over India, with which they blood issued from the sanke's mouth, are said to roax the reptiles from their See. Hyzor, the Evil One. is now "help-
hiling places. The sands grew louder, } less," quoth the charmner, and threw the and presently the musician came in view; † saaks to the ground, whence it scuttled A picturesque figure he mufe-a saffron-into the vernadab to avoid the unafeus. coloured turism wound shout his heal, come heat of the su and his long. louse garments, of the ame bue, waving gracefdly in the wind.", His feet were enensed in long, intell shoes,
SNAKES. IN THE HOUSE.
My visitor again sahummed and asked, in his flowers Eastern language, før d'
GANDE, PRICE @ CO., LTD., artistically embroidered, and across his fitting reward, i gave him two rupees.
Tel: Central No. 135,
No. 8, QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL
HONGKONG,
DAIRY FARM NEWS
KRAFT LOAF CHEESE'
No Rind-No Wasta-100 Cheese
80 cents Per lb.
AUSTRALIAN CHEDDAR
Flavour Unequalled 80 cents. Per lb.
COULOMMIER
Own Make
40 cents Per Pat.
DURING
HUMID
WEATHER
Insects and germa breed and multiply! rapidly.
To combat their impressed "activities the "careful housewife #prays freely with
LOTOL
This also produces a pleasant refreshing atmosphere, with just that sense of cleanliness which is so invigorating during this trying weather.
Insist
on
Lotol
Obtainable at All Leading Stuces and Dispensaries.
RADIO EQUIPMENT
be Tests ring made by the Hongkong Hotel Co., Ltd.
Jay be beard in your own home, but be" certain the Set you accure has been approved" by the Fostmaster General:
We
Guarantee
Our British and Sets to comply with "any future Kules and Regulations in respect of Receiving Sete in Hongkong,
ELECTRICAL DEPT.
Hongkong Hot
DRUGS
Co., Ltd.
PRESCRIPTIONS
When the Doctor prescribes he expects the Draggist to fill the prescription with Fure Drugs. The quality of our Drugs, Kedicines and Toilet Goods is not surpassed Have the Doctor's Frescription fled here and the result will be satisfactory
THE PHARMACY,
(189
THE RED BUILDING (OProSITE ICE HOUSE ST
at the same time wondering if he had **plantes the spake on me with the cop. nivance of my servants before starting his performuner. I was soon, however, to change my ideas. For my visitor, s E reading my thoughts, remarked: "Is the Sahih aware that there are other snakes here, even inside his house! Di I not hear them talking whilst dealing with this viuer " I was forced to smile. s immediately concluded that the mai merely wanted an opportunity to get in side my bungalow and help himself to my kit. These snake-charmees all belong to criminal tribes and live on what they can beg, borrow, or steal
shoulders he carried a pole, from either end of which
A cloth bundle was slung, gontaining all his kit and stock-in-trade.
On seeing me he halted near the cactus hedge ordering any wompound, and, making a low obeisance, inquired. Ap mera tainasha' dekhna chahte hain?" Does your bonar wish to see per forhi 2"). 1 told my menush toʻseud the man away, as 1 bal several times seen So-called snake charmers perform", their asual entertainment, consisting of setting a mongouse to worry a half-drugged stake Again the fellow seemed to know what was passing in my mind, for he remark from which the fangs have already been
ed: There is no need for me to enter removed-a, rather revolting performance. the Sabil's house. Should he desire it I will call the snake hither." He picked The may was preparing to nove, uti when I suddenly thought that I would up his "bin" and began to play. It was a repetition of his previous dirge, but this like to buy hishin." Their music has time te danced towards the door of a always fascinated me and is unlike any disused bathroon, which was kept lock- thing else I have ever heard.. The notes ed. I followed eagerly. Dancing to and are all in a wind key, very penetrating fra the man arrived at some six paces and rather sad. The "bin" itself con from the door, and, playing his pipe with sists of a hollowed gourd with about sis one land, he pointed with the other. I luches of the vine attached the vine, too, watched intently, and there I saw some- being hollowed-out and used as a mouth. thing move in a crack between the door. piece. A hole is cut in the big end of the post and the brickwork. The musician gourd, large enough to allow two bambon continued to play, and the head of a sticks to be inserted, and in each of these snake appeared, then its hedy. Finally aticks is placed a real, the joint snaden krait wriggled into full view and came air-tight with a kind of wax. Holes are quickly towards the man. It was only a pierced at fixeal intervals in the brunoo sinali snake, some 18in. long, but known sticks-six or eight in one stick and one as one of the most venomous in India;. it the other. The former produce the its lite is fatal in three hours. It was various notes, while the latter acts in the within 3ft. of the snake charmer, when he Bnddenly thrust out his arm and seized it same way as the drone of the bagpipe.
behind the bend. Again taking his saffron-coloured robe he treated the krait as he had treated the viper.
ASSWER TO A CHALLENGE,
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(HOOT)
in
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I called the man to the nud he came and squatted in the verandah, after carefully
By this time I was beginning to feel" placing his bundles or the ground and salaning hambly. On closer nequaint rather nervous, and looked anxiously
He had around, wondering when and where the AUTHORISED CAPTITAL ance he was rather startling. long, natted hair and a pair of wild- next snake would appear. Hurriedly I SUBSCRIBED AND PAID UP looking eyes, and his nails-looked like gave the man another five rupees, hoping RESERVE FEND talons. He seemer rather astonished that he would pack up and go, but he when I asked him to sell me his bin. askel for an uhl coat to keep him warm Apparently Englishmen do not usually in the winter. Eventually I gave him a make such strange requests. What could blanket, and he called down the blessings a Sahib want with a bin 7 is re- of Allah on my head, but did but depart fusal to sell was quité definite, but, in until I had given him a note certifying
that the blanket was a gift. He stead of going away, he untied one of his bundles and disclosed a round. flat basket afraid that the police might accuse him of
being in possession of stolen property. with a lid.
was
Before departure he carefully collected his latest acquisitions from under the duwer-puts, where they had hidden them. selves, and, cailing them up in much the same manner as one would coil up'u rope; tied them into the spare ends of his foin cloth. Then, having resumed his saffron- coloured robe and taken up his pole, wich its accompanying bundles, he bowed he and departed. He was soon lost to view,' but the wailing notes of this pipe were audille for subic minutes, dying gradu." ally away in the distance. lehetantly,
returned to my offee table and the.. drosing voice of my as he re sumed the reading of the day's reports.
felt that 1 had at last got a glimpse of
£5,000,000 £2.594,180 £115,000
HEAD OFFICE 122, Leadenhall Street, London, E.C. 3. WEST LONDON BRANCH: 14-16, Cockapur Street, London, S.W. 1.
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E
The Corporation undertakes General Banking Exchange Bains of every description B in addition to its Branches bas Agencies in al the principal Cities of the world.
0. CHAMPKIN,
Manager. 22, Des Vorax Road Central, Hongkong.
***** Boy! A¡Good Smoke my Slippers and Armchair."
THE
Hoten (Mukden):- Yamato Hotel
Ryojun (Fort Arthur): --
Yamisto Hotel
RÜSSO-ASIATIC BAIL
***
Roubles. $5,000,000 28,960,000
Kap. Ta
+
3,600,00
1,750,000
CAPITAL (FULLY-PAID) HEAXEVE FUND CAPITAL CONTRIBUTED' BY THE
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HEAD OFFICE: Paris 4, Rua Boudreau. LONDON_OFFICE;
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HONGKONG BRANCH:
the real East, as I had always imagined HONGKONG CIGAR STORE, LTD. Bis discounted.
it from nursery days-the East. of the Jungle Book and the Arabian Nights."
He then picked up his pipe and, seating himself cross-legged before the basket. began to play. At first the notes were low and coaxing, but gradually grew in volume until they developed into a very spiritel measure, Suddenly the lid of the basket was forced up from inside and the distended head of a large cobra appear- ed. It swayed to and fro, keepiüg time with the music, ccensionally striking at the musician. It could do him no harm its fangs had been removed, Presently the music decreased in volume and ex- pired in a final wail, white the cobra sank back into the basket. My wild-looking visitor thereupon replaced the lid, tied up his bundle, and, again salaaming, asked that he might be rewarded for hit entertainment. I laughingly remarked that I did not think much of his per- formance, and added that it did not com. pare very lavourably with a real snake- I have since thought about the uncanny charmer's tumashu (show), such as a fight powers of my snake charmer. He belong. Put to a nomadic tribe, which hins ucver between a mongoose and a snake,
The man was far from abashed, hut, lived under a roof, and which, like our taking my remark as a challenge, he ask-English gipsies, always sleeps under the ed: The Sahih thinks that this is all I can show him-that only this feeble one (indienting the bundle containing the caben) will answer my call? Come will show the Presence that, I ens entice even the jungle snake from his lair Without further ado he began to discard his clothing, leaving himself with only a cloth about his loins. Then, seizing his bin." he begin to play loudly, at the same tine dancing lightly to and fro, his eyes glaring madly. The music, if such it may be called, consisted merely of two
notes in a minor key played alternately
in quick succession.
Swaying backwards and forwards, the anake charmer danced his way across the lawn toward a dense hed of flowers. Suddenly he ceased playing and cane to a standstill, eckoning me eagerly to coine to bin. I made my was gingerly across the lawn, and as I approached, he said. in a tense whisper: "Listen, Sahib? The Evil One answers my.eall. See! Here
•he comes."
He pointed to the flower hed. I could ace nothing, but moved back to a safe distance. The snake-charmer tore a handful of grass from the Inwa and made a sudden dive into the flower bed, shouting: "la Shaitan! (Satan), I havo caught you." There was a tremendhus hiso and the man stood upright, holding at arm's longtha oft. viper which he had seized near the tail, while it darted its head hither and thither in a fruitless attempt to strike him.
start. When rain or cold forces them to seek shelter, such shelter consists of a hive made of hedge sticks and old rag Their diet consists of grass, frogs, and wakes, Froni childhood such people are on intimate terms with the jungle and all that it contains. They live on asore or less equal terms with the creatures of the wilds, and this power which they have over snakes, and which, no doubt, thot also have over other animals, appears as strange and uncanny only to those whom the world enlls civilized-whose cars have
Do not supply Slippers and Chair, but They" doįsupply a
GOOD SMOKE.
[83
When in doubt about your eyes
or your glasses
Consult
CHINESE OPTICAL CO.
Eye-sight |Specialists."
Interest allowed on Current Accounts and Fixed Deposits. Torms on application. Locat
Foreign Exchange on the Principal Cities o the World bought sud sold.
B. A. RODGERS, B37]
THE
Manager.
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO...
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HEAD OFFIGNA'
NEW YORK CITY
INTERNATIONAL
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