Note 12 — Chapter I

There is a sort of mountebanks not only in Ceylon, but in many other parts of the East Indies, who make a trade of taming serpents, which they pretend to do by incantation, and carry them about by way of show. I once witnessed the taming of a serpent, a black snake about four feet in length, by an English gentleman at Harrowgate, in the neighbourhood of Philadelphia. He was remarkably fond of snakes for pets, and had them not only to follow him, but also to be about in the house among his children, who became familiar with them; and, although young myself, I observed that they were passive and obedient, and knew by instinct their dependence on his favours.

The incantation, that Mr. C—d used, was simply this: The snake was put into a room, and Mr. C. took in with him a bowl of milk, and the door was closed. Having taken off his coat, and put on a glove, he proceeded towards his antagonist, who, being prepared for the attack, made at him, but was repulsed; a second and third attempt was made, but he was thrown back as before. The snake finding himself mastered, did not think proper to renew the combat, and crawled into the corner panting for breath. Mr. C. now took some of the milk and placed it before him, without the least fear, and after he had finished it, he gave him more. This he continued until the snake was satisfied. After which, to the astonishment of all who witnessed the experiment, he took it up, and having wound itself round his arm, he carried it home. Whether he examined his mouth, destroyed the fang, or the vesicular sac, (if it had one), I do not recollect; but this same snake was afterwards a great favorite, and would follow his master like a dog, and even play about with the children. I mention this incident to show, that serpents possess considerable instinct, and are, like domestic animals, conscious of their friends and benefactors, and may be trained in the same manner.

In the island of Ceylon, there is a small animal called the Indian Ichneumon, which destroys snakes in abundance; but, what is remarkable, he only attacks them in an open place, where he has an opportunity of running to a certain herb, which he knows instinctively to be an antidote against the poison of the bite, if he should happen to receive one. The monkeys of India, knowing the malignity of snakes, make a business of hunting and destroying them at night; after seizing them, they carry them to a stone, and beat their heads until the fangs are destroyed, and then exultingly throw them in the air. The poison is lodged in two small vesicles, and when the animal bites they are squeezed, and the poison is forced through the fangs into the wound. If the vesicles be extracted, or the liquid prevented from flowing into the wound, the bite is harmless.