. Reminiscences; the story of an emigrant. girl asked the passen-gers to permit him to perform a trick. This being granted,he placed a round wicker basket, resembling a paper waste-basket, on the deck, and the little girl sat down in it so thather head and feet w^ere flush with the edge of the basket,which was thus fairly filled up by the girl. Thereupon theHindoo put the cover on and took a long, straight, double-edged sword which he ran through the basket in all direc-tions. It was a shocking sight, some of the ladies screamed, 254 Story of an Emigrant. others fainted. But when he removed th
. Reminiscences; the story of an emigrant. girl asked the passen-gers to permit him to perform a trick. This being granted,he placed a round wicker basket, resembling a paper waste-basket, on the deck, and the little girl sat down in it so thather head and feet w^ere flush with the edge of the basket,which was thus fairly filled up by the girl. Thereupon theHindoo put the cover on and took a long, straight, double-edged sword which he ran through the basket in all direc-tions. It was a shocking sight, some of the ladies screamed, 254 Story of an Emigrant. others fainted. But when he removed the cover from thebasket the girl came out alive and without injury. Thesword was handed to us for inspection, and I am perfectlysure that it was a straight, solid, honest infantry all this time the basket stood on the deck of the shipso that no springs, machinery or other contrivance could beconcealed under it. Snake charmers are very common in India. When one ofthese is to perform a trick he asks for a piece of paper, which. SNAKE CHARMERS, he puts in the out-stretched hand of the spectator, and be-gins to play on his flute, and stare with his eyes as if he seessomething near the hand. His whole body seems to bechanged ; writhing like a worm, he continually plays on theinstrument and keeps his eyes riveted on the hand. Sudden-ly he rushes forward and points to the same. But the spec-tator sees nothing, and the charmer again plays and con-torts his bodv still more wildly. His arms are bare up tothe elbows, holds,the .flute with both hands. Sud- Story of an Emigrant. 255 detily he throws his flute away, continues his motions andrepeats incantations. Again he points to the paper, andwhile the observer turns his eyes in that direction withoutseeing anything unusual, the charmer presses his folded handsdown on it and pulls out three large cobras, raising theirheads and stretching out their poisonous tongues in dififer-ent directions while he holds them in his ha
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidreminiscence, bookyear1892
