To the Editor of the Oxford Enter-small ones. After they had gone

taining Miscellany.

MR. EDITOR,

through their religious ceremonies most devoutly, they appeared to take an eternal farewell of each If you think the other: this done, one of them refollowing account, of the Arabian tired from the room, and shut the method of charming serpents, door tight after him. The Arab will amuse any of your numerous within seemed to be in dreadful readers, you will oblige me by distress: I could observe his inserting it.

X.

heart throb, and his bosom heave most violently; and he cried out A person who was a spectator very loudly, "Allah honakibeer," of this horrible ceremony, thus three times; which is, as I undercommences his description of it. stood it, "God have mercy on I was placed by one of the me." The Arab was at the farpriests, so that I could look freely thest end of the room: at that and uninterruptedly into the room instant the cage was opened, and where the ceremony was to be a serpent crept out slowly; he performed. It was about 20 feet was about 4 feet long, and 8 inchlong, and 15 broad, paved with es in circumference; his colours tiles, and plastered within. The were the most beautiful in nature, windows had also been secured being bright, and variegated with by an additional grating, made of a deep yellow, a purple, a cream wire, in such a manner as render-colour, black and brown; spotted, ed it impossible for the serpents &c. As soon as he saw the Arab to escape from the room; it had in the room, his eyes, which were but one door, and that had a hole small and green, kindled as with cut through it 6 or 8 inches square; fire; he erected himself in a sethis hole was also secured by a cond, his head 2 feet high; and grating. In the room stood two darting on the defenceless Arab, men who appeared to be Arabs, seized him between the folds of with long bushy hair and beards; his neck, just above his right hip and I was told they were a parti-bone, hissing most horribly; the cular kind of men who could Arab gave a horrid shriek when charm serpents. A wooden box, another serpent came out of the about 4 feet long and 2 feet wide, cage. The last was black, very was placed near the doors, with a shining, and appeared to be 7 or string fastened to a slide at one 8 feet long, but no more than 2 end of it; this string went inches in diameter. As soon as through a hole in the door. The he had cleared the cage, he cast two serpent eaters were dressed his red fiery eyes on his intendinaikos only, and those very ed victim, thrust out his forked

til he ceased to move, and appeared to have expired. In his last struggle he had wounded the black serpent with his teeth, as he was striving as it were, to force his head into his mouth, which wound seemed to increase its rage. At this instant I heard the shrill sound of a whistle, and looking towards the door, saw the other Arab applying a call to his mouth; the serpents listened

tongue, threw himself into a coil, erected his head 3 feet from the floor, and, flattening out the skin above his head and eyes, in the form, and nearly the size of a human heart, and springing like lightning on the Arab, struck its fangs into his neck, near the jugular vein, while his tail and body flew round his neck and arms in two or three folds. The Arab set up the most hideous and pitious yelling; foamed and frothed to the music; their fury seemed at the mouth; grasping the folds to forsake them by degrees; they of the serpent, which were round disengaged themselves leisurely his arms, with his right hand; from the apparently lifeless carand seemed to be in the greatest case; and, creeping towards the agony, striving to tear the reptile cage, they soon entered it, and from around his neck; while, with his left, he seized hold of it near its head, but could not break its hold. By this time the other had turned itself round his legs and had kept biting all around the other parts of his body, making apparently deep incisions: companion set, he thrust in the the blood issuing from every chisel, forced them open, and wound, streamed all over his back and skin. My blood was chilled in my veins with horror at this sight; and it was with difficulty my legs would support my frame. his lungs with air. He next aNotwithstanding the Arab's great-nointed his numerous wounds

were immediately fastened in.— The door of the apartment was now opened, and he without ran to assist his companion; he had a phial of blackish liquor in one hand, and an iron chisel in the other. Finding the teeth of his

then poured a little of the liquor into his mouth; and, holding the lips together, applied his mouth to the dead man's nose, and filled

est exertions to tear away the ser- with a little of the same liquid, pents with his hands, they turned and yet no sign of life appeared. themselves still tighter, stopped I thought he was dead in earnhis breath, and he fell to the floor; est: his neck and veins were exwhere he continued for a moment ceedingly swollen, when his comas if in the most inconceiv-rade taking up the lifeless trunk able agony, rolling over, and co- in his arms, brought it into the vering every part of his body open air and then continued the with his own blood and froth, un-operation of blowing for several

that he and his associates were of that favored number. The Moors

minutes before any sign of life appeared; at length he gasped, and after a time, recovered so far as and Arabs call the thick and to be able to speak. The swell-beautiful serpent, El Effal, and ings in his neck, body, and legs, the long, black, and heart-headed gradually subsided, as they con- one, El Bushfar. They are said tinued washing the wounds with to be very numerous on or about clear cold water and a sponge, and the south Atlas mountains and applying the black liquor occasi- border of the desert, where these onally. A clean haik was wrap- were caught when young, and ped about him: but his strength where they often attack both men seemed so far exhausted, that he and beasts. These poor Arabs could not support himself stand-who thus torture themselves are ing; so his companion laid him not ignorant Arabs; as far as on the ground by a wall, where relates to the subject in question, he sunk into a sleep. This exhi- neither are they deluded; they bition lasted for about a quarter of an hour from the time the serpents were let loose, until they were called off; and it was more than an hour from that time before he could speak. I thought I could discover that the poison-vored by the Deity. ous fangs had been pulled out of

voluntarily submit to these tortures, because the result of them is the most unbounded veneration and respect from their fellow-citizens, who look up to them as persons peculiarly hallowed and fa

What will not the love of pow

these formidable serpents' jaws, er urge the ambitious to attempt ?

and mentioned that circumstance to the showman, who said that they had been extracted; and when I wished to know how swellings on his neck and other parts could be assumed, he assured me, that though their deadly fangs

were out, yet, that the poisonous quality of their breath and spittle

would cause the death of those

Travels.

An Abridgment of the Travels of a
Gentleman through France, Italy,
Turkey in Europe, the Holy Land,
Arabia, Egypt, &c.

(Continued from page 144.)

From Fontainebleau we had a

they attacked: that after a bite from either of these serpents, no man could exist longer than 15 minutes and that there was no re-pleasant day's journey to Sens in medy for any, but those who were Champagne. This ancient city endowed by the Almighty to stands on the river Yonne, is large charm and to manage them; and and well built. The cathedral,

to market.

of the Rhone and the Saone, about 260 miles south-east of Paris.This city has six gates and an old castle upon a rock, called Pierre-encise, where the prisoners

dedicated to St. Stephen, is a deemed the pleasantest city in magnificent structure, with two France, is situated at the conflux great towers; at the foot of the thief altar is a golden table, enriched with precious stones, upon which are the four Evangelists in bass-relief, with St. Stephen on his knees, in the middle of them. The of state are confined; and also the wine of Champagne has a great strong fort of St. John, on the hill reputation, but we found by ex-called St. Sebastian's. Part of the perience that they send the best town lies high, part low; one may live on the side of the river, or at From Sens we proceeded to a distance from the water: in Dijon, which is pleasantly situated some streets we have all the hurry in a plain between two rivers. Its of business; in others we have a fortifications are strong, though pleasing stillness; and in the ancient; and it has a castle, flank-skirts of the place we enjoy the ed with four large round towers. beauties of the country, without The public buildings in this city being at a great distance from the are numerous.—Having staid here heart of the city. In short, here about a week, we proceeded to is a vast variety, out of which Chalons, a well-built spacious every taste may find something town; it has good fortifications that is agreeable.

and a citadel with four royal bastions. The antiquity of this place appears from the great number of statues and inscriptions, as also from the ruins of an amphitheatre, and other public buildings.

The cathedral, dedicated to St. John, is a magnificent and venerable pile. This church is famous for the surprising mechanism and motions of its clock, which is placed in an isle near the choir, At Chalons we took water, and on the top whereof stands a cock, had a very agreeable passage to which every three hours claps his Lyons, having on each hand of us wings, and crows thrice; in a such a variegated prospect of vil- gallery underneath, a door opens lages, country-seats, and vine- on one side, out of which comes yards, as afforded the finest land- the Virgin Mary; and from a door scapes imaginable. We arrived on the other side, the angel Gaabout sunset, highly delighted briel, who meets and salutes her; with the beauty of the country at the same time a door opens in through which we had passed, the the alcove part, out of which the politeness of its inhabitants, and form of a dove, representing the the good entertainment we had Holy Ghost, descends on the Virmet with. Lyons, which may be gin's head after which they re

turn in again, and from a door in the Atlantic ocean, and thereby a the middle, comes a figure of a trade opened to England, Holland, Reverend Father, lifting up his and the north. From the Loire, hands, and giving his benediction also, goods are conveyed by the to the spectators. The days of the canal of Orleans into the Loings, week are represented by seven and from thence down the Seine figures, each of which takes place to Paris. The neighbourhood of in a niche on the morning of the Savoy and Swisserland, and Geday it represents, and continues neva, ought to be reckoned among there till midnight. But, per- its other advantages. By these. haps, the greatest singularity is means Lyons is the centre of a an oval plate, marked with the prodigious trade, keeps a vast minutes of an hour, which are ex-number of artificers and mechaactly pointed out by a hand reach-nics employed, and is filled with ing the circumference, and which merchants of all nations. They insensibly dilates and contracts itself during its revolution.

have four free fairs every year. One of the principal commodities at these fairs is books, the number of which is inconceivable to any but those who have seen them.

The church of St. Nizier is not much inferior to that already described; the choir being adorned with excellent paintings, exhibit-This city is also famous for having ing the history of our Saviour. been a considerable time the resi

The Jesuits have two colleges dence of Augustus, and the birthin this city. place of Claudius Cæsar. It was The Hospital of Charity is a the theatre of the fifth persecularge building, wherein many hun- tion, under the Emperor Septimidreds of poor are constantly kept us Severus, when it is said that at work. nineteen thousand christians suffered martyrdom in this place.

To be continued.

The antiquity of this city is evident from the ruins of several Roman structures, particularly of an amphitheatre, divers aqueducks, public baths, &c. This city enjoys a situation so commo- Etymologies, &c.-Before the dious for trade as is hardly to be use of parchment and paper, the paralleled. The Rhone opens a Romans ingeniously contrived to gate to the commerce of Italy and use the thin peel which was Spain, to that of Africa and the found on trees, between the wood Levant. Twelve leagues of land and the bark. The skin they carriage sends all sorts of mer-called liber, whence the Latin chandise to the Loire, by which a word liber, a book; and we have communication is acquired with derived the names of library and