Judge — March 15, 1890 — page 4: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This ten-panel sequential narrative depicts a Indian fakir (holy man) attempting to charm a cobra through a basket, a traditional "snake charmer" act. The progression shows the fakir's growing distress as the serpent becomes increasingly uncooperative and aggressive, culminating in what appears to be the fakir fleeing or being attacked. The satire likely uses this scenario as a political allegory about British colonial rule in India (the "Indies"). The fakir represents India or Indian resistance, while the serpent may symbolize British imperial power—ostensibly controllable through traditional means (charm/diplomacy) but ultimately "restive" and dangerous. The joke suggests Indian attempts to manage or appease colonial authority were futile and increasingly perilous. This reflects late-19th-century American attitudes toward colonialism and racial stereotypes of Indian culture.