The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-10-16 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

VANAMBURGH, THE LION TAMER.

(As several inaccurate accounts have obtained publicity re-
lative to Mr. Vanamburgh and his method of obtaining
the mastery over the wild beasts under his charge, with
the discipline he adopts for their management, he has fa-
voured us with the following details as a means of setting
. at rest the strange speculations afloat on the subject.—
Atlas.
Isaac A. Vanamburgh was horn in the year 1811, at Fish-
kill, iu Duchess County, on the banks of the Hudson River,
in the state of New York. His parents were farmers, and
he himself was put into a grocery establishment in the city of
New Vrk, at an early age, as clerk. In this situation he
remained until he was about twenty years of age, and at this
period it was that his introduction to his present avocations
commenced. Being iu the neighbouring state of New Jer-
sey, where an exhibition of animals was taking place, the
operations were suspended on account of, the absence of the
keeper, who alone-of the troupe was accustomed to enter the
cage of the lion. The company beicrg dissatisfied, and the
people connected with the menagerie not knowing what to
do in the emergency, Vanamburgh volunteered for whatever
the keeper had been accustomed to perform, although he had
first to be instructed what that was. Previous to this be
knew nothing of the habits of wild animals, and had never
even touched one. "The lion, who was alone," says Mr.
Vanamburgh, "seemed to look upon me as a stranger, but I
handled him with confidence, and he soon got accustomed to
me. I entered the cage without the slightest trepidation;
and duting the whole of my subsequent career I am satisfied
that the beasts, however savage they may be, had an instinc-
tive sense that my temper was uglier than theirs, and that it
was in my power to devour them if I pleased." His success
in his first experiment attracted his attention to a pursuit
with which he had become acquainted by chance, and, on
further knowledge of the parties, he gave up his previous
business, and connected himself with the lion and his owner.
The whiter he fulfilled an engagement at the Bowery Thea-
tre, in New York, in a piece entitled the Lion .Doomed ; or,
the Bandit of Benares, in which he had a combat with the
beast on the stage. This was the first instance of a lion ap-
pearing on the boards of an American Theatre. Mr. Van-
amburgh then went to the Zoological Institute in New York,
one of the largest establishments of the kind known, as it
employs from 60 to 100 Hotteutots and native hunters at the
Cape of Good Hope, for the purpose of going into the inte-
rior of South Africa, under the command of a Scotchtnan
named Clayton, to catch wild beasts. This association de-
spatched a vessel- front New York or Boston every year,
which was. chartered expressly for the purpose of bringing to
those cities the beasts that had been captured, in which un-
dertaking it expended upwards of £2o,(xlo.Mr. Vanam-
burgh entered into an engagentent with the proprietors to
tame the animals as they were -landed, and render them fit
for the exhibitions of which they were to form a part. He
tried numerous experiments as to their tractability and
travelling with them in summer through the principal
cities from New York to Washington, and attracting hun-
dreds- of thousands of visitors. to the Institute during the
winter,, by the novelty and boldness of his extraordinary
attempts to .stilelue the temper and natural propensities of
his ferocious pupils. In this singtilar species of apprentice-
ship Which Buffon arid Cuvier would have delighted to ob-
serve, Mr. Vanamburgh had almost every variety of the
large and,savage race of brutes under his hands; he declares
that the only inapt scholars 'he found were the by woes, whom
he could not succeed in teaching much, being compelled to
rest satisfied with subjugating them to his control, and awing
their restlessness into comparative submission. Of these he
had, four in the same cage, (two of the spotted and two of
the striped kind,) with a lion and lioness, tigers, leopards,
and bears, among whom he moved about with an entire ab-
sence of apprehension Indeed, from the first time he en-
tered the lion's cage in New Jersey to the present time, he
avers never to have lost his presence of mind, but went up
to them when strangers and in their wildest state, confidently.
and without hesitation. This is his only secret—a determin-
ed heart, a confirmed will, and a strong arm; and he has'
never known. an instance in which they were not "cowed.'
Some would show fight, at first, and this has occurred with'
the lioness and the leopard; "in such cases," adds Mr. Van-
auaburgh, "I use the stick, and they soon become submissive.
I could hOld any of these beasts at arm's length for some
time—long enough to permit assistance to be rendered me;
but in a protracted struggle I must succumb, as they would
master me with their claws and teeth."
A singalar proof of his confidence in his powers of con-
troul over the brute creation, and of the almost presumptuous
hardihood of the experiments he exhibited, is afforded by de-
tails of some of the feats which were so attractive in New
York. He would bathe his arms, face, neck, and head, with
the fresh blood of a bullock; and before entering tutu the
cages, caused the bucket in which the gore was contained to
be given to the animals, which they would instantly lick with
avidity. He then entered with the blood dropping from his
limbs, and would draw hii arms through their teeth, thrust
his head into their mouths, and roll among them, without
their attempting any thing beyond the mere licking of the
parts where the blood had been smeared.
On another occasion he introduced a child about seven
years old, and a lamb, into a cage of lions, tigers, and other
"powerful brutes, and the rehearsal of this exhibiton was at-
tended by a remarkable incident. He leaned upon one knee,
and placed the child in such a position that one of its feet
should rest upon his knee, and the other upon the lion's head.
"I then took the lamb up to hand to the child," he goes on,
"and as I was lifting.it, the tigress sneaked behind me, and
snatched it out of my hand between its teeth. I was fearful
the child might be frightened, as I expected myself that there
would be a fight; so I removed it out of the den as quickly
as possible, all the time laying on the tigress's head and body
with a whip to prevent her having time to lacerate the lamb.
One of my attendants passed a crowbar to me, with which I
knocked the tigress down more than half a dozen times, until
at last she fell senseless, and.dropped the lamb uninjured from
her jaws. The lioness then seized the little thing, but
adopted the same process towards her, and succeeded, in
getting it out of the'cage unharmed. Determined not to be
foiled in what I had undertaken, after the lapse of a few mi-
nutes, I took the boy and lamb again into the cage, and went
through the performances according to my intention, which
1 have repeated a great many hundred times in New York,
and other places, without any of the animals ever veuturing
again to seize my fellow exhibitor. I was desirons of re-
newing the spectacle here, (in England, at Astley's,) but
have been disappointed, on the wound that it would be un-
pleasant to the feelings of the visitors. Such an impression,
I am bound to respect; but, for my non part, I haVe not the
slightest objection or apprehension as to the harmlespess of
the exploit." -
Mr. Vanamburg,h was also accustomed to, enter the dens
enveloped in stage fire, with squibs and other pyrotechnics
exploding around hint; at first the beasts wete greatly tetri-
fled, and Crouched into corners, covering their eves with their
paws; they quickly, however, became habituated to it,:and
now regard it with great philosophy and composure.
_ .
"The animals I have now with me," resumed our inter-
locutor, "came into my hands direct from Africa; I tamed
them, and brought them to their present docile state. It never
made any difference to me whether they were hungry or tint-
--whether they were good-tempered or augry—but .1 went
amidst them trusting inscourage, strength, and /stick. When
I first put my present stock in the sante cage, consisting of
lions, lionesses, tigers, and leopards, ten iu all, I stationed
myself in the den with the lion, to receive them, one by 'one:
I had the tiger brought to the door in a box, which I opened,
and dragged him in. When the lion saw, him be was!agi-
tated, and lashed his sides with his tail; the tiger made a
spring at him, but was shaken off by the lion, and they had a
smart fight together, rolling over one another, biting,; and
roaring, while I was employed in beating them both with a
heavy hickory club over face, legs, and back. After some
time I managed to separate them, and drove them into op-
posite corners, where they cronched, glaring at one another,
and uttering a short, sharp, and angry growl. I next brought
in the leopards, when a general row commenced againi; and
wishing to have it over as soon as possible, and that one MUSS*
should do for the whole, I had in the other animals—lions.
lionesses, and all. There was a brief skirmish between the
lions, but that soon merged into the common conflict, and I
employed myself in distributing my blows aniong.thein all
without distinction, till I succeeded in pacifying them.. I
was with them for almost every minute during six weeks,
frequently eating my meals in, their cage„.and sleeping in a
small closet only separated from them by iron bars, which
allowed of my reaching and touching them through. They
fought dreadfully at intervals, but did not injure one annther
seriously : at the expiration of six weeks I completely suc-
ceeded in bringing them into subjection by beating, and they
have never renewed their quarrel since." •
Mr. Vanamburgh has never tried any experiments re-
specting the relative strength of the animals, their weight, or.
the proportion of their power with that of a horse, bullock, or
other beast of burden. He' has not taken any mite of the
quantity of flesh they would consume if they had an ad libitum
supply, but.promises to ascertain these facts, and furnish us
with the result of his observations. The animals carne over
to England in the packet-ship President, from New York,
and a thonsand dollars (£2OO sterling) were paid for their
freight. Thirty sheep and twelve bullocks were laid in.os
sea stock for them, and this was considered as rather, short
allowance, as they eat nothing whatever but raw and fresh.
meat, rejecting any thing salt, tainted, cooked, or stale. It
is a rule of their domestic economy never to feed them but
once in the twenty-four hours, and their supper is always
after their performance. Mr. Vanamburgh has now per-
formed thirty-five nights at Astley's, and will ,appear at
Drury-lane Theatre on the 20th instant. From 'thence he
goes to Paris, having, ratified an engagement at the theatre
of the Porte St. Martin. He then returns to England, makes
a tour of the counties, Scotland, Ireland, &c., and visits Ger-
many and other continental countries previous to his return
to the United States.
On Thursday last, the 4th instant, a circumstance occurred
on the stage at Astley's, which is worthy of being recorded.
The performances for Mr. Ducrow's benefit, on Monday next,
Was being rehearsed, in the course of which Mr. Vanam-
burgh" it to be introduced, holding his largest lion by a chain,
end standing on a platform, which is borne on men's shoulders.
" r caused the platform," says Mr. Vanamburgh, " to be
placed on a level with the door of the cage, into which I en-
tered to bring him out. Ile made his exit very quickly, and
seemed glad to stretch his limbs; but showed h great anxiety
to get at the horses. The procession 'proceeded, and lasted
upwards of'a quarter of an•hour."—When it was over the plat-
form was brought to the door of the cage, and before the lion
was put in again, I played with hiM for a little while. I then
unchained him, and wanted him to go ;he jumped clown.
I leaped upon hiS back, and in this manner he attempted to
get to the rear of the stage, in the direction of the stables.
Some heavy flats and scenery were in his front ; between the
edges of these he contrived to get his nose, and having worked
them aside, he bolted through, carrying me with him. By
this time I got a rope, which I passed round his neck, and by
kicking and pulling I managed to get him back to the cage,
into which 1 drove him. The stage was soon emptied when
he leaped down.
Many incorrect and extravagant narratives, having been
published respecting Mr. Vanamburgh and lits.vvild beasts,
we have requested him to confirm the authenticity of the fore-
going details by his signature, so that the readers of the Atlas
may be convinced that our statements on the subject are from
he very best authority. ISAAC A. VANAMBURGH.

* In the New York dialect the word mussis nearly equiva.
Lent to the English row.

The Portafoglio, a Malta journal, announces the disap- •
pearance of Al. Giovanni Serin, director of the Branch
Bank at Bologna, leaving a deficit of 500,000 crowns.
We are informed that Mr. Kean when in Leeds, remitted
£lOO to the performers at the English Opera House in Lon-
don, who we believe, were in great distress at the time.—
Leeds Intelligencer.
CHILD BURNT—On Wednesday, James Platt, a child
aged six years, was burnt to death in Mersey-street, Warring-
ton. His clothes had ignited by being suffered to stand too
near the fire.
Dr. Babington was once in attendance on an Itishman,
fir whom he prescribed an emetic. His patient immediately
exclaimed with peat ninveQi, " My dear doctor, it's no use
your giving me an emetic; 1 tried it twice in Dublin, and it
would not stay upon my stomach either time."
A cluster of hazel nuts was lastweek plucked from its
parent stein in a wood near Urswick, in Furness, which con-
tained the astonishing number of thirty-four, all of tolerable
size, and each containing a good kernel.
- On Wednesday, the Mayor and magistrates of Clonmel
sentenced sixteen shoemakers to six weeks' hard labour in
the House of Correction, for combination against their em-
ployers, which proceed to threats and menaces.
The ships of all nations that passed the Sound in the month
of Angust, 1835, were from the North Sea, 1136; from the
Baltic, 1199; total, 2335. Of those front the North Sea,
398 were English, and from the Baltic 332--total English, 730.
Sir Robert Peel has been mentioned as one of the most
probable successors of the Duke of Sussex to the chair of
the Royal Society, should Sir John Herschel persist in
declining the honourable post.
Private carriages, even with patent axletrees, are found,
it is said, to have been injured by the violent motion they
are subject to whilst fixed to railways. This, perhaps, might
be obviated by their being either swung or placed upon a
kind of spring.
JOSEPII ADY AT REDLCED CHARGES.—Mr. J. Colson, at
the Coburg Inn, has this week been favoured by Ady with
one of his offers of information of something to his advantage
upon receiving a remittance—not £1 as of old—but for ss.
only !—Hampshire Advertiser.
CAUTION TO SPORTSMEN.—It appears, from a recent
opinion delivered by the Judges, that any person joining a
pack of hounds-as a spectator, even though he were invited.
, is liable to a supplemental charge of £3 13s. 6d, for a game
certificate.—Gloucester Paper.
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