The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-01-12
From the Dublin University Magazine.
CHINESE JUGGLERS.


who have had the benefit OF ocular demon
stration, that they must appear to those who
have not had that opportunity afforded them
as the tales, or long-bows OF travellers. For
our own part, we must confess thatwe should
have ranged ourselves among the ranks Of
unbelievers and skeptics, had we not had
opportunity Of Judging, as eye-wltnesses, Of
the truth Of the facts which we are about to
describe.
Having received marks Of attention and
hospitality from various friends, it was in
cumbent to return such civilities, and it be-
came subject of no little solicitude how we
best might cater for their amusement. This
latter, it must be confessed, at the period
was matter Of no small difficulty, in new
colonly like Hong Kong, composed OF raw
materials, and unlocked into shape. Atlength,
after frequent consultations with our COM
pradore, (who is head servant or butler,)
as to the practicability Of inducing a cele-
brated juggler Of Canton to transport him
self to Hong Kong, and exhibit his various
requirements to US cred bristled barbarans,"
the aforesaid compradore announced to US,
with much official Importance, that the cele-
brated individual had arrived in the island,
Invitations, of course, were issued, and ac-
cepted with alacrity of any kind
being, at that period, in that lugubrious COL
ony, rare-and large assemblage, consist
ing for the most part of lords Of the creation,
arrived on the evening in question.
The room in which the performance took
place was denuded Of every article Of furnf-
ture, with the exception Of chairs, which
were arranged close to the walls, for the
convenience Of the spectators, thus leaving
the floor minated, and a clear and wide
arena for the performer. At the hour named
the great attraction Of the evening was in
troduced by the compradore. He was at
tired in the ordinary dress Of the middle
ranks OF Chinese, which consists Of a loose
Jacket and trousers, with white calico stock
ings and black silken shoes, embroidered
with blue, and white felt soles two inches
thick; he had no covering on his head, and
was followed by his coolee, or servant, bear
I ing an implanted teak wood box, Of about
three feet by two feet in size, who placed it
in the room and retired. The juggler COM
menced operations by placing his box in the
centre Of The room; he then stripped of his
Jacket, thus appearing in state Of nudity
from the waist upward, having white cloth
twisted around his loins.
He next opened his box, and took there
from an ordinary basin, or bowl, about eigh-
teen inches in diameter, and closed the lid
Of the box, leaving it exposed completely to
our view; he then walked round the room,
| allowing each individual separately to in
spect the basin, and handle 1.-THE whole Of
the time talking in his native language,
which we afterwards learned was species
of incarnation We were all satisfied that
the basin was an ordinary one, and perfect
y empty. He then placed il on the floor,
about five feet from the box, UNFINISHED the
cloth from around his waist, which was in
size about yard and a half long, by one
wide, and which he threw over the basin,
spreading it out, continuing during all the
time his mumbling In about half a minute
he raised the cloth from the basin, exposing
it to view, when, to our establishment, it
was filed with limpid water, and fish Of 3
or A inches long was swimming about in it I!
He took up the howl, and handed it to
each spectator, as he had previously done,
and we satisfied ourselves that there was no
ocular deception, but that the water was in
deed veritable, and the fish a living one.
| After we had sufficiently satisfied our
selves, by examining the contents Of the
basin, he replaced it in the box, and took
thereirom a green aower-pot filed with
mould, which was about twelve inches in
height, and eighteen in diameter. Holding
this in one hand, and exhibiting what APP
peared to be an ordinary seed in the other,
he handed them round for inspection after
the previous fashion; he then made cavi-
ty in the mould, and placing the seed in it,
covering it carefully with the earth; he af-
forwards set down the nower-pot where the
bowl had previously rested, covered it in
the like manner with the cloth, and recon-
menced his mutterings, after which he with
drew the cloth, and we beheld young and
tender plant in the hower-pot, about two
inches above the mould This was Of a
beautiful green color, with the leaves folded
about the stem, one within the other, and
apparently a healthy plant, having all that
freshness peculiar to one which has just burst
from the parent earth, but Of what botanical
species we are not in position to deter
mine. This was handed round by the en-
chanter, and examined by all, with the same
feelings and expressions Of surprise, but with
no less care and accuracy, than the water
and fish which preceded it,
He again placed it in its previous posi-
ton, he recovered it with the cloth, and re-
commenced his incantatons, which contin-
ued for about twenty minutes, during which
period we observed the cloth gradually ris-
ing in conical form over the spot, where
It covered the flower pot, until It had risen
about loot and half, when the cloth was
again withdrawn, and to our increased
Amusement we beheld the tender plant grown
into small shrub, regularly formed, clothed
IN verdure, and having its branches covered
with buds and leaves. The replacing, re-
covering, remuitering were all severally
renewed, and after the lapse Of half an
| hnnr tho rlntb WOE oncp pnre remaved