Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-11-30
EAST INDIA JUGGLERs.

EAST INDIA JUGGLEEis.
An East India correspondent of the
:. Pos" gives the following account Of a
recent exhibition of the Jngglers in the
East who seem To have lost none of that
skill for which they long since became IA
nous -
I'm Madras are found in perfection the
celebrated Eartern Jugglers. Groups of
them are daily at the hotels upon the arri-
val ofsteamers. to exhibit their wonderful
fears and receive rupees. Snake dancing,
sword swallowing, fire-eaiing. tnmbling.
DE. are shown to a crowd who search for
amusement. With some others. hired
a party TO exhibit on the verandsh of the
hotel, and / am quite assured of their SUI
periority over all other magicians. profess
sed or amateur, in the world. AT the as
Unassigned, they were on the spot arranging
ders and marvellous deeeptions. While
thus preparing. took a cheroot from my
case. the more readily to find out every
thing about what was going on. and search
ed among the circle of passengers for a
light. Perceiving the desire. one of the
jugglers came to me. went through PAN
tOminic request to regard his face atten-
lively, and commenced blowing like a pair
of bellows.
Much to my surprise light stream of
smoke issued from his lips, and finally a
a pointed jet of flame, shaped as graceful
ly as a gas light, and extending two in
ches in my direction, which he kindly pla-
ced at my convenience. availed myself
of it by lighting the cigar, expressed my
obligation and also desire TO examine in
trinsically so polite salamander. Iopen-
ed his mouth, looked in, looked around
and felt ouside, but l could not discover
any cause for the sudden and appropos
cOnflagration. But the magic was about
to commence and forgot my friend with
the portable furnace in other wonders, less
individual. perhaps, but quite as mysteri-
Gus. They danced cobra capellos. open
ing their fat heads to show them sound in
fangs and venom bags, and made them per-
form variety of poses. The snakes dan
ced in circle, kept admirable time with
the music, and exhibited the most ami
able willingness imaginable to accommo-
date Europeans. a handful of sand Ia
ken from the road was made to mark ev-
cry color. and finally to produce shovel
full of every variety by simple manual
operation.
Plants grew perceptibly. balls dancing
in the air, swords, hooks, jagged pieces OF
iron and steel were used like sounding.
leads to penetrates abdomens; eggs made
birds and birds made rabbits, and rabbits
in their turns underwent various transfor-
nations common cotton balls moved at
command. going away an immense dis
tance but returning on the ground veryobe-
diently. until we were completely tried out
and turned ourselves inside out with amaze.
ment and credulity. Then came the feat
of the greatest juggler in India the most
notorious and wonderful of all deceptions
and " for this night only" The perfor-
mer, the leader of the party, had rested
quietly with his wife and child outside OF
the circle, watching the entire proceedings
of his men, and noling the general effect
of an announcement proportionate with his
dignity and elevation. he stepped in the
enclosed space to give a grand finale to
the whole performance. Taking the
child, a little boy five or six years of age.
from its mother. despite her tears and en-
treaties. he signed the attendants to pro-
cure the required implements for his feat,
directing their arrangements and position
according to his mind.
large basket, six or seven feet deep,
made of straw, was shown to the specta-
tors, that they might assure themselves
of its being basket without any addition
or imprOvemeut-simply a basket Of
straw. very common in all parts of the
world. lnvertingit, after the diIigent in.
vestigation of the entire party. he stood
his little boy in the centre of the circle
and covered him with the basket. like the
extinguisher on candle. The room al.
lowed the little fellow an upright and ap-
parently comfortable position. We were
permitted to see him under the basket
and TO satisfy ourselves of his being there
without any doubt.
A naked sword having received an
equally close examination. was placed in
the mans hand. and the feat commenced.
Assured of the child's cOncealment under
the basket, oi the keenneSs and validity
of the sword, We waited in silent horror
for his next proceeding. There was no
table with its apartment, no trap in the
basket, nothing but the hard. stony floor,
and no confederate near him. Taking
the weapon in his hand, he waved it in
the air. muttered jargOn. and cOmmen-
ced series of rapid thrusts through the
basket, making the point penetrate every
time the opposite side, down into the bas-
ket, and all over it until it could hardly
support its own weight from muullation.
1t was perforated like sieve.
A cry came from the interior, and q
stream of blood began to trickle from un-
der it along the stone floor on to the feet
of the spectators. Cries of horror pierced
the air, the mother ran shriekiu2 20 the