The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-05-05
Extraordinary Juggling Feat.

RafISoon, IN Germany, obtained gfea'
celebrity by certain discoveries which
he declared he had made as TO the mnI
tlplicatlon of plahts and trees. He conlc
produce, he said from small branch
or even from leaf. six large foreS,
trees in the course of an hour. through
the sole ins;rumen,alIy of fire He
pnblished several works on the subject
one of which was published at Ans
te dam, in 1920. It's title was, "Agri.
culture parfaHe. or Nouvelle necou.
verte," &c, Ii has been supposed thai
he had learnt the secrets of the Hindoc
jugglers. whose feats in the same line
! are ur me ruoSt exiranrdiuas su- ess..sr te,
They actually sow the seed of any tree
which the spectators call for, in the
earlh, and after few cabaIisticai words
are pronounced over it, a mulberry a
plum, or a wa lnut plant, is seen gra-
dually sPTinging upwards until il be-
comes a large tree, with IFS natural
fruit depending from It's branches. Nor
is this all. The fruit is plucked and
given to the spectators to eat; and while
he is engaged in pariaking Of the en-
chanted dates or walnuts, the branches
of this miraculous tree are crowded
with birds Of every plumage. who fill
the air with their melody. A signal is
then given. and the tree, with lis fea-
thered inhabitants, disappears in an
instant, leaving behind it not a trace Of
its existence!
The anthor Of the "Oriental Annual"
an English gentleman of unqnestion-
able veracity, gives an almost incre-
dible description of Juggling perform
ance at which he was present. The
operator introduces into the middle of
the circle a naked little girl, about
eight years old, in wicker basket
The girl is shown 10 all the spectators.
The operator then enters into a con-
versation with her, which soon assumes
an angry tone: he threatens to kill her
with drawn sword, she snpplicaies for
mercy, and while her piteous cries
grow louder and louder, he pIunges the
weapon into her bosom two or three
times successvely. The earth is dyed
with blood, while her agoniziug groans
announce dissolution. The spectators
are ready 10 fall on the wretch whom
they believe TO be guilty of so barbaF-
our murder, when the little girl enters
the circle from without, dressed in her
usual attire, and as gay as if nothing
had happened her!
A still more extraordinary feat than
that was performed in the presence of
the Mogul Emperor Jehangire, who
gives an account of il in his autobiogra-
ply. The performers produced living
man, whose head they cut off, in the
first instance. They next divided the
limbs from the trunk, and the mutiiated
remains lay on the ground for some
time. A curtain was then extended
over the spot. and one Of the performers
putting himself under the curtain.
emerged from it again in few minntes.
followed by the individual who was
supposed 10 have been SO completely
dissected
Hts Mognl Majesty gives the follow
ing account of some other performances
By the same jugg!ers, which are very
Wonderful.
!. They took a small bag, antl having
first shown that it was entirely empty.
one of them pnt his hand into the bag /;
on Withdrawing his hand again, out
came two game cocks Of the largest
size and great beauty, which imme-
diately assailed each other, and fought
With such force and fury, that their
wings emitted sparks of FIRE at every
stroke. This continued for the full
space Of an honr. when they put an
end 10 the combat by throwing a sheet
over the animals. Again they with
drew the sheet, and there appeared
brace of partridges, with the most bril-
liant and beautiful pIumage. which
Immediately began to tunetheir throats
as If their was nothing human present,
picking at worms with the same sort of
chuck!e as they are heard to use on the
hillside. The sheet was now thrown,
as in the other instance. over the par
tridges. aud when again Withdrawn,
instead Of those beautiful birds, there
two frightfui black snakes,
with fiat heads and crimson bellies,
which. with open mouth and head erect
and coiled tngether, attacked each.
other with the greatest fuY, and soY
continued to do. until, as it appeared,
they became quite exhausted, when
they fell asander.
They made an excavation in the
cath IN The shape of a tank or reser-
voir, of consl.ierab bic dimensions, which
they requested US TO fill with water.
When this was done, they spread a
covering over the place, and after
short interval, having removed the
cover, the water appeared to be one
sheet of ice. and they desired that some
Of the elephant keepers might be di-
rected to lead the elephant across. Ac-
cordingly, one of the men set his ele-
phant upon the ice, and the animal
walked over with as much ease and
safety as if it were platform of solid
rock. remaining for some time on the
surface of the frozen pond without oc-
casioning the slightest facture III the
ice, As usual, the sheet was drawn
across The place, aud being again re-
moved, every vestige. of ice, and even
moisiure of any sort, had completely