Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-30
EXTRAORDINARY JUGGLING FEAT.

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..t @Ei s- Souihtrn Literary Messenger
EXTRAORDINARY JUGGLING FEAT.
In the early part of the last century, a
physician, named Agricola, living at
Ratisbon, in Germany, obtained great
celebrity by certain discoveries which
he declared he had made as to the
multiplication of plants and trees. He
could produce, he said, from small
branch, or even from a leaf, six large
forest trees in the course of an hour.
through the sole instrumentality of fire.
He published several works on the sub.
ject, one of which was published at Am
sterdam, in 1920. Its title was, "Agri
culture parfaite, ou nouvelle Decouverte. -
&c. 1t has been supposed that he had
learnt the secrets Of the Hindoo iugslers,
whose feats in the same line are of the
most extraordinary character. They :
'tua'ly SOW the seed Of any tree which
the spectator calls for. in the earth, and
after q few cabalistic words over it, a
mulberry, plum, or walnut plant, is
seen gradually springing upwards until
it becomes large tree, with its branches.
Nor is this all. The fruit is plucked and
given to the spectators to eat, and while
he is engaged in partaking of the en-
chanted dates or walnuts, the branches
of this miraculous tree are crowded with
birds of every plumage, who will fill the
air with their melody. A signal is then
given, and the tree, with its foathered in
habitants, disappears in an. instant, leav-
ing behind it no trace of existence!
The author of the {. Oriental Annual"
an English gentlemen of unquestionable
veracity, gives an almost incredible de-
scription of juggling performance at
which he was present.
The operator introduces into the mid
die of the circle naked little girl about
eight years old, in a wicket. The Girl is
shown to all spectators. The operator
then enters into conversation with her.
which soon assumes an angry tone: he
threatens to kill her with the drawn
sword, she supplicates for mercy, and
while her piteous cries grow louder and
louder, he plunges the weapon into her
bosom two or three times successfully.
The earth is dyed with blood, while her
agonizing groans announce dissolution.
The spectators are ready to fall on the
wretch whom they believe to be guilty of
SO barbarous murder, when the girl en-
ters the circle from without, dressed in
her usual attire, and as gay as if nothing
had happened to her
A still more extraordinary feat than
that was performed in the presence of the
Mogul Emperor Jehangire, who gives an
account of it in his autobiography. The
performers produced living man, whose
head they cut off, in the first instance.
They next divided the limbs from the
trunk, and the mutilated remains Law on
the ground for some time. A curtain was
then extended over the spot, and one of
the performers putting himself under the
certain, emerged from it again in a few
minutes, followed by the individual who
was supposed to have been completely dis
sected
His Mogul Majesty gives the following
minute accounts of some other perform
ances Of the same jugglers which are
very wonderful. a
They took a small bag, and having
shown that it was entirely empty, one of
them put his hand into the bag; on with
drawing his hand again, out came two
me-cocks of the largest size and great
beauty, which Immediately assailed each
other with such force and fury, and their
wings emitted sparks of fire at every
stroke. This continued for the full space
OF an hour, when they put an end to the
combat by throwing sheet over the ami
mails. Again they withdrew the sheet,
and they appeared brace of partridges,
with the most brilliant and beautiful
plumage, which Immediately began to
tune their throats as if there was nothing
human present, picking at worms with
the same kind of chuckle as they are
heard to use on the hill side. The sheet
was thrown, as in the other instance, and
when again withdrawn, instead of these
beautiful birds, there appeared two fright
full black snakes, with fiat heads and
crimson bellies, which, with open mouths
and he .ds erect, coiled together and at
tackled each other with the greatest fury,
and so continued to do, until as it ap-
peared, they becamequite exhausted, when
they fell asunder. ~ 7-'.iiii -.s'''-- q
-' They made an excavation in the earth
in the shape of tank or reservoir, of
considerable dimensions, which they re-
quested as 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 desired that
some of the elephant keepers might
be q directed to lead the elephant
across. Accordingly, one of the men set
bis elephant upon the ice, and the animal
walked over with as much ease and safe
ty as if it: were a platform of solid rock,
remaining for some time on the surface
Of the frozen pond without occasioning
the sighting fracture in the ice. AS
usual, the sheet was drawn across the
place, and being again removed, every
vestige of ice, and even moisture of any
any sort, had completely disappeared. :
They procured q blank volume of the
purest white paper, which was placed in
my hands, to show that it contained no
figures of any colored pages whatever, of
which l satisfied myself and all around.