The Placer herald., 1860-05-12
The Adiutants and Jugglers of India.


globe. 1t is very spacious, and like the
Tower of London, resembles a small town
rather than q mere citadel, consisting of
various streets and squares adapted for differ
ent purposes. On all sides it is guarded by
high and strongly built rampant, which is
surrounded by a broad fosse, over which are
placed draw bridges, leading to the principal
gateways. On our first arrival here after
due admiration of the noble fortress itself,
| was particularly amused by observing a
tribe Of extraordinary looking birds of the
crane species, called Adutants, which are
quite domestic, but of a strange. unsighty
appearance and which stand erect, like a
penguin, in military fashion, rank and file,
remaining as silent, motionless and orderly,
as a regiment drawn up on parade. Those
curious creatures are so well drilled, and so
well practsed in sodierly habits, tha: they
never move the body, nor even the head, to
the left or right as you pass them by, but
seem fixed as statutes, and are generally to
be seen surrounding the green square en-
closure in front Of the barracks, where they
remain in state of rumnative apathy under
the full blaze OF the midday sun, until the
they are all in motion in an instant, scamp
erng off in double quick time to the mems
barracks, where scene of great drollery
usually ensues. They are most ravenous
creatures and provided with an enormously
long and formidable bill, as we'll as with a
large capacious bag, which hangs down from
their throats to their long lanky legs.
These curious birds, after all, though by
no means an ornament to the fort, are as
useful as they are amusing, being literally
its scavencers. They carry off the otfal and
refuse thrown out about its precincts, and
to them and a host of assistant crows, who
also frequent the locality, the inmates are
indebted for the admirable cleanliness, and,
consequently, much of the healthiness of the
place. These crows live on good terms for
the most part, with the adjutants; but some
times one Of the latter species is provoked
out of its apathy by some mischevious en-
croachment on the part of the lesser birds,
and gulps down the offending crow in an
instant, feathers, bones, leak, claws, and all.
This is a feat which the adiutant can execute
with the greatest ease.
The fort is often the scene of animated
|
olers, renowned for their surprizing skill and
dexteriy. The performances Of these people
have been so often described, that | shall
only advert to one piece Of juegery which
was practised upon myself, and which is
curious from bearing strong resemblance
to the feats recorded in the sacred history
as having been performed by the Egyptian
magicians Indeed, as it is well known that
the Hndoo tricks have been handed down
from father to son, there is little wonder
that such similarity should exist. The
particular trick alluded to consisted in the
anparent conversion of a small brass coin
into a snake.
The iuggler gave me the coin to hold, and
then seated himself about five yards from
me, on small rug, from which he never at
tempted to move during the entire perfor-
nance. | showed the coin to several per-
sons who were close beside me on a form in
in front of the juggler. At sign from him
| not only grasped the coin tirm y in my
right hand, but covering that hand with
equal tightness in my left, | enclosed them
both as firmly as | could between my knees
OF course | was positively certain that the
small coin was within my sts. The Jug
gler then began sort of incantaton, ac
companed by a monotonous and discordant
kind of recitative, and repeating the words
Ram Sammee" during some minutes. lie
then suddenly stopped, and still keeping hi;
seat. made quick motion with his righ
hand, as if throwing something at me, ano
giving at the same time a puff with hi
mouth
At that instant | felt my hands sudden,
dstend and become partly open, while ex
perienced sensation as if ball OF dough
or some such soft substance, was now be
tween my palms. started to my feet in as
tonishment, and to the astonishmeut Of 9th
ers, and unclenching my fists found there
no coin, but to my horror, young, living
snake-a cobra di capelo-toded roundl,
up. I threw it instantly to the ground, as
ALREADY bitten by the deadly reptile, which
began Immediately to crawl along the groun'
to the amazement and alarm Of all present.
But the juggler now got up, caught hol'
of the snake and displayed its length, which
was nearly two feet. He then took it eau
tiousy by the tail, and opening his owl
mouth to it's utmost width, let the head O
the snake drop into it, and commenced de
lberately to swallow the animal, till the EN-
of the tail only was visible; then, making
sudden culp, the whole Of the snake was ap
. parently swallowed. After this the juggle
0 came up to the spectators, and opening hi
r mouth wide, permitted US to look into III
: throat; but no snake or snake-tail was to b
seen. 1t was seeming y down his throat a
together.
During the remainder of the performance
we never saw this snake again, nor did tn
iuggler profess his ability to make 1t re
, appear. But he performed another snak