Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1861-04-04
Feats of a West Indian Magi.
clan.

The fort at Calcutta, (writes an Eng
liso officer in Oace-a-a0eek,) commonly
known as Fort William, is one of the most
splendid aud convenient military establish
ments to be found in any quarter of the
globe. 1t is, spacious, and some what re-
sembles the Tower of London, and that il
consists of various streets and squares
adapted for different military purposes
On all sides it is guarded by high and
strongly built rampant, which is surround
ed in its turn by broad and deep fosse,
over which are placed drawbridges lending
to the principal gateways. Arrived in
Calcutta, new griffin, of course, l went
to inspect the lions and among others the
fort.
The fort is often the scene of animated
festivity, from the presence of native Jug
glers, renowned for their surprising dexter
ity. The performance of these strange
people have been so often described that
shall only mention few, for otherwise l
might tire the reader. One of them struck
me as being curious. from its having strong
resemblances to the feats recorded in sacred
history, as having been performed by the
magicians of Egypt, in the time of Moses,
and in the presence Of Pharaoh. Indeed,
as it is well known that the Hindoo tricks
have been handed down from the most
distant ages, from father to son, there Is
little wonder that such similarity can ex-
ist. The particular trick alluded to is the
apparent conversion of brass coin into
snake.
The juggler gave me the coin to bold,
and then seated himself about five yards
from me on small rug, from which he
never attempted to move during the whole
performance. l showed the coin to sever
al persons who were close beside me, on a
form in front of the jugg!er. At sign
from him, l not only grasped the coin I
held firmly in my right hand, but crossing
that hand with equal tightness with my left,
l inclosed them both as firmly as l could
between my knees. Of course l was pos
tive that the coin was within my double
fists. The juggler then began a short in
cantation, accompanied by monotonous
and discordant kind of recilative, and re-
peating the words, "Rammu Sammu,"
during some fifteen minutes. He then
suddenly stopped, and still keeping his
seat made quick motion with his hand,
as if throwing something at me, giving at
the same time, puff with his mouth. At
that ins'art felt my hands suddenl y dis
tend, and become partly open, while | ex-
perienced a sensation as if cold ball of
dough, or something equally soft, nasty
aud disagreeab!y, was now between my
palms.
l started to my feet in astonishment of
Others, and opening my hands found there
no coin; but TO my horror and alarm, (for
of all created things detest and loathe
the genus,) sawa young snake, all alive
oh! and of all the snakes in the world, a
oobra-di-caprello, folded, or rather coiled,
roundly up. I threw it instantly on the
ground, trembling with rage aud fear, as
if already bit by the deadly reptile, which
began Immediately to crawl along the
ground, 10 the alarm and amazement of
every one present. The juggler now got
up for the first time since he sat down, and
catching right hold of the snake, dis
played its length, which was nearly two
feet-two feet all but one inch and a half.
He then took the snake cautiously by the
tail, and opening his mouth to its widest
extent, let the snake drop into it, deliber-
ately commenced to swallow the animal
till the end of the tail was only visible;
then making a sudden gulp, and the whole
of the snake was apparently swallowed
After this he came up to the spectators,
and opening his mouth wide permitted US
to look into his throat, but no snake or
snakes tail was visible-it was seemingly
down his throat altogether. During the
remainder of the performances we never
saw this snake again, nor did the man pro-
fess his ability to make it re-appear. But
be performed another snake trick which
surprised us very. He took from a bag
another cobra-di-capello, and, walking into
the center of the room, inclosed it in his
hands in folded state. He waved and
shook them for some time, in this condi-
tion, and then opened his fists, whens heyl
presto the snake was gone, and in its
place appeared several small ones, which
he suffered to fall from his hands, when
they glided, with their peculiar undula.
ting movement, almost like the waves of
the sea, across the floor.