Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-06-30
Dexterity of the Chinese Juggler.

derful dexterity that it is almost impos-
sible to detect the means employed
Although the native beholder is fully
aware that the juggler is but an ordina-
ry mortal, many superstitious foreigners
imagine him to be aided by Satan. One
very simple trick of the Chinese juggler
is to balance a common plate on the
upper point of short perpendicular
stick, which is placed for support by its
lower point on another stick, which is
held in the mouth of the performer, the
plate spinning around with great veloc-
ity. The wonder of this truly wonder
full performance is the ease with which
the plate is made to spin around so very
fast.
Sometimes one passing along the
streets will see man playing with three
or five rings, some six or eight inches
in diameter, in manner which never
fails to draw a crowd around him. He
throws the rings up into the air separ-
ately, catching them -in his hands,
when they seem joined together, Or link
ed into each other like chain. The
performer throws the rings into a vari-
ETY. of shapes without the least hesita-
ton or mistake.
Another man will be seen throwing
up three or five sticks, one after the
other, keeping two of them in the air.
With each, as he catches it on falling,
ne gives a rap on drum placed before
him. Sometimes three kitchen-k knives
are thrown up in the same manner, and
caught as they fall, one by one, and
tossed up again. When knives are
used no drum is struck. Sometimes
the spectator sees him cut out dimin-
utive child, with a pair of scissors, out
of common paper, and place them under
the blanket. In a short time these
things have disappeared, and bowl of
vegetables appears under the blanket in
their stead
A spectator hands the performer an
empty bottle, and request him to fill it
with spirits. 1t is put under the blank
ct and in short time. on taking it out,
behold 1t is filed with spirits of the best
quality.
The following feats are sometimes
performed: A man, having only pair
of trowsers on his loins, with boy to
assist him, clears place, in a crowd,
Of about twenty or thirty feet in dame
ter. From time to- time he puts into
his mouth several common sewing-need-
less, and some thread separately. By
and-by he pulls out of his mouth sever
al threads, each having strung upon
them several needles. He pretends to
swallow several metal balls. one at a
time, each nearly an inch in diameter,
and then points out the places where
they will appear just under the skin, as
on his neck, or about the middle of his
stomach. And, sure enough, they seem
to appear just where he points out,
their appearance being indicated by a
rising of the skin about as high as
would be the case if one of the balls had
really been there.
He snatches from time to time from
the ground a handful of slips of paper,
which he Grams into his mouth until
his cheeks protrude, and he is unable
to articulate distinctly. He now places
his hands on his hips, and pretends to
be causing his breath to pass through
the mass of paper in his mouth. In a
few moments a small stream of smoke
proceeds from his mouth, just as though
the paper was on fire, which is really
the case. He continues to force his
breathsout through the paper, and the
smoke becomes more dense, until it
pours forth from his mouth in a con.
slant stream to the distance of two or
three feet. The spectators in front of
him can see the fire in the centre of the
mass of paper in his mouth. As he
continues to fan the fire with his breath
larger and larger quantity of paper is
ignited, and apparently half of the mass
is ignited, and smoke and sparks issue
from his mouth continually, and the
man acts as though he felt the heat
very sensibly. Considerable merriment
prevails among the spectators as they
look upon the man whose mouth is full
of fire. His grimaces and contortions
are irresistible.
After short time, occupied princi-
pally by collecting cash from his won
deriDg amused spectators, he commences
to pull from his mouth paper ribbon,
being about an inch and quarter wide.
As he passes along around the outside
of the cleared circle, the paper ribbon
on the ground, until he has passed two
or three times around it, where it lies
for the time being, while he proceeds
to perform some other feat
He takes a pair of Chinese brass
swords, about twenty inches long, ex-
elusive of the hilt The blades are about
an inch and half wide, are fiat, and
the edges are not sharp. He places
these fatwise, one upon the other, and
then puts them into his mouth, point
first, and'both at time. He throws
his head back so that his face is about
at an angle of forty-6ve degrees with
the ground, and forces the swords down.
ward. He continues to press down on
the hilts, until all but the hilts, and
three or four inches of the blades near
est the hilts have disappeared. While
the swords arein this position, be walks
slowly around the arena, facing the
spectators, some of whom are within
three or four feet of him. There is
evidently no deception in regard to the