The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-02-08
Japanese JuggIers.


The San Francisco correspondent
to the Chicago Tribune sends the fol-
lowing: A troupe ofJapaness jugglers
came here n few days since, and are
now playing to crowded houses night
" at the Academy of Music. They
visit New York soon, and l presume
you will see Them in Chicago before
leaving for Europe They are the
first in their profession who have ever
visited foreign Countries, and nre rare
curiosities in their way Their feats
III legerdemain are much III the same.
line with those Of the Chinese jug.
glers, and not superior, but their fea,s
Of strength, and muscular activity and
rigidity, and impassibility of mind
and body, beat anything on earth.
will describe a single feat for a SAM
pie:
A man stretches himself on table
on his back, and puts his legs straight
up into the ar at right angles with
his body. A boy II years of age then
climbs upon his feet, and lays down
on his back, closing his arms, legs and
head up SO as to form into the shape
of n turtle. The man then whrls him
around in every conceivable manner,
With such rapidity that the eye cannot
follow the movements, using only the
so!es of his naked foet to do it. Iher
he losses the boy mp into the air, and
an attendant places wooden box,
about the size of soda cracker box on
the feet of the man, and the hoy rests
upon it, and box and boy are whirled
together in similar manner.
Then the boy and box come down,
a young man climbs upon the up
raised feet, and, lying down upon his
back, raises his feet in turn straight
up. The old man pitches the young
man up, hox is placed between his
feet and the back of the young man,
then another box on the young mans
feet, and then the little boy climbs up
to the top Of that, lays down. on his
back, and puts up his feet. Then the
boy rolls over on his side, the box falls
from under him, and he falls upon tho
feet of the young man, who does the
same thing in turn, and then when
the boxes are disposed of the two men
and boy tumble apart and strike right
side up, like cats, on their feet on the
floor. Another:
The old man stretches himself on his
back on the table and puts up his feet
as before. Attendants bring in frame
work, like dooryard gate, consisting
of two upright sticks of square timber,
say three inches in diameter held to-
geiher, about three feet apart, by two
cross-b bars which run through the low
en- part OF n bamboo some twenty five
feet III length, and about the size of n
mans wrist. This is lifted by attend
ants and the lower ends Of the two up
rights placed on the appraised feet Of
the man ON the table. He balances the
framework and bamboo on his feet,
aud the feat excites the audience to
shouts Of applause
Then the little boy again comes in,
strips himself, and climbs on the table
then on the appraised feet, and then to
the top Of the gate or H-shaped frame
work, where he rests and commences
to fan himself. The man below is "
ing as if made of iron, not u muscle
moving, and how he manages to bal
ance the whole framework, boy, and
tall bamboo III air ut once, having no.
thing whatever to hold on by, is mys-
terry. Then the boy wraps band a
round his head, giris up his loins, and
climbs deliberately to the top of the
POLE which bends like II willow be-
meath his weight and swings him back
and forth in the air precisely as if no
were climbing flexible young sap
hing.
When he reaches the top he loses
his balance and slides down the bam-
boo nearly to the bottom, while the
spectators hold their breath in terror.
He catches himself before reaching
the bottom, opens his fan, and com
mences tanning himself The audi
ence applaud immensely, Now be
climbs again to the top, catches the
upturned toes of one foot half around
the top of the bamboo, and slowly
drops his body down until it stands
out at right angles with the pole, his
arms being folded across his breast at
the time,