The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-09-08
BArTY, THE LION TAMER.

u T ..f
just now the popular favorite. He is
none the less 50 from the fact that few
evenings since he nearly fell victim to
the carffal appetites of his subjects. In
his case the old Horatian axiom, .Coolum
non animum mutat qui transcununt
mare came nigh to having fresh illus
tration. Batty's lions came from Africa,
and the passage of the Mediterranean
seems to have had upon them no more
effect than it had upon the poet himself:
| 1t was pretty obvious that they saw but
| little difference between the Champs
Elysees and their own native jungles
In sooth they are for the most part an
ill regulated animals, and have no more
scruples about making short work
of christian to day, than did their an
cestors in the Coliseum, ages ago. They
are apt to rush to conclusions, especial
ly when they are hungry. and not given
to making nice distinctions unless they
are enforced with a strong arm. Bat
TVS menagerie contains five of these
animals, all fully grown and from six to
eight years old. They preserve their
teeth and claws untouched and are near
ly as fierce as when caught. 1t has been
the habit of their master to enter their
cage in Hungarian costume, and show
his complete control over them in every
way his ingenuity has been able to de-
wise. With many growls and much
enashing Of their teeth, they do all he
requires of them and submit to thou
sand indignities. Their jaws are
violently wrenched apart and rudely
slammed together. They are taken up
and thrown by his gigantic strength.
like bales of merchandise1 Pistols and
fire works are let off under their noses,
and at given signal they leap in sue
=, cession over their masters head from
one end of their cage to the other.
Last Saturday violent thunder storm
burst over Paris. My room overlooks
the Cirque del Imperatrice" in the
Champs Elysees, where the lions are
kept, and the scene for short space
was indescribably grand. The air was
full of electricity, and under its influence,
these animals, as is always the case. be-
came fearfully excited. They ran to
and fro in ungovernable rage. They
! lashed their f1anks with their tails, in pas
sionate vehemence. Placing their mouths
to the ground they roared in mingled
rage and terror. Their eyes dilated and
seemed to fash forth the lightnings of
the tempest that rioted within them
Without, the roaring of the lions was
answered by the howls of the blast and
the loud crash of the thunder. With
these, at intervals, were mingled the
neighing of a hundred frightened horses,
in the stables of the circus. Gusts Of
wind swept down the broad avenue and
bowed the lofty trees. The rain descend
ed in torrents. The people fled before
minutes the whole vicinity seemed to
4 give up to the furies of elemental war
fare. Scarce had the muttering thun
ders died away in the distant reverbera
tious. when the time drew ne ar for Bat
ty's advent among his lions. As he
came in sight they hailed him with bos
terous uproar. Standing upright against
the bars of their cage they grappled
them in their rage and gnashed upon
him with their teeth. A man Of iron
nerves could hardly have looked upon
them with calmness Had his body been
made Of steel he would hardly have
: dared to trust himself among them :
But Batty did not quail. At bouni he
tation. It's iron Goor he slammed after
him with loud clang. To us who look
ed on it seemed the gate of sepulchre
His subjects glared at him as if they
would instantly devour him. For a mo
ment he returned their glare and looked
steadily into the eyes of each. One by
one they cowed before him aud skunk
away conscious of their helplessness.
Again mind triumphed over the rude
dictates of instinct, and man, the lord
and master, lowered in his pride OF
place. ( 49, l-n
The exhibition proceeded and again
the lions seemed powerless to resist his
commands. At length lioness who
had been ordered to leap over his head
failed in the effort. Apparently miscal
culating the distance or her own strength
she struck full upon the head and shout
ders of her master. Her weight bore
him to the ground. The lion whose turr
/ it was to follow, had she succeeded
= threw himself upon the struggling greuI
and fearful was the sight The crowd
ed amphitheatre. rose in body; ths
women with averted eyes, fed shriekine
from the house: loud cries arose in al