The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-03-23
From the Belgravla Magazine
Indian JugglerS.

Just as luncheon had been finished,
the dSbasb, Ramaswammy, entered
tue room, and announced that the
jugglers were 10 attendancs In the
veFandah upon which Mr.. Gingham,
leading the way, the whole party sd-
journed to it, and were soon seated,
in comfortable fashion, each betsking
himself to pipe or cigar as pleased
him best.
The jugglers' party consisted of two
men, a woman, lad, and child of
about 4 years of age. They had with
them a large basket, containing their
stock-in-trade; and, with the exeep-
ton Of the woman, were but scantily
clad. The letter had small Indian
tabor before her, which she OCCASION
ally snatched up and struck with the
/ tips of her fingers, to add expression
to some Of the wild chants which
were introduced during the phases of
the exhibition. We pass over the
dextrous manipulation of the cups
and balls-the whirling nf a dozen
oranges in the air, not one of which
ever touched the ground, or clashed
with another-the passing of the long
blade of knife down the throat-the
steadiness of hand and eye which kept
from four to six sharp knives flashing
and circling in the air, without in<
| f1icting a scratch on the performer of
the exploit. Wonderful too was the
performance of the pigmy goat, made
of wood or some other substance, and
covered with the skin of that animal,
which drank up pint of water pre-
sented to it in an easthen vessel, with
out any visible increase of bulk. We
mention these rather as feSts of
deXterity, though they excited in no
small degree the admiration of the
spectators /; but what followed could
not apparently be referred to a like
cause.
For instance, the lad was made to
drink a powder dissolved in q little
water, at which he made wry fraee;
the premOuitOry symptoms of an at.
tack of retching superyened, amid q
choral recitStive accompanied by the
rat-tst-tat of the tabor there was a
spGsmodic action of the stomAch-a
boy seemed TO ascend through the
gullet-the mouth was filled-Was
open-and there dropped out on the
floor large, smooth stone. In an
other minute the phenomenon was
repeated this time the stone being so
large as to pass out with difficulty be-
tween the teeth. Another and anoth-
er, and again another followed, till
some ten stones Of different shapes
and sizes, but all smooth, lay on the
floor, weighing, in the aggregate,
probably about two pounds.
A leathern strap was unrolled and
laid on the ground open to view-s
subdued choral incarnation followed
there was slight but perc1ptible
nervous twitching motion in the
strap, when one OF the performers
crying out, "COver him up cover
him up, or he will bite US % placed q
large wicker-work basket, called q
tapah, over 1t, and covered il with a
cloth then seizing strange-lOoking
musical instrument, the body OF which
consisted Of a small dry gourd, he
produced succession of wild droning
notes, not unlike the treble of a bag
pipe. His companion removed the
basket, and, in lieu of the leathern
strap, there was an enormous live
cobra, a hooded snake, with crest
erect, dRrting out its double tongue
and swaying about a foot of its body
from side to side, the rest being a.
ranged in a Close coil. All drew back
their chairs in undisguised alarm.
Meanwhile the snake, though evil
IDENTIFY charmed by the music, kept
his bright eyes directed on the move.
ments of the party, whom he seemed
to regard as his natural foes. The
woman was the first to attack her an
cient enemy by slyly attempting to
nip his tail. He Missed forth his dis.
pleasure and made dart at her hand
but she was too quick for him. With
equal success the lad and the man
who was not playing continued tC
provoke the reptile for a minute oil
two, but he at length bit tie latter il
the hand. The blood trickled slowly
from the wound, but the man drew
from a small nag about his person
what appeared to be a small, dark.
cOlored fiat stone, and pressing it up
: on the wound left it there, for it ap
peared to have adhesive and styptit
properties. In about two minutes tht
blood ceased TO flow, and the quas
} stone drnpped off A small bsske
was then put before the snake, int
which he quietly glided, and was hiC
from sight.
The child is seated on the floor. Tit
father and mother simulate quarrel
. the former takes up and brandIshes {
sword, aud the child, seeing its moth
er threatened, yells Justify where
upon the fathers rage Is directed to
ward it. But the mother, seeing it
{ danger, hastily covers it with tn,
large basket before used, over which
she throws large Cloth neverthe
less, the man thrusts his sWort
through il into the basket, and make
-. 8 lunge or two. Then the shrieks O
. the child are heard, the basket /
!. moved violently about, and presently
ali is still. A small stream of blooC
I Is seen issuing from under the basket
which is lifted up and the apparently
dead body of the child is shown lyinI
Z face downward. The mother snatch
es il up, presses it to her bosom, ant
otherwise handles it, and after 4;
{ minute replaces it with an air o
resignation under the basket, seem
ingly q lifeless corpse. MeanWhil
the blood has been wiped up by tn
other conlederates, and a short in
cantation follows, al the end of whicI
the basket is again raised, and To- tn
child is found seated, quite unhurt, II
laughing face indicating the satisfaC
ton it is deriving from the juice of
= short stick OF sugar-cane which 1t
erunchiDg between its gleamin
: teeth.
d One of the jugglers then brough
I forth q ball OF fine twine, and un