The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-13
AARHELOUS JUGGLERY.

The jugglers of India have for centuries
been noted for their remarkable skll in
the mysteries of the "black art The
editor of the Comm eroial Bulletin, travelling
\ In the East, has cOnlrIb IbuIed to that paper
some very interesting letters on the customs
OF the strange people he has visited. Under
the above heading he tells, in the last is
sue, his readers that convalescence is a
capital time for mild amusements which
will not tire the lasguid brain, and we had
fsome jugglers up almost every day. We
never could find out their tricks which are
8of the basket trick, where q email boy gets
inside basket, and the juggler plunges a
sword through and through it, bringing it
out rocking with blood, and then holds up
the basket, shows there's nothing there,
and calls the boy, who calmly appears from
outside the circle of spectators, And also
fof the mango trick, where a seed is placed
IN the ground, is covered with cloth, and
eppears as q shrub, growing yisibly before
Dne's very eyes, and then bears fruit, which
&lpens and is edible 10 five minutes from
rat planting. These fellows have very
panty clothing, and apparently no appara
1s whatever. There are some wiseacres
rho profess to know all about these tricks.
never saw the disc mbow weling and imme.
late healing of fskirs, in India, nor men
fitting in the air, Hevitated,' as Madame
Blavatsky calls it. But have seen other
ricks as surprising, and equally unaccount-
BILE by any art or science with which the
Europeans or Americans appear to be &C
luainted nowadays. l have seen man
brow mp into the air a number of balls
um bered in succession from one upwards.
As each went up, and there was no decep.
ion about their going up, the ball was seen
Hearty in the air, getting smaller and
Pf sight. When they were all up, twenty
Pc more, the operator would politely ask
Fhich ball you wanted to see, and then
you'd shout our, MOL No 49, AID SO on,
gs instructed by the spectators, when the
pall demanded would bound to his feet, vic
Iently from some rem ote distance.
"Then I've seen them swallow three
liferent colored powders, and then, throw
ing back the head, wash then down with
eVater, drunk in the native fashion in a
continuous stream from q lOtah, or brass
pot, held at arms length from the lips, AID
eep on drinking till the swOOien body
4ould not hold another drop, and water
Yverflowed from the lips. Then those fel.
sowR, after squirting out the water in their
l1ouths, have spAt out three powders on
clean piece of paper, dry and unmixed.
As to the thimble- riggery of their minor
'rlcks, they are exceedingly expert, but
pre- probably eo nailed by many OF our dis
fing1ished prestidigitateurs and whatever
nay be eaiG of the basket and mango tricks,
pr the sitting in the air, 1 don't think any
pf our people are up to the sending of balls
INTO space and recalling them in an unpre
nediated order. THIS reminds me- of the |
rick Marco Polo, the great Venetian trs-
Feler of earlier times, speaks of having
een at the Court of PIester John, in Cen
raj Asia, when q bean was planted and |
prung rapidly toward the heavens, it's
ummit being lost in the clouds. Up this,
me juggler- travelled, and then another |
fter him, with drawn sword. In few
'pln1tes, down dropped ears, nose, a
cad, and limbs of No. l; No 2 Ielsurely
eseends, wiping bloody sword, shovels
p the fragments of his victim into box.
nd goes on with other performances, pre-.
htiy calling out for his defunct compa
on, who thereupOn prt sents himself as
[ge as life, all alive and kicking, from the
ong. This is not modern trick, bat
! have seen are certainly not less
tea.ous. toaou Then, too, it is we'll authen-
bre sU TACT TACT that some of these jugglers, on
vs ana rHSn one occasion in recent years,
IA boIa n'ted Themselves to be buried alive,
a TssT TssS been dug out alive after the lapse