The Lamar register., 1893-06-17

in return for these favors what passes
current in the Orient for amusement
THIS amusement has been more extern
sively described and misrepreseuted
than anything else connected with the
land of the hycra-headed snake god.
and IL il was in fact one-half as won
derful as it is in story-that is too often
accepted as historv-there would be
zore Hindoo jugglers and snake
charmers in America now than il In
dia. as the enterprising American
showman's arm reaches far. II brings
us the most clever performers in the
world from the land of the Mikado.
types of natives from Africa. Australia
and the South Sea Islands, but no
jugglers from Indi,, for the reason
that when the performance of these
fakirs was coutrasted with the work
of even the most ordinary European
and American jugglers and magiGians
it would fab so far below the standard
necessary to entertain that the i'm
porter would become bankrupt in a
short time.
Nothing Is more amusing for one
who has seen the best of the jugyler of
India give their most celebrated cxhi-
billions in their native land. surrounded
with everything calculated to give
effect to their performances and
heighten the delusion attempted, than
to read almost any of the frequently
published accounts of th- weird and
unearthly performances of the Iindoo
juggler.
There is hardly a work OF travel in
India that does not contain ZONE mar
vellous account of the great perform
ances Of the native jugg er. and nearly
all writers state that these performers
work without paraphernalia, clothing,
stage or confederztes- Like the coun-
try lad who visits the city for the first
time bent on not seeing the whole
great town, but some one thing that
had been described 50 often that it be-
came the most interesting thing among
the many sights, and that not 70 have
seen it would have been not to have
seen the city, l determined to see and
investigate the greatest and best of
the jugg ers in India, and now recall
! the satisfaction experienced as we
stood on the quarter deck OF grea:
East Indian liner rs She slowly steamed
against the swift yellow current of the
Hooglo River, up past the long stretch
| of plantations, Hindoo villages and
ruined temples until we came in sight
| OF the City of Palaces, Calcutta, the
/ Mecca of the Oriental traveller. the
metropolis and seat of government of
| British India, for l knew that after
having attended to the business that
caused my visit to the Far East there
would be an opportunity to study the
type OF juggler that had been astonish-
ing the trave led writer since the DAYS
of the great Sha Gehari and Warren
| Hastings.
business necessitated the engaging
| of a good interpreter and comfort the
employment of good body servant
| These were selected for me by Jack
Andrews, well known racing
authority and horse breeder of Cal
cutta, who knows the requirements OF
a traveller in Upper India as he who
has travelled there can only know
| them.
The presenting of credentials, call
ing on agents and securing of supplies
for the trip to the Vale of Cashmere SC
fully occupied the first few days ashore
that the juggler was almost lost sight
| of, when one afternoon after lunch
(ealled tiGin herel the weird, plaintivt
strains of n snake walla's pipe wer,
waited through my windows from tn;