The herald., 1895-12-01

east, and doubtle Increased tho bewild.
erment of the young Baboo in search Of a
new faith. Ons of the bss. known Ameri-
can entertainers mas Te0ently made the
British Indian tour. including Siam. he
told funny Yankee stories to all sorts OF
audiences, some of whom knew no word
CT English. but the natives were glad to
hear. even if they could not understand,
the tales OF one esteemed great story
teller bv the barbarians Of tne west. This
particular entertainer was realiy pio-
neer as to method. for he boldly drifted
about India. visiting native courts ana
British seats OF gOvrrnmant, using with
equal cheerfulness the countsnance OF a
rajah or the air OF deputy collector.
He distributed American autographs OF
his own face all over the east, and despite
the British Indian fashion OF making u
"chit" serve in lieu of ready cash, cs me
home much the richer for his journey.
There are good many theaters in near
ly all the iarge cities Of the east. Bonn,
bay and Calcutta each have two god
houses. Hong Kong, Sbaghai snd Yoko-
hama have good theaters belonging TO
amateur theatrical companies, and every
fegimental station in British India has
stage fittings ready to be rigged up In the
mess room or thu drill shed. Even SO
wretchsd place as Suez has little stage
fitted up in the quarters OF the Eastern
sick exiles give occasional performances
of mild farce.cnmsdy.
The European in China, Japan and
India Is we'll furnished as regards out
door sports and daylight amusements,
but bis evenings are often dull: and here.
in lies the success OF entertainers that
invade those fields. These dull nirhts
give rise to many amateur theatrical
companies throughout the east, and the
amateurs have always Deen only 100 glad
10 help out such professionals as came
their way. The companies that used 10
go out to the east were often made up OF
the leading lady and the low omedian
and here was the opportunity. for the
amateurs. BandmanE and Louise Beau
det Travelled through thu east with such
aid from Japan to Bombay. Charles
Matthews. when nearly 20 years old, per-
formed with amateur aid in Calcutta and
Bombay. Albert Smith, the forgotten
British novelist, was perhaps the earliest
entertainer to penetrate the east. lie
went as far as China nearly forty years
ago with great success. Dave Carson, an
old American neg:o minstel, was for
years O welcome guest in Anglo-lndlan
circles, from Simla to Point de Gale. He
invented the song called The Bengalee
Baboo, known to all ADglo-Indians OF
the last half-century.
In recent years large Indian cities have
imported third rate theatrical com panies
from London. One such company, after
all the seats had been sold for the season
through, was lost in the Red Sea on the
journey out. Acrobats and conjurers
are your true cosmopolitans. Keller, An
derson. and others are famous through
out India, AMI the French government
EN- mployed Houdin on a mission to the
Arabs about Algiers. An Ang glo-Ind ian
in Now York affirmed during an after
dinner chat that he had seen Blondin walk
frcm the main to the mizzen of the old
ship Poonah in the Indian ocean, and
heard him say that 1t was the most diH-
cult feat he had ever undertaken,