The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-06-12
DAN cling AT The DOCK
East Indian Sailors Celebrate the MahoH-
medan New Year or Something Else.
WOADROusLY QUEER PERFORMANCES
Dancers Who Never Tire ana Song
That Never Ceases-Fantasttc Cos.
tunes and Funny Capers-aIan an
bamboo Horse Takes the Cake
for u Curious Customer.


"A About o'clock yesterday afternoon a
veymg, information to the Virgin
ian office that a coolA war
u Vance was going on at the Norfolk and
western dock, and that It was q SIGHT
aoe soos and men or something to that
erect. At any rate 1T was said RI he
sufficiently interesting to warrant a
newspaper man taking time to go and
see II. Accordingly O reporter went as
eAPedltlously as possible to the dock.
ailu upon MS arrival witnessed such q
s,g NJ as one seldom beholds on this side
OF the globe. though 1t may be common
enough In the East Indies.
:, ABOUT forty Malayans, belonging to
Inc crew or the British steamship NIoroa
many OF them dressed in costumes RI
vaiilns those Of American circus clowns
were playing such fantastic tricks be-
lore an audience Of about one hundred
as to tickle almost everybody into fits.
II the centre Of the group Of perform
erS were three musicians, two Of them
e.qulpped with drums Of the variety
known only to those who eo down 10
the sea in ships, while the third had an
instrument of the same kind that looked
IKE q lett over specimen from the Christ
mas goods stock of toy store. These
musicians were strangers to the art of
heeplns tlme but that made no differ
ence TO the jolly jack tarS. Two or three
telloWs. who were richly endowed with
Drawn and agility, pranced around in a
way that was a sight to behold. carry
ing pam boo rods dressed up with bits of
Sauoy paper cut into curious shapes.
Arouho these danced q score or more
dusky sons of the Orient with q kind of
mop, skip and jump movement forwar Ri
anu similar movement backward
keeplnS time with monotonous refrat in
OF half dozen words sung DER and
Ger without the slightest variety In IN
tonation 80 -
lust outside the circle of dancers two
or three fellows sat down occasionally
10 nave little game Of craps, but q chap
VINO did the policeman act invariably
broke up the amusement in it's earliest
stages until two Of the players dropped
some small change into his pocket The
most 'amooSln cusS" in the lot with
apologies to Artemus WarD was one
VINO had bamboo horse covered with
paper, SO adjusted about his waist as to
he!p MN 10 imagine that he was riding
merry steed. He cavorted around the
crowd 1iourishing a wooden sword, occa-
SlonallS making q pass at by-Standefs
III such a way as to make the crowd
stand back and let him have all the room
ne wanted. At Intervals he rode Off to
remote parts Of the dock as though in
search OF other worlds to conquer.
Another queer chara cter was pat
llafch with long false beard and a
furban made CT a wooden shawl that
NaS tHlch enough 10 keep him from
catching cold In the head on top Of the
North pole. He had Il big club. with
which he ran In and out among the other
performers, but he did not hurt anybody.
Two OF the men were SO clevery
dressed to represent women that the de-
cepiion was quite effective
With n view OF finding out the where
foreaess of tho unique celebration. The
Nirginian man boarded the ship and
sought an explanation. The captain
was incommunicado, as they say in
Spanish, OF out OF the city, or something
else. at all events he was not to be
seen. so the mate was interviewed. He
proved to be anything but a encyclopedia.
fic said that the sailors called the per
formera Hobson-J OLSON and he did not
know any other name for it. He I'M
parted the information that 1t was an
annual ton and that it usually
lasts "a week. Yesterdays perform
ance was the grand wird-up OF the at
fair. He was under the impression
That 1t was the Mohammedan New Year,
hut he was not willing to- risk his repu-
tation by stating il for 8 fact
The MOroa is here luading grain She
Is so long that she cannot lie along side
The elevator pier. but is tied up diagonal
~ across the dock. She has 1ifty-scven
East Indian sailors in her crew and is
under the command OF Captain Adams
Norfolk. Fa.-My wife complained Of
a tired feeling and weakness OF the
limbs She was rs tired in the morn