Sentence:  Thus the whale-line folds the whole boat in its complicated coils, twisting and writhing around it in almost every direction. All the oarsmen are involved in its perilous contortions; so that to the timid eye of the landsman, they seem as Indian <WSD>jugglers</WSD>, with the deadliest snakes sportively festooning their limbs. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A person who practices juggling.