Year: 1876

From the Belgravia Magazine.l


just as luncheon had been finished,
the dubash, Ramaswammy. entered
the room, and announced that the
iugglers were in attendance in the
verandah; upon which, Mr.. Cling
ham leading the way, the whole par
ty adjourned to it, and were soon
seated, in comfortable fashion, each
betaking himself to pipe or cigar
as pleased him hest.


The jugglers' party consisted of
two men, woman, a lad, and a child
of about four years of age. They
had with them large basket, con-
tanning their stock in trade; and,
with the exception of the woman,
were but scantily clad. The latter
had a small Indian tabor before her,
which she occasionally snatched up
and struck with the tips of her fin
gers to add expression to some of the
wild chants which were introduced
during the phases of the exhibition.
We pass over the deXterous manipu-
lation of the cups and balls-the
whirling of dozen oranges in the
air, not one of which ever touched
the ground, or clashed with another
the passing of a long blade of a
knife down the throat-the steadi-
ness of hand and eye which kept
from four to six sharp knives fash
ing and circling IN the air, without in
fiicting scratch on the performer of
the exploit. Wonderful too was the
performance of the pigmy goat, made
of wood or some other substance,
and covered with the skin Of that
animal, which drank up pint of wa
ter presented to it in an earthen yes
sci, without any visible increase of
bulk. We mention these rather as
feasts of dexterity, though they ex-
cited in no small degree the admira-
ton Of the spectators; but what fol
lowed could not be referred to like
cause.


For instance, the lad was made to
drink powder dissolved in little
water, at which he made a wry face !;
the premonitory symptoms of an at
tack of retching intervened, amid a
choral recitative accompanied by the
rat-tat-tat of the tabor; there was a
spasmodic action Of the stomach--a
body seemed to ascend through the
guliet-the mouth was filled--was
opened-and there dropped out on
the floor large smooth stone. In
another minute this phenomenon was
repeated; this time the stone being
so large as to pass out with difficult
ty between the teeth. Another and
another, and again another followed.
till ten stones of different shapes and
sizes, but all smooth, lay on the floor,
weighing in the aggregate probably
about two pounds.


A leathern strap was unrolled and
laid on the ground open to view-a
subdued choral incarnation followed
there. was a slight but perceptible
nervous twitching motion in the
strap, when one of the performers,
crying out, "Cover him up! cover
him up, or he will bite usr' placed a
large wicker work basket, called a
tapah, over it, and covered it with a
cloth; then, seizing strange-look-
ing musical instrument, the body OF
which consisted of small dry
gourd, he produced a succession ol
wild droning notes, not unlike the
treble of a bag-pipe. His companion
removed the basket, and in lieu of the
leathern strap, there was an enor.


nous live cobra, a hooded snake


with crest erect, darting out its
double tongue, and swaying about


foot of its body from side to side, ths


rest being arranged in close coil


All drew back their chairs in undis


guised alarm.


| Meanwhile the snake, though cyi


IDENTIFY charmed by the music, KEEP


his bright eyes directed on th'
movements Of the party, whom b