An Eastern Snake Charmer.]

EASTERN JUGGLERS.

Some True Anecdotes of Wonderful Feats.

Eastern kings and princes are careful, like those of Western countries,
that those visitors who come to them should have amusements. There is no
difficulty, at any time, in obtaining performers with snakes, for
serpent charmers and trainers are well-known and popular. The
fearlessness these men show is amazing; it has been said, indeed, that
they operate only with harmless snakes, or those deprived of their
fangs, but there seems to be evidence they can manage poisonous reptiles
in good condition for stinging. The charmers probably influence the
snakes in three ways--by music, by fumes arising from substances they
burn in a dish, and also by certain movements of their own bodies.
Sometimes they practise a sort of fortune-telling by snakes, the motion
of the reptile's head towards some object being supposed to give an
answer to a question.

A show of wild animals, too, often furnishes an entertainment, and
sometimes, after the animals have performed various tricks, or have had
mock fights, there is a second part consisting of conjuring and feats of
agility. A traveller in the East, describing one of these
entertainments, tells us of one Hindoo whom he saw, with very stout arms
but rather thin legs. He was bare to the waist, wearing white trousers
and a smart skull-cap of blue and yellow silk. A slight yet firm ladder
was placed upright; across the top was a strong pole, and at each end of
the pole a stout cord hung down. The ends of the cords were staked to
the ground, so that the apparatus could not give way. Having made a
salaam to the spectators, the Hindoo began his operations.

Rubbing his hands together, the juggler went to the ladder, and grasping
the first bar above his head, mounted with surprising activity, keeping
his feet motionless about six inches from the frame. Having reached the
top by the help of his hands only, he threw his feet upward, and was
seen resting upon his head with his arms crossed over his chest and his
legs closed. Thus he remained motionless for over a minute. Next, a cord
being flung to him from below, he caught it and drew up an iron ball
about six pounds in weight, enclosed in a netting of twine. Still
remaining upon his head, the Hindoo raised the ball to about three yards
from his hand, and then swung it circularly; after a few whirls he
launched it through the air, sending it a long