Items related to Japan, historical and descriptive, Revised and enlarged...
Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 Excerpt: ...an egg, and extracts from it yards of string; or pounds a piece of paper in the palm of his hand, and a cloud of gnats rise from it a moment after. Further on, the discordant call of the fife, drum, and tambourine causes a general rush to view a representation given by the Lion of Corea. The player is muffled in a large striped or spotted cloak, surmounted by the enormous head of a fantastic lion, which causes great amusement and terror by its sudden bounds and loud roars. After a great deal of dancing and ridiculous caperings, the entertainment i3 ended by the monster suddenly casting off its disguise, and being transformed into an expert juggler, he seizes a drumstick and balances it upon the thumb of his left hand, then adds a second, and places a third crossways above the other two;. finally he throws them in the air, catching them as they fall, and twists them round and round, faster and faster, adding to them without a pause one, two, and three bowls in succession, which have sprung no one knows from whence. This is the grand finale of the performance; the musicians carry round the plate--that is to say, the fan--and the juggler quietly lights his pipe from that of his nearest neighbour. The Gymnasts. 191 At opposite corners of the square two troops of mountebanks have installed themselves. One company performs in the open air; amongst other exhibitions, they swallow swords and accomplish marvellous feats of jumping. One of them passes harmlessly through two hoops crossing each other and fixed at the top of a pole, on which is also balanced a jug at the point of intersection of the hoops. But their most masterly trick consists in darting through a cylinder made of bamboo trellis-work, about five feet in length, and resting on two supports. The mounteb...
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