AMONG THE LIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 123, 26 May 1893, Page 3

AMONG THE LIONS.

A MODERN COLOSSEUiM

AN EXCITING INCIDENT.

(BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, this day. About ten o'clock on Queen's Birthday night, the great show, which has been drawing enormous audiences here foi a fortnight; past, closed the last entertainment of ito Wellington season, and by two o'clock nexb morning the whole company, with its menagerie and all accessories and baggage wore in the train 67i route for Falmerston North. One frequently hears people remark on the large aum of money which the proprietora of such an exhibition take out of tho country. What they really take away is the sum thoy realise after paying all expenses. This, in the case of Fillis' Circue, cannot be large, except his va9b amphitheatre is crowded every night at all places where performances are given. On Tuesday night, which was wet and sloppy, I attended the entertainment, and as there were close on four thousand human faces around me, and as all parts of the enclosure wore densely packed, except the high-priced eeats, where there were several rows vacant, I congratulated Mr Fillis on tho patronage accorded him. Hepointed to theompty benches just referred to, and said that, as he would have to spend close on £5,000 in six weeks on this Now Zealand tour on travelling axponees alone, many such audiences would result in a dead loss. Mr Fillis, I may remark is quite a gentlemanly, well-informed man, who seems to know nearly as much concerning all sorts of men as he does of all kinds of animals. Madame Fillis in no way resembles the circu3 ladies one used to see. Tho most refined and artistic part of tho entertainment is given by her with extremo grace and quite ladylike skill and manner. However, it does not fall to my lob to attempt to describe an exhibition which you will have an opportunity of seeing for yourselves in aboub throe weeks' time. The great feature of it undoubtedly is the portion in which Bengal tigers, Nubian liona, and Indian elephants perform. I will spoak of the lions ODly, and of them because it so happened on one occasion when I was present I witnessed more than a usually exciting scene betweeu one of the liona and tho intrepid trainer John Cox. The former, a groat savage brute, tabes tho leading part in the cuge performance. This cage is composed on all sides of small iron bars, and atands on an extra long four-wheeled trolly, which is drawn into the arena by four elephants, which are then led away, leaving the cage in the centre of the rins*. A contrivance like a Rentry-box lor a porch, constructed, like the cage itseif, of iron ban?, is now screwed on to the space occupied by the door of the cage, and into this contrivance or vestibule Cox now gots, locking the doors behind him. Ho then unlocks the door of the cage itself and walks straight in amongst the four beasts, whom he immediately proceeds to put through thoir several paces. The principal lion on this occasion was more sulky and savage than usual. Mr Taylor, the ringmaster, informed mo that Wellington weather had put him out of temper. Anyhow, he was called on to show the. attitude of the British lion when he confronts the unicorn on Her Majesty's coat of arms, but positively declined to show anything except ft huge mouth, and an ugly set of teeth. Meanwhile, while Cox was facing this brute, the three others, with their headß turned away, were behind him, and I noticed thab he casb a look every two or three seconds towards them also, to make sure thab none of them had turned rouud. After about five minutes, during which one could hear a pin fall in the amphibheabre, tho contest terminated by the lion giving in, and the

performance wont on as usual. Thia change of mind on tho part of tho lion was probably a fortunate thing for Cox, for one spring and a stroke of the paw would have pitched the trainer on the other three lions, and then the worst would happen. It was as much as people could do to repress thenapplause at the darins; coolness of this youth. Applause, however, is strictly forbidden during this part of the entertainment, aa it is apt to excite tho animals and divert tho attention of Cox, who requires it riveted on the particular work before him from the moment he enters the cage till ho leavos it. There is hardly a man, woman or child for miles around the city who has not viaited Fillis' show once, and thousands many times. The amphitheatre, when quite full, is a sight in itself worth paying for. Cox, I should mention, carries in his hand a lady'B riding whip.