THE MEN FROM CABUL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1066, 8 April 1880, Page 2

THE MEN FROM CABUL.

Mr. Lyon'B troupe of Afghan jugglers, who are styled "The Men from Cabal," are now performing in Melbourne, and will shortly visit the cities of New Zealand. We take the following from the Melbourne Telegraph. They gave a private performance before some representatives of the daily papers, and certainly accomplished some surprising feats. If our readers will please bear in mind that the audience is allowed to stand right over the jugglers while they execute the tricks, it will be easily understood that these appear more astonishing on that account. There are no tables or any of the ordinary paraphernalia of European jugglers. Sitting cross-legged on a small platform, with a little bag containing their material beside them, they achieve by dexterous sleight of hand what ordinary performers require complicated mechanism for. Their physical dexterity is marvellous. One of them after breakiug some ordinary thread swallows it, and after apparently piercing his naked side with a knife, manages to secure an end of the thread, and draws it slowly out through the puncture. That the thread does come through is proved by the pyramidal form of the flesh as soon as the strain of pulling the cotton through is put on. To fully convince the visitors that there is really no delusion, the performer squeezes the hole, through which a drop or two of blood oozes. Another wonderful triok is done with a pair of hollow spherical brasses. In a flash of time, and by one movement, these are forced under the eyelids, and the spectator is startled by a pair of . flashing metallic eyes glaring at him. With a pecular movement of the little finger, the brasses are forced out again, but that the operation is not a pleasant one is apparent from the secretions which flow copiously from the lids. Piercing the tongue with a dagger, and drawing yards and yards of twine from the mouth, Jfire-swallowing, and numerous other juggleries, are done with the utmost neatness. These tricks are somewhat unpleasant to desbribe, but they are not at all dreadful to look at, as the interest is absorbing. This is also a ventriloquist, who sits on a small table with a pair of wooden dolls, and fairly eclipses all the English performers we have seen. The imitation of an infant crying at its mother's breast is perfect, as well as the barking of dogs, etc. The performers are all of the purest Afghan type, but only three men and one woman were shown last night.