FILLIS' CIRCUS.

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 754, 10 June 1893, Page 8

FILLIS' CIRCUS.

Films' Circus, the largest show of the sort that haß ever visited New Zealand, opens here on Wednesday evening next. In Dunedin, Christchuroh and Wellington this circus has drawn thousands daily. The Auckland season will be limited owing to prior arrangements, but there will be two performances daily, and the day performances will be equal in every respect to the evening ones. The •matinees will doubtless be appreciated on account of the children.

Some Blight idea of the size of the show may be gathered from the fact that it comprises 50 horses, 12 trick ponies, and 7 Arab and Hungarian horses. The artistes number 70, including bare-back riders, clowns, gymnasts, tumblers, vaulters, lady and gentlemen equestrians, &o. Then there is an orchestra of five-and-twenty performers. The menagerie is probably the largest and most complete of any circus show of the kind. In it will be found performing elephants, panthers, leopards, gorillas, monkeys, etc. etc.

A great feature of the show is the man and tiger fight. The tiger is let loose in the ring which, for this act, is surrounded by a ten feet high iron railway. This circus took over £3,000 in Dunedin in a few days. And Dunedin is supposed to be ' hard-up ! What will the takings be in Auckland? The business manager is the well-known Signor Agrati, and the advance representative is the popular Mr Allan Hamilton.

From an interesting critique of the circus in the Melbourne Argus we take the following : — • The programme wound up with the sensational performance of Captain Bussell and bis four Nubian lions —all magnificient animals of their class. A distant roaring gave notice of their approach, and drove some of the more timid of the audience from their seats, and (then by a team of elephants the travelling cage was drawn into the centre of the ring, and Captain Russell, a tall, athletic man, in a red Hussar costume, boldly entered it. Armed only with a slight whip, the trainer forced the lions to go through a variety of performances, the daring* nature of the feat being intensified by the low growling of one of the lions, who was apparently in a bad temper, and the constant watch of the attendant who, rifle in hand, walked round the cage outside ready to fire through the bars. The whole scene was of the most realistic description, and the excitement was raised to tensionpoint by an incident which for a moment looked more than serious. Captain Bussell was standing in the middle of the cage forcing the lionß to circle round him, and in making a rapid movement lost his footing. The whole thing happened in a minute. Ceptain Russell was down and one of the lions standing over him. Then almost simultaneously came the report of Mr. Fillis's rifle, which caused the lions to rush to the end of the cage, and the trainer was on his feet again, while the audience, which, for an instant hovered on the verge of panic, was calmed by the managerial assurance that there was not the slightest) danger. After this Captain .Russell quietly concluded his ace by forcing the lions to jump through blazing hoops, and an excellent programme came to an end.