THE JAPANESE JUGGLERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 160, 16 November 1868, Page 2

THE JAPANESE JUGGLERS.

♦ . ! The real Japanese troupe, it appears, has yet to be seen in Christchurch. ; that which paid us a visit some time ago not being by any means "Japans number one." We understand that these marvellous performers, now in Dunedin, will shortly arrive in Christchurch, and it may interest some of our readers to know what they, profess to do. The following account is from a recent issue of the Oiago Daily Times :— For months we have heard of the doings of the Japanese Troupe of Jugglers and Acrobats, who had been procured for a tour through the colonies by the practised caterers for public amusement, Messrs Lenton and Smith. Each and all of the journals in places which the troupe had visited teemed with accounts of their startling performances, and whole vocabularies were exhausted in their praise. Naturally, curiosity was aroused, and it was therefore not strange that the arrival of the troupe here yesterday should cause some hundreds of our citizens to line the streets awaiting their landing at the jetty. And still less strange was it that the theatre should be crowded in every part last night, to witness their performance. The very sight of natives of a country so long closed to the European was an attraction, and the reports of what the troupe did and could do seemed so to border on the marvellous and the impossible that there was a general desire to witness felts, th-.: successful performance of which could not be realised. It is no exaggeration to «ay that all doubts of what had been said and written respecting the marvellous nature of the Japanese entertainment were last night completely diepclled. At each feature in the well arranged programme — well arranged because the wonderful was followed by something still more wonderful — the astonishment of the audience grew until, at witnessing the performances of the lady who bore the euphonious title of Cuts-who-Gero, the general excitement was worked up to the highest pitch, and a vent only fouud in vehement and enthusiastic applause. To describe the entertainment is almost impossible ; it must be seen to be credited. First the beautiful illusion, "■ The flight of the butterflies," was executed. With a bouquet in one hand and a fan in the other, one of the performers caused artificial flies made in the presence of the audience to imitate the motions of the natural insect. To circle, in the air, to make sudden swift darts through space 3 and to apparently light and

sip the flowers, was all done so easily that the "illusion was complete. - The same performer then did a conjuring trick that beat all we had ever seen, and which was as astonishing as it was amusing. Then came feats of pedal balancing with an umbrella and a large screen, which were dexterously and easily performed. The first portion of the programme closed with what was atyled a " Japanese Sensation," and sensational it was indeed. Imagine a long bamboo rod balanced on the shoulder, and clinging to the top of it a boy, who, "while it was bent with his weight and swinging about in the air, went through all kinds of feats, placing his body in all kinds of positions except the perpendicular, and all thie time the performer at the foot playing a tune on a Japanese instrument. Then followed another indescribable performance, that of the Imperial Top Spinner, and it was capped by a feat called the Kihola. Here an immense wooden frame was balanced on the feet of one of the troupe. The boy before spoken of ascended ladders in the frame, went in and out in all positions^ and while concealed behind its paper covering masked himself, changed bis costume, and on his arrival at the top went through the most extraordinary evolutions. The juggling with balls, fans, knives, chopsticks, and the magic bottle, which followed, was wonderfully clever, and deserved all the applause bestowed upon it. But, aB we have said, the performance of Cuts-who-Gero was the most astonishing of all. She trod the thin ropes as if they were broad pavements, turned and twisted in every condition, and while the lines were waving to and fro rapidly danced what was apparently a Japanese jockey dance. The ease and confidence, nay more, the gracefulness, with which all was done, almost drove away the fear that an accident would happen, but it was impossible not to hold the breath with trembling astonishment. In addition to the performances of the Japanese Troupe, there were entertainments oy Herberte, Frank, and John Lenton — youths who executed gymnastic and acrobatic feats of the most daring character. Of these we shall speak again, as of the amusing performance of the trained monkeys. We had almost forgotten to mention that the Japanese entertainments were illustrated by Japanese music, and that the feats of Cuts-who-Gero were executed to a native chant. The set of the stage was an excellently painted Japanese scene, and each portion of the programme was announced by one of the performers. We can only add that there is nothing in the whole entertainment that could offend the most sensitive, and that the appearance of the troupe was in every way a success. We believe that the phrase " Have you seen the Japanese ? " will take the place of conventional questions about health or the weather, and that by the time the troupe leave, there will be very few but can answer it in the affirmative. We also believe that all who do »cc the performances ■will not only be astonished, but pleased.