182 SPORTING AND 



I missed a good deal by not having a 

 thorough knowledge of the language. 



The performance then commenced, and, 

 though I had heard a great deal of the 

 dexterity and cleverness of these itinerant 

 jugglers, I must say I was agreeably sur- 

 prised. They began by planting a mango 

 seed in the ground, then they watered the 

 place and covered it up for about five 

 minutes with a wall of cotton round it ; on 

 the screen being removed, there appeared a 

 little plant about three inches high : then 

 more watering and fanning, when it was 

 again screened, and after another interval 

 of five minutes it was shewn as a little tree, 

 about a foot high, with a beautiful large 

 mango, quite ripe, growing upon it ; this 

 was pulled and presented to the English 

 sahib. Then there was jumping through 

 tight hoops of rope, through which the per- 



