477 



any I have seen in England; the most conspicuous was generally 

 one of those women mentioned by Dr. Fryer, who hold nine gilded 

 balls in play, with her hands and feet, and the muscles of her arms 

 and legs, for a long time together, without letting them fall. These 

 people also enable me to confirm another anecdote, which I could 

 not have so scientifically described. This observing traveller says, 

 " I saw a man who swallowed a chain such as our jacks have, 

 and made it clink in his stomach; but on pulling it out, it was not 

 so pleasant to the ladies, for whose diversion it was brought. I 

 was promised also to see a fellow cast up his tripes by his mouth, 

 stomach and all, shewing them to the beholders; but this we ex- 

 cused. Jn his stead was brought another, who by suction, or 

 drawing of his breath, so contracted his lower belly that it had 

 nothing left to support it, but fell flat to his loins, the midriff 

 beino; forced into the thorax, and the muscles of the abdomen as 

 clearly marked out by the stiff tendons of the linea alba, as by 

 the most accurate dissection could be made apparent; he moving 

 each row, like living columns, by turns/' 



These people were frequently accompanied by strolling come- 

 dians, who acted Hindoo plays in the style of the Fantoccini. I 

 never saw any Indian theatricals on a larger scale; but on these 

 occasions I have at times heard some very humorous and witty 

 dialogues, but never witnessed a representation that offended piety, 

 morality, or delicacy. That some of their dramatic writings merit 

 very high encomium, we may judge from the beautiful play of 

 Saconlala, translated by Sir William Jones. Nothing can be more 

 innocent, or illustrative of the simplicity of ancient Hindoo man- 

 ners. The stage ought every where to be a school for virtue. Ad- 



