JERUSALEM TO BETHLEHEM. 397 
order to gain a livelihood for itself and its owner. 
He had taught this animal, while he accom- 
panied its movements with a song, to moimt 
upon little cylindrical blocks of wood, placed 
successively one above the other, and in shape 
resembling the dice-boxes belonging to a back- 
gammon-table. In this manner the goat stood, 
first upon the top of one cylinder, then upon 
the top of two, and afterwards of three, four, 
five, and six, until it remained balanced upon 
the summit of them all, elevated several feet 
from the ground, and with its four feet collected 
upon a single point, without throwing down the 
disjointed fabric upon which it stood*. The 
practice is very antient. It is also noticed by 
Sandys '. Nothing can shew more strikingly 
the tenacious footing possessed by this quadru- 
ped upon the jutty points and crags of rocks ; 
and the circumstance of its ability to remain 
(3) See the Ftgnette to this Chapter. 
(3) Sandys saw this in Grand Cairo. " There are in this city, and 
have beene of lon^, a sort of people that do get their livings by 
shewing of feates with birds and beasts, exceeding therein all such as 
have bin famous amongst us I have seen them make both 
dogs and goates to set tlieir foure feet on a little turned pillar of wood, 
abont a foot high, and no broader at the end than the palm of a hand : 
eliming from one to two set ou the top of one another; and so to the 
third and fourth ;. and there turne about as often as their masters 
would bid them." Sandys' Travels, p. 126. fjynd, \637, 
