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"SAMWELL'S COMPANY." Another penny show: "The Wonderful Children on the Tight Rope, and Dancing Horse, Only a Penny!" I paid my penny to the money-taker, a slender, "fine lady," with three feathers in a "jewelled turban," and a dress of blue and white muslin and silver; and withinside I saw the "fat, contented, easy" proprietor, who was arrayed in corresponding inagnificence. If he loved leanness, it was in his "better half," for himself had none of it. Obesity had disqualified him for activity, and therefore in his immensely tight and large satin jacket, he was, as much as possible, the active commander of his active performers. He superintended the dancing of a young female on the tight rope. Then he announced, “A little boy will dance a hornpipe on the rope," and he ordered his "band" inside to play; this was obeyed without difficulty, for it merely consisted of one man, who blew a hornpipe tune on a Pan's-pipe; while it went on, the "little boy"danced on the tight rope; so far it was a hornpipe dance and no farther. "The little boy will stand on his head on the rope," said the manager, and the little boy stood on his head accordingly Then another female danced on the slack-wire; and after her came a horse, not a "dancing horse,” but a "learned" horse, quite as learned as the horse at Ball's theatre, in Show III. There was enough for " a penny."

SHOW IX. "CLARKE FROM ASTLEY'S." This was a large show, with the back against the side of" Samwell's Company," and its front in a line with Hosier-lane, and therefore looking towards Smithfieldbars. Large placards were pasted at the side, with these words, "CLARKE'S FROM ASTLEY'S, Lighted with Real Gas, In and Outside." The admission to this show was sixpence. The platform outside was at least ten feet high, and spacious above, and here there was plenty of light. The interior was very large, and lighted by only a single hoop, about two feet six inches in diameter, with little jets of gas about an inch and a half apart. A large

circle or ride was formed on the ground. The entertainment commenced by a man dancing on the tight-rope. The rope was removed, and a light bay horse was mounted by a female in trowsers, with a pink gown fully frilled, flounced, and ribboned, with the shoulders in large puffs. While the horse circled the ring at full speed, she danced upon him, and skipped with a hoop like a skipping-rope; she performed other dexterous feats, and concluded by dancing on the saddle with a flag in each hand, while the horse flew round the ring with great velocity. These and the subsequent performances were enlivened by tunes from a clarionet and horn, and jokes from a clown, who, when she had concluded, said to an attendant,

Now, John, take the horse off, and whatever you do, rub him well down with a cabbage." Then a man rode and danced on another horse, a very fine ani mal, and leaped from him three time over garters, placed at a considerable height and width apart, alighting on the horse's back while he was going round. This rider was remarkably dexterous. In conclusion, the clown got up and rode with many antic tricks, till, on the sudden, an apparently drunken fellow rushed from the audience into the ring, and began to pull the clown from the horse. The manager interfered, and the people cried-"Turn him out ;" but the man persisted, and the clown getting off, offered to help him up, and threw him over the horse's back to the ground. At length the intruder was seated, with his face to the tail, though he gradually assumed a proper position; and riding as a man thoroughly intoxicated would ride, fell off; he then threw off his hat and great coat, and threw off his waistcoat, and then an under-waistcoat, and a third, and a fourth, and more than a dozen waistcoats. Upon taking off the last, his trowsers fell down and he appeared in his shirt; whereupon he crouched, and drawing his shirt off in a twinkling, appeared in a handsome fancy dress, leaped into the saddle of the horse, rode standing with great grace, received great applause, made his bow, and so the performance concluded.

This show was the last in the line on the west side of Smithfield.

SHOW X.

The line of shows on the east of Smithfield, commencing at Long-lane,began with "The Indian Woman-Chinese Lady and

Dwarf," &c. A clown outside cried, "Be assured they 're alive-only one penny each." The crowd was great, and the shows to be seen were many, I therefore did not go in.

SHOW XI.

On the outside was inscribed, "To be ween alive! The Prodigies of Nature! The Wild Indian Woman and Child, with her Nurse from her own country.-The Silver-haired Lady and Dwarf. Only a Penny."-The showmaster made a speech: "Ladies and gentlemen, before I show you the wonderful prodigies of nature, let me introduce you to the wonderful works of art;" and then he drew a curtain, where some wax-work figures stood. "This," said he, "ladies and gentlemen, is the famous old Mother Shipton; and here is the unfortunate Jane Shore, the beautiful mistress of king Edward the Second; next to her is his majesty king George the Fourth of most glorious memory; and this is queen Elizabeth in all her glory; then here you have the princess Amelia, the daughter of his late majesty, who is dead; this is Mary, queen of Scots, who had her head cut off; and this is O'Bryen, the famous Irish giant; this man, here, is Thornton, who was tried for the murder of Mary Ashford; and this is the exact resemblance of Othello, the moor of Venice, who was a jealous husband, and depend upon it every man who is jealous of his wife, will be as black as that negro. Now, ladies and gentlemen, the two next are a wonderful couple, John and Margaret Scott, natives of Dunkeld, in Scotland; they lived about ninety years ago; John Scott was a hundred and five years old when he died, and Margaret lived to be a hundred and twelve; and what is more remarkable, there is not a soul living can say he ever heard them quarrel." Here he closed the curtain, and while undrawing another, continued thus: "Having shown you the dead, I have now to exhibit to you two of the most extraordinary wonders of the living; this," said he, "is the widow of a New Zealand Chief, and this is the little old woman of Bagdad; she is thirty inches high, twentytwo years of age, and a native of Boston, in Lincolnshire." Each of these living subjects was quite as wonderful as the waxen ones: the exhibition, which lasted about five minutes, was ended by courteous thanks for the " approbation of the

ladies and gentlemen present," and an evident desire to hurry them off, lest they might be more curious than his own curiosities.

SHOW XII.

"Only a penny" was the price of admission to "The Black Wild Indian W ́sman.-The White Indian Youth-and the Welsh Dwarf.—All Alive!" There was this further announcement on the outside, "The Young American will Perform of ter the Manner of the French Jugglers at Vauxhall Gardens, with Balls, Rings, When the "Welsh Daggers," &c.

dwarf" came on he was represented to be Mr. William Phillips, of Denbigh, ifteen years of age. The "white Indian youth" was an Esquimaux, and the exhibitor assured the visitors upon his veracity, that "the black wild Indian wo man" was "a court lady of the island of Madagascar." The exhibitor himself was "the young American," an intelsgent and clever youth in a loose striped jacket or frock tied round the middle. He commenced his performances by throwing up three balls, which he kept constantly in the air, as he afterwards did four, and then five, with great desterity, using his hands, shoulders, and elbows, apparently with equal ease. He afterwards threw up three rings, each about four inches in diameter, and then four, which he kept in motion with simlar success. To end his performance be produced three knives, which, by throwing up and down, he contrived to preserve in the air altogether. These feats forcibly reminded me of the Anglo-Saxon Glee-man, who "threw three balls and three knives alternately in the air, and caught them, one by one, as they fell; returning them again in regular rotation." The young American's dress and knives were very similar to the Glee man's, as Strutt has figured them from a MS. in the Cotton collection. This youth's was one of the best exhibitions in the Fair, perhaps the very best. The admission it will be remembered was “only a penny."

SHOW XIII.

outside of this show were," The White The inscriptions and paintings on the

Strutt

Negro, who was rescued from her Black Parents by the bravery of a British Officer-the only White Negro Girl Alive.— The Great Giantess and Dwarf.—Six Curiosities Alive!-only a Penny to see them All Alive !" While waiting a few minutes till the place filled, I had leisure to observe that one side of the place was covered by a criminal attempt to represent a tread-mill, in oil colours, and the operators at work upon it, superin tended by gaolers, &c. On the other side were live monkies in cages; an old bear in a jacket, and sundry other animals. Underneath the wheels of the machine, other living creatures were moving about, and these turned out to be the poor neglected children of the showman and his wife. The miserable condition of these infants, who were puddling in the mud, while their parents outside were turning a bit of music, and squalling and bawling with all their might, "walk in only a penny," to get spectators of the objects that were as yet concealed on their "proud eminence," the caravan, by a thin curtain, raised a gloom in the mind. I was in a reverie concerning these beings when the curtain was withdrawn, and there stood confessed to sight, she whom the showman called "the tall lady," and "the white negro, the greatest curiosity ever seen the first that has been exhibited since the reign of George the Second-look at her head and hair, ladies and gentlemen, and feel it; there's no deception, it's like ropes of wool." There certainly was not any deception. The girl herself, who had the flat nose, thick lips, and peculiarly shaped scull of the negro, stooped to have her head examined, and being close to her I felt it. Her hair, if it could be called hair, was of a dirtyish flaxen hue; it hung in ropes, of a clothy texture, the thickness of a quill, and from four to six inches in length. Her skin was the colour of an European's. Afterwards stepped forth a little personage about three feet high, in a military dress, with top boots, who strutted his tiny legs, and held his head aloft with not less importance than the proudest general officer could assume upon his promotion to the rank of field-martial. Mr. Samuel Williams, whose versatile and able -pencil has frequently enriched this work, visited the Fair after me, and was equally struck by his appearance. He favours me with the subjoined engraving of this

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This was "only a penny" exhibition, notwithstanding that it elevated the king's arms, and bore a fine-sounding name. Th performance began by a clown going round and whipping a ring; that is, making a circular space amongst the spectators with a whip in his hand to force the refractory. This being effected, a conjurer walked up to a table and executed several tricks with cups and balls; giving a boy beer to drink out of a funnel, making him blow through it to show that it was empty, and afterwards applying it to each of the boy's ears, from whence, through the funnel, the beer appeared to reflow, and poured on the ground: Afterwards girls danced on the single and double slack wire, and a melancholy looking clown, among other things, said they were "as clever as the barber and blacksmith who shaved magpies at twopence a dozen." The show concluded with a learned horse.

SHOW XV.

Another, and a very good menagerie the admission "only a penny!" It was "GEORGE BALLARD'S Caravan," with

"The Lioness that attacked the Exeter mail.—The great Lion.—Royal Tiger.— Large White Bear.-Tiger Owls," with monkies, and other animals, the usual accessories to the interior of a managerie. The chief attraction was "the Lion288,"

Her attack on the Exeter Mail

was on a Sunday evening, in the year 1816. The coach had arrived at Winterslow-hut, seven miles on the London side of Salisbury. In a most extraordinary manner, at the moment when the coachan pulled up to deliver his bags, one of the leaders was suddenly seized by soine ferocious animal. This produced a great confusion and, alarm; two passengers who were inside the mail got out, ran into the house, and locked themselves up in a room above stairs; the horses kicked and plunged violently, and it was with difficulty the coachman could prevent the carriage from being overturned. It was soon perceived by the coachman and guard, by the light of the lamps, that the

sions of agony in his tears and moans horse having been procured, the mail were most pitious and affecting. A fresh drove on, after having been detained drew up it stood exactly abreast of the cathree quarters of an hour. As the mail

ravan from which the lioness made the assault. The coachman at first proposed to alight and stab the lioness with a knife, but was prevented by the remonstrance of the guard; who observed, destruction, as the animal if attacked that he would expose himself to certain would naturally turn upon him and tear him to pieces. The prudence of the advice was clearly proved by the fate of the him and the lioness that afforded time for dog. It was the engagement between engaged herself from the horse, she did the keepers to rally. After she had disnot seem to be in any immediate hurry to with her, as prey, the dog she had killed, move; for, whether she had carried off or from some other cause, she continued

growling and howling in so loud a tone,

as to be heard for nearly half a mile. All had called out loudly to the guard to despatch her with his blunderbuss, which he appeared disposed to do, but the owner cried out to him, "For God's sake do not kill her-she cost me 5001., and she will be as quiet as a lamb if not irritated." This arrested his hand, and he did not by the keepers, and placed in her usual fire. She was afterwards easily enticed

confinement.

animal which had seized the horse was a huge lioness. A large mastiff dog came up and attacked her fiercely, on which she quitted the horse and turned upon him. The dog fled, but was pursued and killed by the lioness, within forty yards of the place. It appears that the beast had escaped from its caravan which was standing on the road side with others belonging to the proprietors of the menagerie, on their way to Salisbury Fair. An alarming, but it seems impossible that the probeing given, the keepers pursued and prietor could exhibit them for “only a penny" in any other place than "Barthoin great multitudes, and the shows are lomew Fair," where the people assemble thronged the whole day.

hunted the lioness into a hovel under a

granary, which served for keeping agricultural implements. About half-past eight they had secured her so effectually, by barricading the place, as to prevent her escape. The horse, when first attacked, fought with great spirit, and if at liberty, would probably have beaten down his antagonist with his fore feet, but in plunging he embarrassed himself in the harness. The lioness attacked him in the front, and springing at his throat, fastened the talons of her fore feet on each side of his neck, close to the head, while the talons of her hind feet were forced into his chest. In this situation she hung, while the blood was seen flowing as if a vein had been opened by a fleam. He was a capital horse, the offleader, the best in the set.

The expres

menagerie is altogether highly interest

The collection of animals in Ballard's

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Have you seen THE BEAUTIFUL DOLPHIN The Performing Pig & the Mermaid? If not, pray do! as the exhibition contains more variety than any other in England. Those ladies and gentlemen who may be pleased to honour it with a visit will be truly gratified.

TOBY,

The Swinish Philosopher, and Ladies' For tune Teller.

That beautiful animal appears to be endowed with the natural sense of the human being. He is in colour the most beautiful of his race; in symmetry the most perfect; in temper the most docile; and far exceeds any thing yet seen for his intelligent performances. He is beyond all conception: he has a perfect knowledge of the alphabet, understands arithmetic, and will spell and cast accounts, tell the points of the globe, the dicebox, the hour by any person's watch, &c.

The Real Head of

MAHOWRA,

THE CANNIBAL CHIEF. At the same time, the public will have an opportunity of seeing what was exhibited so long in London, under the title of

THE MERMAID: The wonder of the deep! not a fac-simile or copy, but the same curiosity.

Admission Moderate.
Open from Eleven in the Morning till

Nine in the Evening. The great "prodigies" of this show were the "performing pig," and the performing show-woman. She drew forth the learning of the "swinish philosopher" admirably. He told his letters, and "got

into spelling" with his nose; and could do a sum of two figures "in addition." Then, at her desire, he routed out those of the company who were in love, or addicted to indulgence; and peremptorily grunted, that a "round, fat, oily"-faced personage at my elbow, "loved good eating, and a pipe, and a jug of good ale, better than the sight of the Living Skeleton!" The beautiful dolphin was a fishskin stuffed. The mermaid was the last manufactured imposture of that name, exhibited for half-a-crown in Piccadilly, about a year before. The real head of Mahowra, the cannibal chief, was a skull that might have been some English clodpole's, with a dried skin over it, and bewigged; but it looked sufficiently terrific, when the lady show-woman put the candle in at the neck, and the flame illuminated the yellow integument over the holes where eyes, nose, and a tongue had been. There was enough for " a penny!"

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SHOW XVII.

Another "Only a penny!" with pictures "large as life" on the show-cloths outside of the "living wonders within," and the following inscription:

ALL ALIVE!

No False Paintings! THE WILD INDIAN,

THE

GIANT BOY,

And the

DWARF FAMILY,
Never here before,

TO BE SEEN ALIVE!

Mr. Thomas Day was the reputed father of the dwarf family, and exhibited himself as small enough for a great wonder; as he was. He was also proprietor of the show; and said he was thirty-five years of age, and only thirty-five inches high. He fittingly descanted on the living personages in whom he had a vested interest. There was a boy six years old, only twenty-seven inches high. The Wild Indian was a civil-looking man of colour. The Giant Boy, William Wilkinson Whitehead, was fourteen years of age on the 26th of March last, stood five feet two inches high, measured five feet round the body, twenty-seven inches across the

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