Snow 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 Lioness." Her attack on the Exeter Mail was on a Sunday evening, in the year 1816. The coach had arrived at Winter slow-hut, seven miles on the London side of Salisbury. In a most extraordinary manner, at the moment when the coachman pulled up to deliver his bags, one of the leaders was suddenly seized by some 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 remonthat he would expose himself to certain strance of the guard; who observed, destruction, as the animal if attacked 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 kill her-she cost me 500l., and she will cried out to him, "For God's sake do not be as quiet as a lamb if not irritated." This arrested his hand, and he did not fire. She was afterwards easily enticed by the keepers, and placed in her usual 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 The collection of animals in Ballard's menagerie is altogether highly interest SHOW XVI. "Exhibition of Real Wonders.” This announcement, designed to astonish, was inscribed over the show with the usual notice, "Only a Penny!"—the "Wonders of the Deep!" the "Prodigies of the Age!" and "the Learned Pig!" in large letters. The printed bill is a curiosity : To be Seen in a Commodious Pavilion in this Place. REAL 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. 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 that might have been some English clodMahowra, the cannibal chief, was a skull pole'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!" 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, 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 The admission was "Only a penny!" and the paintings flared on the show-cloths with this inscription, “They're all Alive Inside! Be assured They're All Alive! The Yorkshire Giantess.- Waterloo Giant.-Indian Chief-Only a Penny!" An overgrown girl was the Yorkshire Giantess. A large man with a tail, and his hair frizzed and powdered, aided by a sort of uniform coat and a plaid rocquelaire, made the Waterloo Giant. The abdication of such an Indian Chief as this, in favour of Bartholomew Fair, was probably forced upon him by his tribe. SHOW XX. The "Greatest of all Wonders!-Giantess and Two Dwarfs.-Only a Penny!" They were painted on the show-cloths quite as little, and quite as large, as life. The dwarfs inside were dwarfish, and the "Somerset girl, taller than any man in England," (for so said the show-cloth,) arose from a chair, wherein she was seated, to the height of six feet nine inches and three quarters, with, "ladies and gentlemen, your most obedient." She was good looking and affable, and obliged the "ladies and gentlemen" by taking off her tight-fitting slipper and handing it round. It was of such dimension, that the largest man present could have put his booted foot into it. She said that her name was Elizabeth Stock, and that she was only sixteen years old. SHOW XXI. CHAPPELL-PIKE. This was a very large show, without any show-cloths or other announcement outside to intimate the performances, except a clown and several male and female performers, who strutted the platform in their exhibiting dresses, and in dignified silence; but the clown grimaced, and, assisted by others, bawled "Only a penny," till the place filled, and then the show commenced. There was slack-rope dancing, tumbling, and other representations as at Ball's theatre, but better executed. SHOW XXII. WOMBWELL. The back of this man's menagerie abutted on the side of the last show, and ran the remaining length of the north-side of Smithfield, with the front looking towards Giltspur-street; at that entrance into the Fair it was the first show. This front was entirely covered by painted show-cloths representing the animals, with the proprietor's name in immense letters above, and the words "The Conquering Lion" very conspicuous. There were other show-cloths along the whole length of the side, surmounted by this inscription, stretching out in one line of large capital letters, "NERO AND WALLACE; THE SAME LIONS THAT FOUGHT AT WARwICK." One of the front show-cloths represented one of the fights; a lion stood up with a dog in his mouth, cranched between his grinders; the blood ran from dog squelched by his weight. A third his jaws; his left leg stood upon another dog was in the act of flying at him ferociously, and one, wounded and bleeding, was fearfully retreating. There were with the words "NERO AND WALLACE" seven other show-cloths on this front, between them. One of these show-cloths, whereon the monarch of the forest was painted, was inscribed, "Nero, the Great Lion, from Caffraria!' collection to be in "fine order." SixThe printed bill described the whole which having paid, I entered the show pence was the entrance money demanded, early in the afternoon, although it is now mentioned last, in conformity to its posi tion in the Fair. I had experienced some inconvenience, and witnessed some irregularities incident to a mixed multitude filling so large a space as Smithfield; yet no disorder without, was equal to the disorder within Wombwell's. There was persons might make their way out: perno passage at the end, through which haps this was part of the proprietor's policy, for he might imagine that the universal disgust that prevailed in London, while he was manifesting his brutal cupidity at Warwick, had not subsided; and that it was necessary his show-place here should appear to fill well on the first day of the Fair, lest a report of general indifference to it, should induce many persons to forego the gratification of their curiosity, in accommodation to the natural and right feeling that induced a determination not to enter the exhibition of a man who had freely submitted his animals to be tortured. Be that as it may, his show, when I saw it, was a shameful scene. There was no person in attendance to exhibit or point out the animals They were arranged on one side only, and I made my way with difficulty towards the end, where a loutish fellow with a broomstick, stood against one of the dens, from whom I could only obtain this information, that it was not his business to show the beasts, and that the showman would begin at a proper time. I patiently waited, expecting some announcement of this person's arrival; but no intimation of it was given; at length I discovered over the heads of the unconscious crowd around, that the showman, who was evidently under the influence of drink, had already made his way one third along the show. With great difficulty I forced myself through the sweltering press somewhat nearer to him, and managed to get opposite Nero's den, which he had by that time reached and clambered into, and into which he invited any of the spectators who chose to pay him sixpence each, as many of them did, for the sake of saying that they had been in the den with the noble animal, that Wombwell, his master, had exposed to be baited by bull-dogs. The man was as greedy of gain as his master, and therefore without the least regard to those who wished for general information concerning the different animals, he maintained his post as long as there was a prospect of getting the sixpences. Pressure and heat were now so excessive, that I was compelled to struggle my way, as many others did, towards the door at the front end, for the sake of getting into the air. Unquestionably I should not have entered Wombwell's, but for the purpose of describing his exhibition in common with others. As I had failed in obtaining the information I sought, and could not get a printed bill when I entered, I re-ascended to endeavour for one again; here I saw Wombwell, to whom I civilly stated the great inconvenience within, which a little alteration would have obviated; he affected to know nothing about it, refused to be convinced, and exhibited himself, to my judgment of him, with an understanding and feelings perverted by avarice. He is undersized in mind as well as form, a weazen, sharp-faced man," with a skin reddened by more than natural spirits, and he speaks in a voice and language that accord with his feelings and propensities. His bill mentions, " A remarkably fine tigress in the same den with a noble British lion!!" I looked for this companionship in his menagerie, without being able to discover it. Here ends my account of the various shows in the Fair. In passing the stalls, the following bill was slipped into my hand, by a man stationed to give them away. SERIOUS NOTICE, IN PERFECT CONFIDENCE. The following_extraordinary comic performances at Sadler's Wells, Can only be given during the present week; the proprietors, therefore, most respectfully inform that fascinating sex, so properly distinguished by the appropriate appellation of THE FAIR! And all those well inclined gentlemen who are happy enough to protect them, that the amusements will consist of a romantic tale, of mysterious horror and broad grin, never acted, called the ENCHANTED GIRDLES; OR, WINKI THE WITCH, And the Ladies of Samarcand. A most whimsical burletta, which sends people home perfectly exhausted from uninterrupted risibility, called THE LAWYER, THE JEW, AND THE YORKSHIREMAN. With, by request of 75 distinguished families, and a party of 5, that never-to-besufficiently-praised pantomime, called Magic in Two Colours; OR, FAIRY BLUE & FAIRY RED: Or, Harlequin and the Marble Rock. It would be perfectly superfluous for any man in his senses to attempt any thing more than the mere announcement in recommendation of the above unparalleled representations, so attractive in themselves as to threaten a complete monopoly of the qualities of the magnet; and though the proprietors were to talk nonsense for an hour, they could not assert a more important truth than that they possess |