BLONDIN AT BRISBANE.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 74, 26 August 1874, Page 3

BLONDIN AT BRISBANE.

[From the Brisbane Courier, July 27.] The first performance of this most wonderful man, which took place on Saturday afternoon, was a great success in every respect as even the performer himself could have hoped for. The number who legitimately witnessed the performance was close upon 3500 but there was fully as large a number on the heights of Kangaroo Point and other coigns of vantage. It is by evidence of the eyes alone that a person can realise the extraordinary and hazardous character of the feats which Blondin goes through, with all the ease of a dancing master performing the evolutions of a set of quadrilles. It is not until you actually see him come dancing forward on the rope 80 feet above the ground that the truth really flashes upon you that the slightest accident —one moment's nervous hesitation, the slightest unpremeditated false step or miscalculation — and the being whom you were gazing at would be numbered with the things that were. The performance of Saturday afternoon lasted fully an hour and threequarters, during which time the performer went through a very large number of the feats that have made him famous. He first appeared as a Knight of the Middle Ages, clad in armour, and danced across the rope to a lively air played by the band. In this tight-fitting costume Blondin appears a man of really fine proportions, stout and muscular, but with a litheness and activity apparent in every step. His appearance was, of course, the occasion of great applause, to which he bowed his thanks to every part of the audience. A few minutes sufficed to change his costume, when he next appeared as an acrobat, and performed as wonderful gymnastic exercise on the rope as any professor of the science could do on his mother earth, The most astounding of these was standing on his head on the rope for a space of which was really about ten seconds, but what to the spectators appeared the

same number of minutes. He also Lay down at full stretch, and assumed various other attitudes of a most amazing land. However extraordinary this may have seemed, it was evident that he was only working up the feelings of his audience for still greater wonders. As a preparation for the next act (as it may be termed), he openly blindfolded himself, and to make assurance doubly sure, put a heavy sack right over his head and shoulders. All these preparations were made in full view of the spectators, on a little platform at one end of the rope. The rope is raised about 3 ft above this platform, and the performer had next in his blindfolded condition to make his way on to it as best he could. This was, however, successfully accomplished, and then commenced his perilous journey. How he can accomplish it safely of course no one but Mr Blondin himself knows ; it is altogether above our comprehension. At the very outset he made what appeared to be two or three false steps, but what were, in reality, only feints calculated to show his wonderful confidence in his powers. The two first were plain enough, and caused no great excitement, but the last one, when his foot altogether lost the rope, and he came down at full length, caused a sensation to run through the assemblage that they will not soon forget. In a moment, however, he was again on his legs, balancing his immense poles, and started at almost a run, keeping, however, strict time to the music. On reaching the opposite end, and on removing his covering, he received a volley of applause which, however accustomed, must have been none the leas gratifying. The next feat was one no less wonderful although, perhaps, not quite so hazardous. This consisted in strapping on his back a small iron stove, with all its utensils and appliances, which he carried to about midway on the rope. After carefully placing it in position he went through the usual preparations for commencing to cook. He carefully swept his stove with the broom attached, washed his dishes, lit his fire, and mixed his omelettes in a most business-like way. Hs then put them on a pan, cooked them, and sent them down below to be partaken of by any visitor desirous of testing his culinary powers. As may be supposed, the applause of the spectators was immense. The succeeding performance, however, was the most wonder fill, as it certainly was the most dangerous of any he attempted. Taking np an ordinary chair, he carried it to the centre of the rope and balanced it. He then sat down on that chair and leaned on each side. Next he balanced the chair on one leg and deliberately got up and stood upon it. Our readers can imagine the extreme difficulty of balancing a chair in such a position, but the feat of standing on it at a height of 80ft from the ground, when almost a strong puff of wind would upset it, is a risk which none but a man who had completely subdued his nerves could undertake. Blondin, however, appeared to go through it with the utmost nonchalance. After descending, he places the chair a few feet further forward, and calmly climbing over the back, again stands on the seat. All this time, it must be remembered, he carries with him a long pole of American ash, weighing fully 60 lbs. This feat was rewarded with prolonged applause as, although perhaps not the most showy, it was fully recognised by the spectators as the most dangerous of the performance. The carrying of a man across on his shoulders is one of the things which has, perhaps, as much as anything else, created Blondin's fame, and of course it was looked out for with eager expectation. In due time his secretary, M. Niaud, was windlassed up, and took his position on the back of the performer. His living freight seemed to be no serious inconvenience, for he walked to the end of the rope and back with as much unconcern as if he were totally unencumbered, going through several funny tricks at the time. The last, and perhaps the most picturesque of his feats, was that of the bicycle. This he wheeled over the rope two or three times, going slowly, quickly, and last of all backwards, the people cheering most vehemently all the time.