The Juggler's Oracle; or, The Whole Art of Legerdemain Laid Open / Consisting of all the newest and most surprising tricks and experiments with cards, cups and balls, conveyance of money and rings, boxes, fire, strings and knots; with many curious experiments by optical illusion, chymical changes, and magical cards, &c.

by H. Boaz

Tricks with a Cat.

Fix a little bell to the end of a cat’s tail, and let her go; she, feeling the tightness of the string, and hearing the bell jingle, will run up and down as if she were mad, flying against the doors and windows; then, if she can, she will get into some hole to hide herself; but, when she wags her tail ever so little, out she comes, and will be as mad as before, and will never rest till it be off. Walnut shells, fastened with a little warm wax or pitch to the cat’s feet, will make sport all over the house; and at night, on the stairs, will make the superstitious think that it is a ghost going up and down.

To make a Calf’s Head bellow, when served up to Table.

This is effected by the following simple stratagem:—Take a frog that is alive, and put it at the further end of the calf’s head, under the tongue, which you must let fall all over it, taking care not to put the frog there till the calf’s head is going to be served up. The heat of the tongue will make the frog croak; which sound, coming from the hollow part of the head, will be like the bellowing of a calf, as if it were alive.

To make a Ball rise above the Water.

Place on the spout of the fountain an inverted cone of wire net-work; throw into it a light hollow copper ball, two inches and a half in diameter, which let fall to the narrow part of the cone to reach the spout: it will rise, and remain suspended in the air till brought down by the wind, and repeatedly re-ascend.

Mode of sealing Letters, whereby an impression cannot be taken.

Take a piece of any aromatic resin, or of amber, and set fire to it on an earthen plate. It will emit a smoke of an agreeable smell: hold your watch-seal over the fumigation; it will become black: then melt some sealing-wax, in the usual way, spread it on paper, and apply to it the seal, prepared as above; and, when you take it off, the engraving will be seen very plainly.

In order to prevent the impression from being taken, flatten the sealing-wax with the blade of a knife: this is easily done, by means of making a thick iron plate red hot, and bringing it close to the impression without touching it; the wax then gets soft, but, before it melts, you must flatten it with a knife, or any other cold instrument. Although thus flattened, the exact impression will remain conspicuous.