The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-10-21
THE MAGICAL MANGO.

| THE MAGICAL MANGO.
Everybody has heard of the Indian jug
gler's trick Of producinga young mango
tree from a seed which he takes from his
bag and submits to your examination. The
juggler collects quantity of earth, mois-
tens it with water, and taking a mango
stone from his bag, plants it in the earth
he has prepared. Over all, he places q
moderate sized round basket upon which
he spreads his cloth or a native blanket
After an interval of discOrdant music and
incantaton, the cloth and basket is remov-
ed, the muddy seed is taken from the earth
and You observe that long slender, white
fibres, forming the root, have suddenly shot
out Again it is planted, and covered as.
before, and the music becomes more
discordant, and the incantatiOn more furious.
At length the charm is complete and the
removal of the basket displays young and
tender shoot, with two opening leaves at
its summit. Exclamations of surprise from
the bvstandcrs, and satisfaction from the
band ofjugglers, complete the second act.
Again all is covered up anew, and the
ear-splittine music goes on. Suddenly the
coverings are removed, and to the amaze
ment and delight of all, the first shoot of a
Young mango tree, with its small light
colored leaves, makes its appearance. Seven
years ago, was the spectator of such a
scene at Madras, where had gone on sick
leave, and was glad Of any amusement to
relieve the monotony Of a forced confine-
ment to the house l had shrewd
suspicion that, if | could examine this tree
of miraculous growth, it would turn out
very simple affair Acting on this idea, I
suddenly seized it, and, in spite Of the
clamor Of the jugglers. bore it off. 1t
certainly had the appearance Of real
mango shoot. There was the dirty stone,
wet and discolored, with the earth cIinging
to it. From its lower part, the white tibres
Of the recent root reamed out with most
natural appearance whilst from the upper
side spranga perfect young shoot, six or
eight inches in height, with the leaves in
their earliest growth. A basin of water
solved the mystery, for, on washing the
stone, I found it old and dry, and split down
on one side. From its cavity I took out
small bundle of grass roots, one end of
which was tied with thread, and withdrew
the young shoot Of the mango from the
top Of the stone. Here you have only part
of the apparatus ofdeception. 1t is perfected
in the following manner: The mango, an
evergreen, grows in almost every large
garden in India. A confederate first pulls
a sufficient quantity Of the roots of grass
which are white, long, and fbrous. and
resemble the first growth Of roots from the
mango seed. He ties them up, inserts the
tie end i'll the cleft stone, and gives them
secretly with the cloth to his chief, who
plants mango stone before your eyes, and
whilst putting the cloth over the basket
dexterously withdraws it and substitutes the
stone with the roots. The moist earth in
which it is buried removes all appearance
Of deception. Again the confederate is
ready with his progressive slips of mango,
which, at every removal of the basket, he
cOntrives to place within reach of the
operator without being seen; and the latter,
in his menipulations whilst covering up
the basket with the cloth, slips them into
the upper part Of the slit in the mango
stone. The same process may be continued
so as to give you the fruit growing in its
various stages, but this Of course must
depend on the trick being performed in
the fruit season. | was stwenty-three years
in India, and never met with anybody
who could explain the naoaus opera"di of
this trick, though almost alI-not all.-ftlt
satisfied it was a trick-C Chambers Journal.
EARTHQUAKE IN HONDURAs.-Ac CORES
pondent of the \. Y. Herald, writing from
Balize, Honduras. on the 5th August, says:
On the 9TH instant violent shock of an
earthquake was felt in this town. 1t took
place about 5 o'clok P. NJ. and lasted
nearly half minute. The shock was at
tended with a heavy rumbling sound. very
much like the distant thunder, and at the
same time the crockery, glass and wine