Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-02-23
THE
MAN THAT SAT IN THE AIR,

MAN THAT SAT IN THE AIR
India has been the field of several great i'm
positions, but amongst them none were ever
productive of more startling effects than one
which was called "The Man that sat in the Air.
end the time of his appearance and sway was
about the year 1888, or observation-disclosures
was the theater of his performance
There was startling simie made use Of by
iunatlc, who once issued Illuminating
pamphlet against some imaginary enemy, in
which he said that if "buffao could stand in
the air" then he, the lunatic was contented to
acknowledge that he was wrong. Not one whit
less startling, and much more to purpose, was
the announcement made in the Madras "MaIe
Asylum Herald paper now many years de-
funct. that Apoosawmy Ragavah, or some such
outlandish name, Brahmin Of high caste, had
undertaken, for a stipulated consideration, to
appear before the Governor and Council, and
as many friends and spectators as chose to as
semble, seated cross-legged and tailor fashion
for the space Of half an hour in the air!
At firsh people were inclined to think the
whole matter was hoax, and that the adveT-
tIsement had been inserted by some thought-
less wag. That such was not the case, how
ever, very shortly appeared-for in the official
gazette card was issued, inviting civil, military
and medical servants, and indeed, all English
gentlemen at the presidency, to assemble at a
given hour in the day to see a man sit in the
alr.-Now many an Englishman we'll renem~
bered the hoax often played at home, of advef
tlsing horse with his head where his tail
ought TO be, and similar foolish take ins-but
all such mysteries dwindled into insigniicance
in comparison with the man sitting in the air.
Jones, the first Judge of the SuddeP Dawnee
Adawett, wrote to Smith, the Collector of
Chnleput and urged him to be present to witt
ness the novel spectacle. All who could get
away from stations within hundred miles of
the presidency, bastened to Madras to gut their
curiosity; and amongst the whole mass really
believe that there was barely single indivi-
dual who would sooner have rather believed
that the moon, 10 use a nursery simie, was
made OF green cheese, than credit for mo-
ment the possibility OF the Brahmin fulfilling
his promise.
Expectation was on tptoe; all Madras, from
the Governor-G General down to his meanest
longed for the hour when this
spectacle was to be revealed to
them. When the day at length arrived, the
TO the Governors gardens was throng.
ed with carriages and horsemen. A sumptu.
Gus breakfast commenced the entertainment,
and whilst the Governor and his guests were
inside, feasting upon the fat of the land, the
Brahrnin himself made slight repast off
platter of rice smothered in ghee, winding up
witha half dozen red plantains
BY and by, the band in front of the governs
ment house struck up The national autbem.
His Excellency and staff, all in cooked hats
and feathers, with, hundred other officers in
the varied and beautiful uniforms of the East
India Company, took up their position under
an extensive awning, where a detachment of
orderles was perpetually on duty, tanning the
guests with huge Indian fans.
With the utmost confidence the brahmin
walked into the centre of a space kept open
expressly for the purpose, and making very
ow salaam to the spectators, he commenced |
operations. There were only two men in his |
etnue, but these were Pilewhans, men of !
lercnlean strength and nerve, trained from their
infancy to feats of strength, whose sinews al |
most protrnded from their flesh. These came |
Onward and salaamed also, when, having OBJ |
aimed the Governors permission, they planted |
pole firmly in the ground, the top of which |
hight then be eight feet from the surface. Over
his they threw huge sheet, which constituted |
species of tent, which tent helped entirely to |
xclude the operators from the anxious gaze |
# the spectators. A buz Of expectation pas
ed from mouth to mouth of the muItitudes
hat thronged and squeezed each other in their
intense anxiety to witness the result, while two
tnrdy musicians, possessed of more wind and |
oise than gift of music raised hideous blasts
pom a miserable horn and badly turned
racked vioncelIo The preparations occupied
early ten minutes, and people who were look.
lg earnestly, could discover that the summit
{ this temporary tent enlarged as though
ONE bulky body had been introduced, and at
le same time materially gained in height.
At length the PieWhans cFept ont from unS
er the folds of the cloth, and announced 10
le multitude that the proptious hour had ar
we'd; whilst hauling gently of the covering,
hch was Of cloth of fne and light texture,
icy suddenly gave jerk that completely de.
nded the pole, revealing to the astonlahed mul. Il
tudes the remarkable and extraordinary phe-
omenon of man sitting cFoss.Iegged in the
r. There was no mistake about 1t, and al
Iough old gentlemen took Off their specta-
es and wiped them again and again, It was
lly 10 see clearer this marvellous apparition. Il
Only the Brahmin's right hand rested upon
% summit of the pole; all the rest Of his body
as separated from Il at more than elbow
myth. and yet bis position was apparently as
ouqb be we're sitting upoR the most sub.
antial earth, II lien Cf light and unrssistiDg