Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-02-23

air There he sat cross legged, counting the
beads Of rosary in his left hand and staring
unconcernedly with both eyes into his excel-
Iency's face.
For the first few seconds after the cloth had
been removed, the whole mass of spectators
were too much awe-stricken and astonishad
even to permit themselves TO breathe. AS,
however, they became convinced that their eyes
were looking upon u reality, and not de-
| luslon, the air was rent with accamations of
wonderment aud surprise, whilst every Euro~
pean present declared it to be the most cons
pIete and cleverest imposition that ever had
been practsed India; nor could the most scien-
tho amongst them surmise for a moment aDV
| cause or means save the most extraordinary
nervous agency (and the Brahmin looked too
| feeble to admit of ths) which could possibly ac-
| count for the spectacle; for, as has already
been said, only the palm of the right hand rest
ed, and that very gently, on the head of the
pole, whilst with every ease and comfort the
hgure sat cross-legged at more than elbow
distance.
Thus this man remained suspended in the
air for half an hour, and he offered to continue
as long again provided the spectators would
pay him for it. The English however, were too
anxious to possess themselves of the pole us
ed by him TO admit of their brooking any fur
ther delay; besides which, from appearance, the
man could sit there from morning to night
without suffering the slightest Inconvenience.
Accordlngy it was intimated to the Brahmin
that he had earned the promised reward, having
accomplished the feat he undertook to perform
so that, making low salaam with his Olsen.
gagged hand, he summoned his assistants who
with the precision of fishermen, flung the
sheet over his head, and entering within the
secrecy OF its folds, took down. in an incon~
celvabiy short space, both pole and man.
Ihe moment the party emerged from under
the sheet, the government poems seized upon
them, and dragged them very unwillingly into
the audience hall. Here the the pole was ex-
amlned by several scientific men; was sounded
and snatched for secret splings; but all in vain
1t was evidently az solid and as hard as rock.
Neither the Brahmn nor his assistants car.
rled with them boxes or bags where anything
bulky could be concealed, and it was considered
impossible that any man cond carry about his
person sufficient machinery TO account for bal
ancing One civilian, however suggested that
the person of the Brahmin should be searched,
but this was unanimously objected to- on the
score OF its being breach of faith, as it had
been promised him that, owing to his high caste.
he shoald be subjected to nothing that might
be construed into an insult to his faith; and az
we all know, the very touch Of other people
is pollution to the brahmin. Accordingly, he
received hls promised premium, and withdrew
only to travel into the interior, and reap an i'm
mense harvest from the curiosity, credulity and
superstition of the people.
For a nnriod fhorn tvao uOfb;prr bnord =, t,tf
ed of but this wonderful "man that sat in the
air" Newspapers were full of him; private
letters teemed about him; rajahs feted him; res~
identS gave entertainments to witness his mar
vellous feat; in short, there was not such an
lion to be found in India as this
"man that sat in the air"
The star of his fame thus long continued in
the ascendant, till one day Mr.. Conway. a
young Madras civilian, intimated TO the public
that he could perform the same ceremony; and
then the sage and wise of India were confirm
ed in their opinion that the feat must be attri-
outable to some wonderful discovery in mag
oetlsm Il was, however, nothing of the kind.
ana Mr. Conway published an account which
made people wonder how they could ever have
been SO simple as not to guess at the truth long
before.
In the first place, Mr. Conway had seat of
brass constructed, made of thin, strong brazen
rods, in the shape of right>angled triangle,
From the narrowest point stout brass rod
passed up as support for the back, at the
summit of which was cross-bar made to mea-
sure the width Of the back from shoulder to
shoulder. From the right extremity of this
crOss-bar was extended curved brass rod. fit
led to the arm when in bent position. This
BY means ofa stout ring firmly riveted into the
end, was fixed upon the top Of the pole'and
constituted the whole machinery, every bit of
which could be taken TO peices aad put togeth-
ST.
In European costume it was impossible TO
perform the feat: 10 the loose folds of an oriens
.al dress, however the thing was easy, especial
y as false covering extended over the bottom
,f the seat, corresponding in every respect 10
he loose wide folds of the Indian trousers.
Hearing that his trick was detected, the
8rahman disappeared, leaving the field open
or fresh tricksters; nsr was it long vacant.