, 1858-03-26


The Paris correspondent of the London Times,
relates !ho following in late letter:
Every one has seen or heard Of the great Rob.
ert HOudin. Besides being the prince Of cOnju-
rors, he is IN able mathematician and mechan-
ician, and his electric clock, made for the Hotel
de Vile, Of his native town Of Blois, obtained a
medal at the Paris Exhibition. 1t is not gene
rally known that he was sent to Algeria by the
French Government on a mission connected
with the black art-probably the first time that
a conjuror has been called upon to exercise his
profession in Government employ. Some details
ofhis expedition have just been published. Its
object was to destroy the influence exercised
among the Arab tribes by the marabOuts, an in
fuence often mischievously applied. By few
clumsy tricks and impOstures these marabouts
pass themselves of as sorcerers; no one, it was
thought was better able to eclipse their skill and
discrcdit their science than the man ofinexhaust-
ible bottles. One Ofthe great pretensiOns Of the
marabout was invulnerabiity. AT the moment
loaded musket was fired at him, aid the trig-
ger pulled, he pronounced few cabalistic words
and the weapon did not go off, Houdin detected
the trick, and showed that the touchhole was
plugged. The Arab wizard was furious, and
abused his French rival. "You may revenge
yourself" quitely replied the HOudin; stake a
pistol, load it yourself; here are bullets, put one
in the barrel, but before doing so mark it with
your knife" The Arab did as he was told.
"You are quite certain now," said the Houdin,
" that the pistol is loaded and will go off, Tell
me, do you feel no remorse in killing me thus,
notwithstanding that authorize your" "YOu
are my enemy" coldly replied the Arab; al
will kill you" Without replying HOudin stuck
an apple on the point Of knife, held it before
his heart, and calmly gave the word to fire.
The pistol was discharged, the apple flew far
away, and there appeared in its place, stuck on
the point Of the knife, the bullet the marabout
had marked. The spectators remained mute
from stupehction; the marabcut bowed before
his superior: "Allah is great I" he said, 81
am vanquished." Instead Of the bottle from
which, in Europe, Robert Houdn pours an end
less description Of every quantity Of wines and
liquors he called for an empty bowl, which he
kept continually full Of boiling coffee; but few
Of the Arabs would taste it, for they made sure
il came direct from the devils own coffee pot.
He then told them that it was in his power to
deprive them Of all strength and to restore it to
them at will, and he produced a small box, so
light that child could lift it with its fngcr but
it suddenly became so heavy that the strongest
man present could not raise it, and the Arabs,
who prize physical strength above everything,
looked with terror at the great magician who,
they doubted not could annihilate them by the
mere exertion of his will. They expressed this
belief; Houdin confirmed them in it, and prom
ised that, on day appointed, he would convert
one Of them into smoke. The day came, the
crowd was prodigious; fanatical marabout had
agreed to give himself up to the sorcercr. They
made him stand on q table and covered him with
a transparent gauze then HOudin and another
person lifted the table by the two ends, and the
Arab disappeared in a cloud Of smoke. The ter
ror Of the spectators was indescribable; they
rushed wildly out of the place, and ran a long
distance before some Of the boldest thought Of
returning to look after the marabout They
found him near the place where he had been
evapOrated; but he could tell them nothing, and
was like drunken man, ignorant Of what had
happened to him. Thenceiorward Houdin was
venerated and the marabouts were despised
the object Of the French Government was COM
pletely attained.