Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-05-18
LESSON WONDERS

WHICH VIC translate tne suoJOlncd interesting
narratives:
The French Government. DESIRING IN nut an
cnd To the influence of the Arab priests over
the ignorant and credulous masses of Alberta
sent Robert HOudin irst to astonish them and
then 10 convince them that these prodigies
were nothing supernatural
Ills success was complete. He saw the mara
bout maglcians, and studied and repeated their
performances. Of which he gives an account in
the chapter which we translate:
The auguas, il is said, could not look one
another IN the face without laughing 1t would
he 20 with the AissaOuas did not Mussulmsn
blood run in their veins However, there IS
not ono of them who is deceived as to the
nature of the pretended miracles which his
brethren perform; but they all aid each other
m their wonders like troupe of juggIers with
the mokHaFsm for the impresario
'' A. in most other shows, they have a diyi.
sion OF labor; each performs his special feats
and can do no others, and the miracles Of some
hTst-rate actors much less wonderful than
those of second or third rate performers.
Even 1t one could not explain their pre-
tended Prodigies, moments thought would
destroy the prestige Of them. The Aisssouas
say that they are incombustible; then let them
ask any of the bystaDdcrs TO press a red hot
iron on their cheeks. They pretend that they
are lnvulnerable; let them invite Zouave to
run them through with his sabre After such
proof as that, the most inereduIous would
knecl before them.
''1eS, If L were incOmbuStibe and iDyuIner-
able: how happy L should be to give such an
lfIefTaSable proof Of 1t. L would have myself
sFitted, and roasting before the hottest fire.
and while L was roasting. l would spend nv
lSure IN eating ground glass salad seasoned
with Oll-"f vltroIl. That would be a sight to
which eyerybOd y would run, and il would be
enough to convert everybody To- my religion
but the AISSaOuas have their reasons for
prudence In the performance of their feats as
ShpK Al
the following:
Il. Sticking pOignard in their checks:
= Eallng the leaves of the BarbaTy m tree
= Lying down on their bellies on the edge
OF a sabcr.
- Playing with serpents.
=. StIbbiUg their arms, making the blood
spirt cut, and curing the wound INSTANTLY;
. Eating pounded glass;
Z swallowing hints and bits of bottles;
y Walking on red-hot iron, and licking
with their tongues piece of iron heated to
Let Us begin with the simplest feat-strik
ing Poignard in the check
" The Arab who performed this turned his
back TO me, and was able to approach very
near him and see how he done it, lie pressed
into his cheek the end of n poicnard which
was rs smooth and rounded as the end of a Ia
per knife This instead of cutting the skin
pressed II IN nearly an inch between the Jaws
which was slightly opened, just as it would
H'Nt lIccSeI IN u sneet Oi llula-Tubber.
This feat is particularly easy for lean and
aged people, because the skin of their checks
Is very elastic.
- The Arab who ate the Barbary fig leaves
dId not allow US to examine them dare saw
that they were prepared not 10 hurt him:
nc would not otherwise have neglected to omit
point which would have doubled the wonder
"f IT. ButeVen If he had shown them. he made
~ many unnecessary movements that it would
nave been very easy for him to change them
Tor hlrmie>s leaves. 1t would in that case
have been ffth-rate piece Of slcight of hand
90 In the next performance, two Arabs hold
sabre, one by the hilt and the other by the
I'Int; third comes, strips off his clothes so a.
10 teaVe the abdomen bare, and lies down fat
- on the edge of the sword; then fourth mounts
on ms pack, and seems to press down upon him
with his whole weight
= To explain this is very easy The nubIic
have no aSsuTaLce that the sabre is sharp.
nothing shows that it, edge is thinner than its
bhck, although the Arab who holds the point
i IL wraps 1t very carefully in a handkerchief
initiating IN that those InOuntebanks who pre-
tend Z" cut their fingers with the poicnards
which they use in juggling
besides, in the performance Of his feat, the
Invulnerable man turns his back upon the pub
lie He Knows the advantage which he gains
by tins. and 50, just "a he lies down on the
sabre, he adroitly replaces on his belly the gar
mCnt which he had removed. Finally, when
the ipurth actor mounts on his back, he rests
his hands on the two Arbs who hold the sabre
These last arc standing if to keep him from
falling, but, in reality, they support his whole
weight The only Inconvenience. then, of this
le't consists IN having the abdomen more or
less depressed, and | shall show by and by
how that can be done without danger
As To the AisSaOnas who put their hands
lii'o bag idll OF serpents, and who play with
these reptiles will refer TO the opinion of
Col. de Neyeu. lie saws:
Ne have Ofier earr;oj ,,.
ln'reduiity to the point of sending for the Ais
SIilas and their menageric. All the animals
"hich thcy called VIPers were only harmless
e1iGoars. When we offered to put our hands in
me oaS thty hurried away, convinced that we
were not duPed by their frauds
L will add. that even had these .erpents
been OF dangerous species, their fancs might
have been removed, so that there would have
been nothing to fear. When these snakes bite
they make no wound
have not seen the feat of stabbing the srm
and making the blood spirit out; but il seems 10
me that little sponge. filled with a red liquid
aud concealed in the hand that strikes wouId
ne suth'Irnt- by wIpng of the arm, the wound
would of course be cured.
In my Young days have often poured wine
out OF knife, or my finger, by pressing a con-
cealed sponge which had been filled with il
have many times seen men break wine
glasses with their teeth, without cutting them
selves, but they never ate the pieces Ii might
therefore nave been dIthcult for me to explain
tins feat Of the AissOuas had not been direct
Ell by friend, who was a physician, to a thesis
5i>taIhlng the harmlessness of pounded glass,
bl Dr LcsaUyage, DtCfiORRatre dcs ScicHcfs
-H,a'CSisS. for Isle
ms saVont, after having cited several in
stances of people whom he had seen eat glass.
gives an account Of some experiments which be
made on animals:
After having subjected a great number of
d''S'. eats, and rats to pounded glass diet. in
winch the Fragments were from one-sixtb TO
Cne-quarter Of an inch in length, and finding
none 10 become sick from il, opened a num-
her and found that there wss no lesion any,
"heTe IN the ailmentary canal, and determined
10 I'he some myself, and did :, in the presence
81 my colleague, NJ Cayal, Prof Lallemsnd
mi several o:hers- / repeated the ekpeIinept
several times aud never experienced the slight
c~t sensation "f PAIN
This Wa authoritative enough. bu, vel
wanted To- witness il myself SnI cave ,1e of
the c-t' IN the honse an enormous ball of n,ea,
mixed ab"u' half and half with pounded rIass