The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-03-05
A Strange HalIucination,
-. - s-s s.-,s x---hnis1 . ,bss.I3si
A singular Trick Performed by tho
Sacred JpggIers of g siam.,,- Il

A correspondent, ,Qf, the New York
Herald, who was allowed to witness
the tricks of "the sacred jugglers Of
Siam" in one of the temples there,
thus writes as follows :arign tsf. .oaoD
A perfectly formed and most lovely
nautch girl sprang out upon the stage,
and was hailed with universal exclama-
tions of delight, everybody calling out
her name, Prabsna, as il it were
a word of good omen. Her only dress
was short petticoat, of Fvariegated
feather work. A wreath of rosebuds
crowded her soft, short black hair, and
she wore a pearl necklace, as well as
broad gold armlets and anklets. With
a brilliant smile She danced exquisitely
for some minutes to the accompaniment
of q single pipe, then eknelt and laid
her head upon old Norodom's knee.
The boy famed her with o fan made OF
sweet fern leaves, Minhman fetched a
lotos-shaped golden goblet, and Tepada
poured into it from a quaint looking
flask fluid of greenish hue. The
old Yogi-like Norodom took the goblet
and blew his breath upon the contents
till they broke into pale blue flame.
This Tepada extinguished with his
breath, when Norodom held the goblet
to Luan-Prabana's lips, and she
drained the contents with a sigh. As
if transfgured she suddenly sprang to
her feet, her face strangely radiant, and
began to spin giddily around in one
spot. First the boy, then Minhman,
then Tepada tried. to arrest her, but
they no sooner touched her than she
repelled them with shock that thrilled
them as if she had impaired an electric
spark to them. Spinning constantly,
with a bewilderingly rapid motion, the
girl now sprang off the stage and down
the hall, along by the foot of the col
umns, Tsin-ki, Minhman, and Tepada
in active pursuit. In and out among
the crowd they spun, the three chasing.
Tepada seized hold of the chaplet that
crowned her; it broke, and as she
whirled along. a spray of rosebuds was
scattered from her brow in every direc-
ton. Anything more graceful never
was seen. ..-Ea #t.
And now greater wonder. At the
extremity of the hall the three sur
rounded and would have seized her,
when, still revolving, she rose slowly
into the air, and foated gently over
our heads towards the stage, scattering
roses as she went. AT the brink of the
stage, she paused, in mid-air then,
with slight wing-like motion of her
arms, mounted up, up, up towards the
loftiest arch of the vault overhead.
Suddenly old Norodom seized a bow
and arrow and shot towards her. There
was a wild shrek, rushing sound,
and the dancer fell with crash to the
flags of the floor, and laid there an ap.
parently bloody mass. The music
burst forth into wild wall, and the
chorus of old hags came tumultuously
forth and bore her off in their arms.
Now, from behind the red curtain
came dozen strong men, bearing OF
their shoulders great leaden box
which they laid upon the front part O.
the stage. AS they retired the ole
women came out, bringing low couch
decorated with flowers and GOLDEN
broidered napery, upon which lay Luan
ments, and sweetly sleeping. Th'
couch with its sleeper was put quietl,
down upon the front part of the stag,
and left there, while Norodom ant
Tepada went to the leaden box, ant
with hot, irons attempted to unseal it
"That is Stung- -Tieng's coffin," whis
pered Woun to me "the old sain
has been dead more than half mil
lenium."
Quickly, eagerly it seemed to me, th
two men broke open the fastenings o
the coffin, until the side next the audi
ence falling out at last, teak box wa
discovered. This was priced open witt
a small crowbar, and what seemed
great bundle of nankeen' taken out
Tepada and Norodom commenced t.
unwind this wrapping, which was YER
tight. Yard after yard was unwoun,
and folded away by Minhman, and a
last, after at least 100 yards of wrap
ping had been taken off, the dry
shriveled mummy of small, old ma
was visible-eyes closed, flesh dry an
hard-dead and dry as smoked hel
ring. Norodom tapped the corpse wit
the crowbar, and it gave dull, woode
sound. Tepada tossed it up and caugh
tit was stiff as a log. Then he place
the mummy upon Norodom's knees
and fetched flask of oil, flask {
wine, and censer burning with som
pupgent incense. Norodom took frol
his hair little box of unguent, an
prying open the mouth of the mumm
with cold chiseI, showed that the DIR
tongue could rattle like a chip again'
the dry fauces; He filed the mout
with ungLent and closed it, and anoin
ed the eyelids, nostrils, and ears. The
he and Tepada mixed the wine and OF
and carefully rubbed every part of IL
body with it, Then, laying it down j
a reclining position, they put the burr
ing censer upon the chest and withdre
apace, while the drums and gongs an
cymbals crashed and clattered, and IL
shrill, cackling treble of the chorus {
old women rose hideously.
A breathless pause ensued-one, tw
three minutes--and the mumn
sneezed, sneezed thrice, so violently
to extinguish the flame of the cense
A moment later the thing sat up. al
stared blinking and vacant out arour
the Eault-an old, old wrinkled ma
with mumbling chops, shrivele
breast and belly, and little tufts
white hair upon his chin and forehea,
Tepada approached him reverentl
upon his knees, bringing salver, vii
wine and wafer-cake. The old ms
did not notice him, but ate, dram
then tottered to his feet, the feebles
decrepit old dotard that ever Wake
In another moment he saw the nautc
girl slumbering upon her couch
shuffied feebly to her, and, mumblin
stoopedl as if to'help his dim eyes
see ;lfer better. With glad cry Il
maiden%aked, clasped him in her arr
and to her breast. Incomprehensib
|. magic He was no longer non
> genarian dotard, but full-veined, fie
youth, who gave her kiss for kiss. He