The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-03-19


UuaccOuntabIe Feats by the
POntins of NecrOmaucy.
A correspondent of the New York
HEorld, writing from Sargion, relates
the following marvellous story:
Last year was at Bangkok, / heard
90 much of the '.sacred troop of Jug
glers from Paklaie and their secular
performances especially the last one
in the great pagoda of Phnom, the re-
membrancs of which seemed to be
vividIy imprinted upon the minds 81
all who witnessed it--that, VIXEN
learned they were to perform again in
the Temple of Jutkia during the fes--
tivities attending the young King Of
Slams coronation, determined 10
make an ef0rt to be present. My
friend, Prince Phatajac, when I told
him of some of the remarkable con.
juring and legerdemain / had seen in
Japan, and in Bengal also, at the Raia's
Coart, near Moorshedabad, used to
shrug his shoulders and say: "Thaf's
all trick You should see the royal
troup of Paklaie. Don't you know
61Gt BOlCCII 10 " Eu6 S&41l
of Laos 2" Then he would add, H..Bat
of course, you can nots see Tepada and
Norodom you are not initiated, not 3
noble of Siam" And he would give
me no more satisfaction about it, Ques-
tion him as might.
{ Nevertheless, the correspondent
succeeded, through the intercession of
friends, in gaining admission to the
temple, and became witness of the
wonderful series of transformation
&C., wrought by the Sacred Troup"
which he thus describes:l
By degrees, as my eyes grew used
to the dim gloom. began to look
about me. The place was. a square
vault, so lofty that could not see the
ceiling, and should say not less than
q hundred PAGES long and wide. Ali
around the sides rose gigantic col
umns, carved into images of Boodha
always, yet with thousand variations
from the central plan, q thousand
freaks of fancy. thousand grotesque-
sizes, through which snoDe. the more
effectively for the departures, the eter-
nal calm, the sragnanT, iuIPerturbed
ecsiacy OF apathy oil Boodha ) remark
able face, with the great pendant ears
and The eyes looking oul beyond you
into the supreme wIsFlessness of ME-
ban-a face that once seen can meyer
be forgotten. By degrees [ came to
see the plan of this evidently subter-
ranean vault, and 10 look with wonder
upon the simple grandeur OF its mass
i've architecture, which wasSs severely
plain, except so far as the carving oI
the great columns went. AT che tnr-
therest end of the hall, resting agains
the columns, was a raised dias or plat
form, covered with red cloth. This
stage was raised between three end
four feet above the floor of the vault,
and was about thirty-flve or forty
feet deep, and one hundred and fifty
feet broad. Behind it a curtain of red
cloth hung down from the capitals of
the towering columns. In front of
the stage, just about the spot where
the pulpit and the orchestra in
Greek theater would be, was a tripod
shaped altar, with broad censer upon
it, in which was burning q scented oil,
mixed with gums and aromatic scent
ed woods, that diffused through the
whole vault a pungent, sacramental |
edor.
Suddenly there was a wild and
startling crash of barbaric music from
under the stage-gongs, drums, Gym
balls and horns-and with wonder Iul
alertness and really indiscribable eff.
feet band of naked men came out
from behind the curtains bearing each
q scented torch in his hand, climbed
the columns with the agility of mon
keys, and lighted each a hundred
lamps, strung from the base almost ef
the columns sheer up to the apex OF
the vault, which, could now see, rose
In lofty dome that doubtless pierced
far up into the interior of the
pagoda proper, the appearance of
which outside have described. The
illumination from these multitudinous
lamps was very bright and brilliant,
too soft to be dazzling or oyerpower-
ing, yet so penetrating and perversive
that one missed nothing of the eperfeGE
light Of the day. | could distinctly
trace the ascending and diminishing &
rings of the cupola above us, and the
rows of brick work, only thinly whit.s-
washed, that supported it,
The din of the horrible orchestra |
increased, and band of old women |
came out from under the stage, sing
ing(or rather shrieking out) the most
di8bolical chant that ever heard. The {
red curtain huttered little, there was
o dull thud, and there, right before US /
alongside the censer, stood a very old /
man, but wrinkled, with long hair and !
beard white az cotton fleece. His fin- /
ger nails were several inches long, and /
his shrunken jaws were horribly di- I
versified with two long teeth, yellow /
and ogerish. He was naked, except /
for breech-cloth, and his shrunken I
muscles shone with oil. He took the I
censer in his hand and blew his breath I
into it until the flame rose twenty feet
high, red and furious; then, with n
sudden jerking motion, he tossed the
burning oil towards the crowd of
squatting spectators. 1t shot towards
them broad sheet of terrible fame
It descended upon them q shower of
roses and japonicas, more than could
have been gathered in cart. Turn-
ing the censer bottom upwards, he
spun 1t for minute upon the point OF
his long thumnail, then nung it dis
dainfully away toward the audience.
1t struck the pavement with a metallic
cIang, bounced, and rose, with sudden
expanse OF wings, shrieking eagle,
horribly frightened, and seeking flight
towards the summit of the dome. The
old man gazed q moment upwards,
then, seiErng the tripod, upon which