Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-06-10

the capitals of the towering columns.
In front of the stage, just about the
spot where the pulpit of the orchestra
i'll Greek theatre would be, was q tri-
pod-shaped altar, with a broad censor
upon it, in which was burninga scented
oil, mixed with gums and aromatic
woods, that ditfused through the whole
vault pungent, sacramento odor.
Suddenly there was a wild and start
! ling crash of barbaric music from under
the stage-gongs, drums, cymbals, and
| horns-and with wonderful alertness
and a really indiscribable effect, band
of naked men came from out behind
the curtains, bearing each scented
torch in his hand, climbed the columns
with the agility of monkeys, and light
ed each hundred lamps, strung from
the base almost of the columns sheer
up to the apex of the vault, which, I
could now see, rose in a lofty dome,
that doubtless pierced far up into the
interior of the pagoda proper, the ap-
pearance of which outside l have de-
scribed. The illumination from
from multitudinous lamps was
very bright and brilliant, too soft
to be dazzling OF overpowering,
yet SO penetrating and pervasive that
one missed nothing of the perfect 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 vhitewashed, that
supported it.
The din of the horrible orchestra
increased and band of old women
came out from under the stage singing
/ Cor rather shrieking OUT the most dia-
bolical chant that [ ever heard. The
red curtain futtered little, there was
a dull thud, and there, right before us,
stood very old man, wrinkled, with
very long hair and beard white as cot
ton fleece. His finger nails were
severalinches long, and his sunken jaws
were horribly diversified with two long
teeth, yellow and ogreish. He was
naked, except for a breech-cloth. and
his shrunken muscles shone with oil.
He took the censor in his hands and
blew his breath into it until the fame
rose twenty feet high, red and furious );
then, with a sudden jerking motion, he
tossed the burning oil toward the crowd
of squatting spectators. 1t shot toward
them a broad sheet or terrible flame
it descended upon them shower of
roses and .-japonlcas, more than could
have been gathered in a cart. Turning
| the censor bottom upward he spun 1t for
minute upon the point of his long
thumb nail, then flung it disdainfully
away toward the audience. 1t struck
the pavement with metallic clang,
bounced. and rose, with sudden expanse
of wings, shrieking eagle, frightened
horribly aud seeking flight toward the
summit of the dome. The old man
gazed a moment upward. then, Selling
the tripod upon which the censor had
stood, he sent its legs apart with a
nervous hand, Strengthened them
against his knee, and hurled them,
dartlike, toward the eagle. They
glanced upward with gilded flash,
and Instantly the eagle came futtering
down to the pavement in our midst,
dead aud three horrible cobras coiled
about him, lifting their hooded heads
defantly, and flashing anger out of
their glittering eyes. The music shrek
/ ed still wilder, the snakes coiled and
plated themselves together in a ryth-
mic dance, lifting the dead eagle upon
their heads, and presto right in our
midst there stood the tripod again,
with it's Pickering fame, and it's incense
savored breath. Amore perfect illusion
never was seen.
THAT is Norodom," whispered
Woun-Taiac in my ear Another actor
now came upon the scene whom [ rec
ognized to be the tall athlete, Tepada.
Behind him came a smaller man, whose
name, Woun-Tajac informed me, was
Minhman, and boy, probably II years
old, called Tsin-ki. These four began
some of the most wonderful athletic
exhibitions that can be conceived. It
is impossible to believe, unless you saw
it, what work these men put human
muscles to. [ am not going to provoke
the incredulity of your readers by at
tempting to describe the majority of
them. In one feat Tepada seized Nor
odom by his long white beard, held
him off at arms length, and spun round
with him until the old mans legs were
horizontal to the athletes shoulders.
Then, while they still spun with the
fury of dervishes, Minhman sprung up,
seized upon Norodoms feet, and spun
|
ancient, and when Minhman was firmly
established, the boy Tsin-ki caught to
his feet III like manner, and the tall
athlete, every muscle in him straining,
continued to whirl the human jointless
lever around. Atlast, slowing slightly,
Tepada drew in his arms till the old
mans white beard touched his body
there was sudden strain, and the arms
of the, men from being horizontal be-
came perpendicular. Noronom's head
resting atop of Tepada's, Minhman' S
head upon Norodom's feet, and Tsin-
ki's head on Mihmann'sifeet. A pause
for breath, then the column of men
was propelled into the air, and presto
Tepada's head was on the ground,
Norodom's feet to his, Ninhman's feet
upon Norodom's head, Tsin-ki's feet on
Minhman's head. Each had turned a
somersault, and the column was un-
| broken
[ could fill several columns with de-
scriptions of the most remarkable and
unaccountable feats Of magic performed