Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-12-21
THE CHARMERS OF HINDOOSTAN.
Maryels that n French Traveller Says that
he Witnessed in the East.

Mar ryels that n French Traveller Says that
he Witnessed in the East.
Many Of these Hindoo jugglers who
live in the silence of the pagodas per-
form feats far SURPRISING the prestidigi
tations of Robert Houdin, and there are
many others who produce the most Gu,
rious phenomena in magnetism and
catalepsy upon the first objects that
come across their way, that h We often
wondered whether the brahmins with
their occult sciences have not made
great discoveries in the questions which
have recently been agitated in Europe.
On one occasion while and others
were in cafe with Sir Maswell, he Or
dered his dobochy to introduce the
charmer. In few Tomentsa lean Hin
doc. almost naked, with an ascetic face
and bronzed color, entered. Around his
neck, arms, thighs and body were coiled
serpents of different sizes. After salut-
ing us, he said: "God be with you, 1
am Chibh- Ghondor, son of Chibh- h-Gont-
nalh- Mava." -,
"We desire to see what you can do, I"
said our host.
"I obey the orders of silva, who has
sent me here" replied the fakir, squat
ting down upon one OF the marble
slabs.
The serpents raised their heads and
hissed, but without showing any anger.
Then taking a small pipe, attached to a
wick in his hair, he produced scarcely
audible sounds initiating the tailapaca,
bird that feeds upon bruised cocoa
nuts. Here the serpents uncoiled them
selves, and one after another glided to
tho floor. As soon as they touched the
ground they raised about one-third OF
their bodies, and begun to keep time to
their masters music. Suddenly the
fakir dropped his instrument and made
several passes with his hands over the
serpents, of whom there were about ten,
all of the most deadly cobra species OF
India. His eye assumed strange ex-
preston. We all felt an indefinable
uneasiness, and sought to turn away
our gaze from him. At this moment a
small shocra, whose business was to
hand fire in small brazier for lighting
cigars, yielded to his influence, lay
down, and fell asleep. Five minutes
passed thus, and we felt that if the ma
nipulations were to continue few Sec
onds more we should all fall asleep.
Chondor then rose, and making two
more passes over the shocra, said to it:
"Give the commander some fire." The
Young serpent rose, and, without totter-
ing, came and offered fire to it's master.
1t was pinched, pulled about, till there
was no doubt of its being actually
asleep. Nor would it move from Sir
Maswell's side ill ordered to do SO by
the fakir.
We then examined the other cobras.
Paralyzed by magnetic influence, they
lay at full length on the ground. On
taking them up we found them stiff as
sticks. They were in state of com,
plete catalepsy. The fakir then awak.
ened them, and they then returned
and again coiled themselves round his
body. On asking us if he could make
us feel his influence, he made few
passes over our legs, and instantly we
lost the use of these limbs; we could not
leave our seats. He then released us as
easily as he had paralyzed us.
Chibh. .Ohondor closed his seance by
experimenting upon inanimate objects.
By mere passes with his hands in the
direction of the object to be acted upon,
and without leaving his seat, he paled
and extinguished lights in the furthest
parts of the room, moved the furniture,
including the divans upon which we
sat, opened and closed doors. Catching
sight of Hindoo who was drawing
water from a we'll in the garden, he
made pass in his direction, and the
rope suddenly stopped in its desc MT,
resisting all the efforts of the astonished
gardener. With another pass the rope
again descended.
l asked Chibh- Chondor: "Do you
employ the same means in acting upon
inanimate objects that you do upon hv'
ing creatures ?"
He replied: 81 have only one
means"
"What is it2"
"The will. Man, who is the result Of
all intellectual and material forces, must
dominate over all. The brahmins know
nothing besides this"