The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-01-27
Marvels that a French Traveller says
that he Witnessed in the East.

live in the silence of the pagodas per-
form feats far surprising tho prestidigi-
tations of Robert Houdin and there are
many others who produce the most GU
rious phenomena in magnetism and cat
alepsy upon the first objects that come
across their way, that have often Won
dered whether the brahmins with their
occult sciences have not made great dis
coveries in the questions which have re-
Gently been agitated in Europe.
On one occasion while L and others
were in cafe with Sir Maxwell, he or
dered his dobochy to introduce the
charmer. In n few moments 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
saluting us. he said "God be with
you, am Chibh- Chondor, son of Chibh-
Gontnahl-Maya."
eve desire to see what you can do"
said our host.
Ct obey the orders of silva, who has
sent me here" replied the fakir, squat
ting upon one of the marble slabs.
The serpents raised their heads and
Kissed, but without showing any anger.
Then taking q 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 uncolled them
selves, and one after another glided to
the 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 ia
kir 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 indefnable
uneasiness, and sought to turn away our
gaze from him. At this moment small
shocra, whose business it 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 man
ipulations 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 its master.
1t was pinched, pulled about, till there
was no doubt of it's being actually
asleep. Nor would it move from Sir
Maxwells side till 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 us
he had paralyzed us.
Chihb- Chondor 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
part of the room, moved the furniture,
including the divans upon which we
sat, opened and closed doors. Catching
sight of Hindoo who was drawing wa
ter from we'll in the garden, he made
pass in his direction, and the rope
suddenly stopped in its descent, resist
ing all the efforts of the astonished gar
dener. 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 liv-
ing creatures?"
He replied: Il have only one
means"
"What is it ?"
1.-THE will. Man, who is the result
of all intellectual and material forces,
must dominate over all. The brahmins
know nothing besides this.
SpURGEoN.-The>fo following is an IL
lustration of Spurgeon, the noted Lon
don preacher: A raw countryman hav-
ing brought his gun to the gunsmith
for repairs, the latter, having examined
it, said: Your gun is in a very worn
out, ruinous, good for nothing condi-
ton what sort of repairing do you
want for it?" "Well," said the man,
u don't see as 1 can do with anything
less than a new stock, lock and barrel:
that ought to set it up again 'Why,
said the gunsmith, "you better have a
new gun altogether" "Ah." was the
reply, u never thought of that; and it
strikes me that's just what l do want.
A new stock, lock and barrel, why that's
about equal to n new gun, and that's
about what l will have" Just the sort
| of repairinc n mans nature requires.