Connecticut western news., 1878-07-25
.JUGGLERY. EXTRAORDINARY.
Samples of HindOo Magic that Puzzled an Ohi0an. 3 .ff E.

Ohioap. ,ss E. ~- was smoking my chibouk on the
 w1de yeranda of a lbungalo, or Govern ment inn, one day in Northern India.
 It was in January, but the weather was
 intensely hot, and my Dagahrra, with its
 rough, untrained horses, had stopped
 here for 8 midday rest. My Hindostanee
 servant, with an unpronounceable name, | whom I had nicknamed Handy Andy !" on account of certain unhandy ways, and
 a merry twinkle of the eye that indicated
 no lack of Hibernian humor, came up to
 the porch and, with salaam, said
 ",Would Sahib like to see conjurer make
 tricks?" " Yes, bring him on.' I sus-
 pected the fellow was consulting his own
 fondne ess for amusement more than mine, but it was too hot to sleep, and I was ready for anything that would kill time. ,o,l ri -, s.-.. - g, -... F. eYf' r 4
 A tall,j fne-looking Hindoo, with a clear-eut, intelligent face, and eyes that looked straight at you, next appeared on the scene. He was dressed in the or dinary long white robe of his race, with rich cashmere shawl wound round his waist, and his saIutation and manners were respectful, without the least shade of servjlity. He was followed by two attendants, carrying the various imple- ments of his professionj which they spread cut before him. and a dozen or two hangers-on of all ages grouped themselves. at 8 respectful distance to enjoy the free show. The ground ini front of the bungalow was paved with flat stones, and upon one of these the con iurer seated himself, curling his legs under him in Oriental fashion, and asked in Hindostanee. "What special trick would the Sahib like to see ?'c At the same time he barred his arfns, long, we'll formed, but not muscular. and united his shawl, to open his robe and show me that there was no concealed mechan- ism about his person. I told him through Handy Andy that would like him to perform the mango strick-whieh I had seen once before at Delhi without being able to penetrate it's mysteries. He nodded assent, and, taking a box about ten inches square, filled it with earth, and in it planted a mango nut about the size of an English walnut, having, first handed it to me for examination. He then made framework, or tripod, of sthree sticks, six or eight feet long and tied together at the top5placed it over the box, and covered the whole with g piece of white muslin ! The only thing thusi far that looked like charlatanism was 8 nuttered incantation, rolling up his eyes, with outstretched palms, as if appealing for aid to some higher power. | Again seating himself, not more than ten feet in front of the veranda, he went through the most astonishing perform ances of sleight-of- hand tricks such as swallowing swords, tossing balls in the air, drawing from his mouth colored ribbons of interminable length, etc., some of which I had seen before,s but never in broad daylight. He borrowed my watch, and after smashing it to flinders it was mysteriously returned un- harmed to my pocket. He burned my handkerchief, then poured from vial some elixir upon the dishes, and the linen was restored to me without any smell of fire upon it. These and many other, equally curious things he did for nearly an hour, with the most intense gravity of manner, and an air of cando1 that would disarm suspicion. My eyes
 were w1de open, and | watched him SC
 intently as scarcely to wink, and yet was unable to detect single flaw or ac.
 count for one of these transformations.
 Some of the tricks he repeated at my
 request, but the result was the same. At the critical moment his motions were quick as lightning. In all cases where fire was used I noticed that he either . poured some liquid or threw a whitisI powder upon the flames, which produced for an instant dense smoke, and left { , pungent aromatic odor in the air.
 In the mean time the mango tree wat
 growing. Four times at intervals of ter , or fifteen minutes, he raised the muslin cover to report progress. The first time 8 sprout, three or four inches long, ap :, peared, at which he expressed satisfac tion, land carefully watered it from
 small sprinkling pot. The next time i 5 was foot high. and the leaves seemed just forming. The third time it wa ? fully two feet in height, and appeared
 to be growing most vigorously. At tn 'n close of his other performances he tosset a aside the enveloping cloth and tripod o sticks, and To there was mango tree
 or bush, about five feet high, with per , fectly formed leaves and branches. H brought it to me, and satisfied mysel
 beyond question that it was 8 real, iv + tree by breaking off branch, which ), kept for a souvenir. He then pulled i e up by the roots, to which was attache j. the nut, partially decayed and .covere
 with fine fbrous sprouts. He the # emptied the earth from the box to sho, that nothing was concealed within it.
 r- Through Handy Andy offered hi1 r. twenty rupees if he would disclose t T. me the secret of the mango tree. I the q doubled and trebled the offer, but h
 only shook his head, and presume ,s thousand rupees would have been n temptation. I rewarded him with
 generous "tip," and for the momer
 regretted that was not snowman b
 profession. ... .... ..
 The learned class of buddhists repr ot diate and despise the grosser exhibition y of common magic and charlatanism, bu a | os tho conn m on r,e0nla will mt diSr,ons