San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-14

tions of common magic and charlatan.
ism, but as the common people will not
dispense with these marvels, every great
monastery keeps conjurer who does
not belong to the brotherhood OF the
convent, and is allowed to marry. The
practitioners possess no literature, but
hand down the secrets of their art by
tradition. In India, conjuring as well
as snake charming is hereditary pro-
fession, and the mystic practices are
transmitted from father TO son.
A very learned friar, who is spoken OF
as perfectly truthful, says that among
the Tartars there are certain men whom
they honor above all Others, who are
ideal priests from India, persons of
deep wisdom, we'll conducted, and of
the purest morals. They are acquaint-
ed with the magic arts, and depend upon
the counsel and aid of demons. They
can sit in the air without any visible
support, first on tripod of three sticks,
then one stick after another is removed,
and still the man remains, not touching
the ground. He further relates that
with a long cane he felt all under the
suspended individual, and found nothing
upon which his body rested. This last
performance was professedly exhibited
in Madras during the present century,
and is infinitely described by writers.
And now comes the most astonishing
trick of all, which has touch of TRACE
dy to give it more piquant flavor. l
shall tell it in the quaint language of the
old chronicler, somewhat abbreviated.
After describing very wildly the basket
murder trick, which is well known in
India, he says 81 am now about to re-
late thing which surpasses all belief,
and which should scarcely venture to
insert here had it not been witnessed by
thousands under my own eyes. One of the
party took ball of cord, and, grasping
one end, threw the other up in the air
with such force that its extremity was
beyond the reach of our sight. He then
Immediately climbed up the cord with
incredible swiftness, and was soon out
of sight. | stood full of establishment,
not conceiving what was to come of
this, when, 10! leg came tumbling
down out of the air. One of the con-
juring company instantly snatched it up
and threw it into a basket. A moment
after hand came down, and immedi-
ately on that another leg. And in a
short time all the members of the body
came thus successfully tumbling from
the air and were cast together into the
basket. The last fragment of all we
saw come down was the head, and no
sooner had that touched the ground
than he who had snatched up all the
limbs and put them into the basket turn
ed them all out again topsy turvy. And
straightway l saw with these eyes all
those limbs creep together again, and,
in short time, form u whole man, who
stood up and walked about without
showing the least damage! Never in
my life was | so astonished as when /
oehcld this wonderful performance, and
doubted now no longer that these mis-
guided men did it with the help of the
levil. l had an attack of palpitation of
he heart like that which overcame me
,nce before in the presence of the Sui
an of India when he showed me some
hing of that kind. They gave me I
ordial, however, which cured the at
ack. The Kazi Afkharradin was next
0 me, and quoth he, 'Wallah! it's my I
pinion there has been neither going up
or coming down, neither marring nor
lending; it's all hocus pocus' which
yas very wise conclusion to come to-"