Middletown transcript., 1878-08-31

Inches lOuS aPPOteAONJ AO "AAfN -
pressed satisfaction, and CAREFUL!
watered it from o small sprinkling
Dot. The next time it was a foo
high, and the leaves seemed just form
ing. The third time it was fully tw'
feet in height, and appeared to b.
growing most vigorously, At the clos
Of his other performances he tossed
aside the enveloping cloth and tripoC
of sticks, and 10! there was mango
tree or bush about five feet high, witt
perfectly formed leaves and branches
He brought it to me, and | salts
fed myself beyond question that it wa
real. live tree by breaking off o
branch, which | kept for souvenir
He then pulled it up by the roots, tc
which was attached the nut partially
decayed and covered with fine fibrous
sprouts. He then emptied the earth
| from the box to show that nothing
was concealed within it.
When it is borne in mind that all
this was done in broad daylight, with
no person usually near him, the per-
formers arms being bare to the shoul-
ders, and seated upon stone pave
ment, it is not surprising that the by
ISLANDERS seemed filled with amazement
not unmixed with awe. 1t was plain
that they considered him in league with
the evil spirit or gifted with supernat-
ural powers Their faces would have
been to me an interesting study if my
own attention had not been so closely
riveted on the conjurer.
Through Handy Andy offered him
twenty rupees if he would disclose to
me the secret Of the mango-tree l
then doubled and trebled the offer,
but he only shook his head, and pre-
sumo thousand rupees would have
been no temptation. l rewarded him
with generous "tip," and for the mo-
ment regretted that was not show
man by profession. Ii | could only
have secured his services for an Amer
lean engagement there would have
been millions in it."
The wonderful tricks Of conjury and
Juggling which are sometimes witness
ed in Oriental countries may we'll
make one distrust the evidence of his
senses. While I claim to be specially
matter-of.fact, without the slightest
faith in the supernatural, have in
vain puzzled my brain to account for
the mOdus operandi, and sometimes
rubbed my eyes to make sure was
not dreaming. 1t excited my wonder
and admiration to witness the skill
and expertness of the performer, but
l never for a moment doubted that it
was a trick which could be nationally
explained. In the East the profession
Of a conjurer inspires dread. He is
looked upon as in league with the
evil. The ordinary Oriental mind
does not seek to penetrate his secret,
but takes it for granted that he posses
ses supernatural powers. His imagi-
nation is easily excited. and a belief
in magic is universally accepted as
part Of his religious creed. In the
holy book of Buddha the magic arts
open a short road to attain that per-
fection Of power and wisdom which
eliminates in the cessation of sensible
existence. The more refined and
learned class of Buddhists repudiate
and despise the grosser exhibitions of
common magic and charlatanism, but
as the common people will not dispense
with these marvels, every great mon
astery keeps conjurer who does not
belong to the brotherhood of the Con-
vent, 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 a hereditary
profession, and their mystic practices
are transmitted from father to son.
1t is a good plan if one has anything
marvellous to relate to tell first what
he has seen himself, and afterward
what may have come to him at second
hand. The old missionary Jesuits in
India and China relate with holy hor-
ror the magic arts of the sorcerors
which came under their own observa-
ton, and lament that some credulous
princess, who had been converted to
Christianity, should still allow diabol-
ical tricks to be played before them.
As for instance, goblets of silver to be
moved from one end Of table to an.
other without hands, and heavy arti-
cles Of furniture to dance about the
room as if possessed Of deamons. This
was many centuries before the devel-
Opment Of modern spiritualism, and
these sincere and pious old monks
would be shocked at seeing tables tip
ped, banjOs banged, iddles fly through
the air. and bells rung in cabinets
when the evil @spirits" were supposed
to be tied hand and foot.
A very learned friar, who is spoken
Of as perfectly truthful, says that
among the Tartars there are certain
man rvvhoT1 ffhav I,onor q hove Ill -