Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-07-26

my Oak gahrra, with its rough, unframed
horses, had stopped here for midday rest
My Hindostanee servant, with an unpro,
no ounceable name, whom | had nicknamed
| Handy Andy on account OF certain I'M
handy ways and 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 2" Yes, bring him on" l suspected
the fellow was consulting his own fondness
for amusement more than mine. but II WAS
too hot to sleep, and | was ready for any
thing that would kill time. 4 tall, fine look
ing Hindoo. with clear-cut, intelligent lace,
and eyes that looked straight at you, with no
indication of ways that are dark and tricks
that are vain. next appeared on the scene.
He was dressed in the ordinary long white
robe of his race with rich cashmere shawl
| wound round his waist, and his salutation
| and manners were respectful, without the
least shade of servility. He was followed by
two attendants, carrying the various lmpie-
ments of his profession ~JSh they spread
out before him and dozen or two hangers
on of all ages grouped themselves at re-
specttul distaiS'e TO enjoy the free show. The
ground in font Of the bungalow was paved
with large flat stones, and upon one OF these
the coniurer seated himself curling his legs
under him in Oriental fashion, and asked In
| Hiudoostanee What special trick would the
| sahib like to see?' At the same time he
| barred bis arms long. well-formed, but not
muscular and united his shawl to open his
robe and show me that there was no con-
cealed mechanism about his person. l told
him through Handy Andy that | would like
| to have him perform the mango trlck-whlch
| / had seen once before at Delhi without be-
ing able to penetrate its mysteries. He nod
ded assent, and taking box about 10 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 ex-
| animation. He then made n framework or
/ tripod, of three sticks, six or eight feet long
and tied together at the top, placed it over
| the box and covered the whole with piece
of white muslin. The only thing thus far
that looked like charlatanism was a muttered
incantation, rolling up his eyes, with out
| stretched palms, as if appealing for aid to
some higher power.
| Again seating himself not more than 10
| feet in front of the verandah he went through
| the most astonishing performances of slight
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 had seen before but
never in broad daylight. He borrowed my
| watch, and after mashing ii to flinders it WAS
| mysteriously returned unharmed to my
pocket He burned my handkerchief, then
poured from vial some elixir upon the ash
es, and the linen was restored to me without
smell OF fire on its hem. These and many
other equally curious things he did for near
" an hour, with the most intense gravity of
manner, and an air of candor that would dis
arm suspicion. My eyes were wide open,
ana / watched him so intently as scarcely to
wink and vet was unable to detect single
flaw, or account for one Of these transforma-
tions.
Some of the tricks he repeated ut my re-
quest but the result was the same. At the
critical moment his motions were as quick as
lightning. In all cases where fire was used
| noticed that he either poured some liquid
or threw whitish powder upon the flames,
which produced for an instant a dense smoke.
and lett pungent aromatic odor IN the air.
In the meatlme the mengo tree was grow
ing. Four times at intervals of ten or fifteen
minutes. he raised the muslin cover to report
progress. The first time sprout three or
four inches long appeared, at which he ex-
pressed satisfaction. and carefully watered 1t
from small sprinkling pot. The next time
it vas a foot high, and the leaves seemed Just
forming. The third time it was fully two
feet in height, and appeared to be growing
most vigorously At the close of his other
performances he tossed aside the enyeioping
cloth and triped sticks and 10 there was a
mango tree or bush, about five feet high with
perfectly formed leaves and branches. He
brought it to me and | satisfied myself be-
yond a question that it was real tree by
breaking of small branch which / kept for
q souvenir. He then pulled it up by the
roots, to which was attached a nut partially
decayed and covered with fbrous 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 usual !
" near him, the performers arms being bare |
to the shoulders, and seated upon stone
pavement, 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 supernatural powers. Their
faces would have been to me an interesting
study if my own attention had not been 80
closely riveted on the conjurer
Through Handy Andy | offered him 20 ru-
pees if he would disclose to me the secret of |
the mango tree then doubled and trebled |
the offer, but he only shook his head, and | |
presume 900 rupees would have been no |
temptation. l rewarded him with generous |
Tip, and for the moment regretted ] was |
not Snowman by profession. If | could |
only have secured his services for an Amerl- |
can engagement, there would have been mil |
lions in it..
The wonderful tricks of conjury and Jug |
Cling which are sometimes witnessed in on |
entail countries, may well make one distrust |
the evidence of his senses. While Claim |
to be specially matter of fact, without the |
slightest faith in the supernatural, l have in |
vain puzzled my brain to account TOR the |
mOdus operd'tdi, and sometimes rubbed my |
eyes to make sure | was not dreaming. 1t |
excited my wonder and admiration to witness
al arl.a Artn
but | never for Il moment doubted that il was |
a trick which could be nationally explained. |
In the East the profession OF II conjurer in |
spires dread. He is looked upon Us in league |
with the devil. The ordinary Oriental mind |
does not seek TO penetrate his secret, but |
takes it for granted that he possesses super
natural powers. His imagination is easily |
excited, and the belief in magic is universal |
ly accepted part of his religious creed. |
In the holy books of Buddha the magic arts |
open a short road to attain that perfection of
power and wisdom which eliminates in the |
cessation Of sensible existence. The more
refined and learned class of Buddhlsts repu- |
diate and despise the grosser exhibitions of
common magic and charlatanism, but as the
common people will not dispense with these
marvels, every great monastery keeps a con-
jurer who does not belong to the brother
hood OF the convent and ls allowed to marry.
These practitioners possess no literature, but
hand down the secrets of their art by tradi-
ton. In India ccnIuring az well snake
charming is n hereditary profession, and their
mystic practices are transmitted from father
to son.
1t is good plan if any one has anything
marvellous to relate to tell first what he has
seen himself, and afterward what may have
come to him ut secondhand. The old mis-
sionary Jesuits in Indian and China relate
with holy horror the magic arts OF the sor
cercrs which came under their own obserya-
ton, and lament that some credulous princes,
who had been converted to Christianity,
should still allow diabolical tricks to be play
ed upon them. As Tor instance, goblets of
silver to be moved from one end of table to
another without hands, and heavy articles of
furniture to dance about the room AS if pos
sessed of demons. This was many centuries
before the development of modern spiritual
ism, and these sincere and pious old monks
would be shocked at seeing tables tipped,
banjoes banged, fiddles fly through the air.
and bells rung in cabinets when the evil
'spiTits' were supposed Ia be tied hand and
foot.
A very learned friar. who IS spoken OF as
perfectly truthful, says that among the Tar
tars there are certain mon whom they honor
above all others, who are idol priests from
India, persons of deep wisdom, well conduct
ed, and of the purest morals. They are ac
quainted with the magic arts, and depend
npon the counsel and aid of demons Among
other delusions they exhibit, which he de
scrIbes with great eXactness, he says 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 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
minutely described by writers "whose vera
city cannot be impeached."
Aud now comes the most astonishing trick