The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-01-30

was concealed within it.
When it is borne in m nd that all this
was done in broad daylight. with no
person usually near him. The per-
formers arms being bare 10 the shout
ders, and seated on a stone pavement,
it is not surpr sing that the bystanders
seemed filed with anna cement. not I'M
mixed with awe. Their faces would
have Leen to me an in eresting study,
il my own attention had not been SO
closely rivited on the con urer.
Through Handy Andy. as interpreter.
/ 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, ana l
presume thousand rupees would have
been no temptation. rewarded him
with generous tip" AMI for the mo-
mept regretted that was not n show
man by profession. If could have Sc
cured his services for an American en-
gagement there would have been mil
lions in il"
The wonde full tricks of con, uring
and Juggling sometimes witnessed in
Oriental countries may well make one
mistrust the evidence OF his senses.
While claim to be specially matter of
fact by temperament, with very little
faith in the supernatural, have IN va n
puzzled my bra n to account for the
modus operandi, and sometimes rubbed
my eyes to make sure ] was not dream
ing. 1t always excited my wonder and
admiration to witness the skill and ex-
pertness of the performer. but l never
for q moment doubted that it WAS a
trick which could be nationally ex-
planned. In the asst the profession of
q conjurer inspires dread. He is looked
upon as in league with evil spirits. The
ordinary Oriental mind doe, not seek
to penetrate his secret, but takes it for
granted that he possesses supernatural
powers. His imagination is easily ex-
cited, and the belief in magic is uni
versally accepted as part of his reli
gious creed.
The more refined and learned class
of Buddhists repudiate and despise the
grcsser exhibitions of magic and char
latanism, but the great mass of the
common people are supplemented.
creoulous and easily imposed upon.
The professors of magic hand down the
secrets of the art by tradition. In In
dia conjuring as well as snake charm
ing is hereditary profession, and their
mystic practices are transmitted from
father to son.
1t is good plan if one has anything
marvellous to relate 10 tell first what he
has seen with his own eyes, and alter
ward what may have come to him at
second hand.
The old missionary .Jesuits in India
and China relate with holy horror the
magic arts of the sorcerers which came
under their observation. and lament
that some credulous Princes who have
been converted to Christianity should
still allow diabolic tr cks to be played
before them. As, for instance, heavy
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 possessed
of demons. This was many centuries
before the development OF modern
spiritaalism. How these pious old
monks would be shocked At seeing
tables tipped. ban os banged, tiddies
fly through the ar and bells rang. in
cabinets where the il '.spirits" were
supposed to be tied hand and foot.
A very learned friar who lived sew
eral hundred years ago, and is de-
scribed Is perfectly honest and truth
full" relates that in his time there
lived among the Tartars certain men,
honored above all others, being idol
priests from India. persons Of deep
wisdom, well conducted and of the
purest morals. They were acquainted
with the magic arts, and depended
upon the counsel and aid Of demons"
Among other delusions they exhibited,
all of which he describes with great
exactness, he says .'they can sit in the
air without any visible means of sup
port; first on tripod of three sticks;
then one stick after another is remove !,
and the man still remains, not touch
ing the ground He further relates
that with long stick I felt under the
suspended person and found nothing
upon which his boly rested" 1t was
told that his last performance was pro-
fessedly exhibited in Madras during the
pre- sent century, and mlnuteiy described
by writers whose .veracity can not be
impeached."
And now comes the most astonishing
trick of all. which has q touch of the
melodramatic to give . more piquant
flavor. shall tell it in. quaint lam
guage of the old chronlcler. somewhat
abbreviated. and trust no one will take
it to be literally true. He describes
very wildly the basket trick, which is
wen known in India, and says: 81 am
now to relate . thing which surpasses
all bel eft, and which should not ven.
ture to tell If it had not been witnessed
BY thousands under my own eyes. One
Of the party took ball Of cord, and
erasping one end. threw the other up
in the air with such force that its ex-
tsnmity was beyond the reach of our
sight He then Immediately climbed
up the cord with incredible swiitness,
and was soon out Of sight l stood full
OF astonlshment not oonceiving what
was to come Of this, when 10, leg
came tumbling down out of the air.
Ono Of the conl uring ompany instantly
snatched il up and threw it into . has
ket. A moment after hand came
down. and immediately after that an
other leg. And in . short time all the