Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-29

bandage was quietly removed, and found
myself sauatted on a stone floor between
Soondatch and Woun-Tajac, who, with
bowed heads and faces partly sErouded in
their white 70 bes, squatted like statues of
Buddha, their knees and shins fat TO the
ground, their haunch es resting upon their
heels, their eyes DETECTED, and look of de-
vout reverence and abstracted medi-
ia ton in their countenances. The
light dim 10 NV uuaccustomed
eyes, but all around, as far as l could see,
were white-robed worshipers crouched in
the same attitude of silent reverence.
by degrees, as my eyes grew used to the
dim gloom. began to look about me. The
place was square vault 50 lofty that
could not see the ceiling, and l should say
not less than hundred PAGES long and wide
AL around the sides rose gigantic columns,
carved into images of Buddha always. yet
with 4 thousand variations from the original
plan, a thousand freaks of fancy, thousand
grotesquesies, through which shone, the
more effectively for the departures, the
eternal calm, the staguant, imperturbed
ecstacy of apathy of Buddha's remarkable
lace, with the great pendant ears and the
ewes looking out beyond you into the
supreme wistlessuess Of Nieban-a face once
seen never forgotten.
Bv degrees l came to see the plan of this
evidently subterranean vault, and to look
with wonder upon the simple grandeur of
its massive architecture. which was severely
plain, except so far as the carving of the
great columns went. At the furthest end of
The hal, resting against the columns, was
raised dais or platform, covered with red
cloth This stage was raised between three
and four feet above the floor OF the vault
and was about 30 or 10 ieet deep and 150
broad. Behind it a curtain of red cloth
hung down from the capitals of the towering
columns In front OF the stage, just about
the spot where the pulpit of the orchestra
IL a Greek theater would be, was
a tripod-shaped altar, with a broad
oenser upon it, in which was burn
ing a scented oil, mixed with gums
and aromatic woods, that ditfused through
the whole vault q pungent sacramental
oGor.
Suddenly there was wild and startling
crash OF barbaric music from under the
staCe-go1gs, drums, cymbals and horns
aad with wonderful alertness and really
iGdeScribable effect band of naked men
came out from behind the curtains, bearing
each 4 scented torch in his hand, climbed
Jhe columns with the agility of monkeys,
and lighted each hundred lamps, strung
from the base almost of the columns sheer
up 10 the apex of the vault, which 1 could
now see rose in a lofty dome that
doubtless pierced far up into the
interior OF the pagoda proper, the
appearance of which outside I have de-
scrbed The illumination from these multi
tudinous lamps was very bright and bril-
liant. too soft to be dazzling or overpower-
lrc, yet so penetrating and pervasive that
one missed nothing of the perfect light of
the day. 1 could distinctly trace the as
cending and diminishing rays of the cupola
above us, and the rows of brickwork, only
IhjuIy whitewashsd, that supported it.
The din OF the horrible orchestra in
creased and a band of old women came out
:roIl under the stage singing Cor rather
sLriekIDC out) the most diabolical chant
that 7 ever heard. The red curtain fut-
tered little. there was a dull thud, and
there, right before US, alongside the censer,
stood d very old man, but wrinkled, with
long hair aud beard white as cot
ton fleece. His finger-nails were
laws were horribly diversified with two long
teeth, yellow and ogreish. He was naked,
ezcsp. or a breech clout, and his shrunken
muscles shoue with oil. He took the censer
his hands and blew his breathinto it until
the flame rose % feet high, red and furious;
then, with a sudden jerking motion. he
tossed the burning oil toward the crowd of
sguattjng spectators. 1t shot toward them a
broad sheet OF terrible fame-it descended
mere than could have been gathered in a
cart Turning the censer bottom upward,
DE spun il .or 4 minute upon the point ofhis
thumb nail, then flung II disdainfully away
toward the audience. 1t struck the pave
ment with metallic clang, bounced, and
rose, with sudden expanse of wings, a
shrlekin eagle, frightened horribly, and
seeking fight toward the summit of the
dome. The old man gazed a moment up
the trinn1 Hrhrnh
the censer had Stood he bent its legs apart
with a nervous hand, Strengthened them
against his knee. and hurled them, dart
Ike. toward the eagle. They glanced up
ward with Cilded fash, and instantly the
esCle came huttering down in our midst,
dead, and three horrible cobras coiled
around him and lifting their hooded heads
defantlv, and flashing anger out of their
g,iUeriug ewes The music shreked still
wilder, the snakes cOiled and plated them
selves together in a rhythmic dance, lifting
The dead eagle upon their heads, and prestol
right in our midst stood the tripod again,
with its fiickering flame and its incense
savored breath.
a more per ect illusion never was seen.
That Is Norodom," whispered Woun-
Tajac in nv ear Another actor now came
unou the scene whom l recognized to be the
tail athlete, Tepada. Behind him came a
smaller man, whose name, Woun. Tajac in
formed me, was Mlnhman. and boy, prob
ably y years old, called Tsn-ki. These
tour began some of the most wonderful
Athlete exhibitions that can be conceived.
I; is impossible to believe, unless you see it.
what work these men put human muscles
n. i am not going TO provoke the in
credulity of my readers by attempting TO
describe the majority of them. In one feat
Tepada seized Norodom by his long white
beard, held hi ID off at arms length,
and spun round with him until the old man S
legs were horizontal to the athletes
shoulders. Then, while they still spun with
the fury Of dervishes, MInhman sprung up,
seized upon NorodOm's ieet and spun out a
horizontal continuation OF the ancient; and
when MInhman was firmly established. the
boy, Tsin-ki, caught to his feet in like
manner, and the tall athlete, every muscle
ln him stralnlng, continued TO whirl the
human, jointless lever around. AT last
slowing slightly. Tepada drew in his arms
Jill the old mans white beard touched his
BODY; there was a sudden strain, and the
arms o! the men from being horizontal be-
came perpendicular, Norodom's head resting
atop OF Tepada's, Minhman's head upon
&orodom's feet, and Tsin-ki's head
upon MiDhmau's feet. A pause for
breath, then the column of men was pro-
PEELED into the air, and presto!-Tepada' IS
head was on the ground, Minhman's feet
upon Norodom's head, TsIn-ki's feet upon
Ninhman's head. Each had turned a SOM
ersault, and the column was unbroken.
I could fill columns with descriptions oI
the most unaccountable and remarkable