Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06

l
speet as we see poor Chinamau come up kick
OF his shoes and timidly walk through the door
The walls outside are adorned with fantastic
dragons, and from every point strange heads
project Near US is a little booth on which ID
displayed the stock Of seller of Joss sticks and
| what are apparently but strips of red paper in.
scribed with black characters
We are informed by an old priest in q won
derful robe that we may enter if we remove
our boots. On 80 hot q day we hardly think
the game worth the candle and respectfully de-
| cline the honor. From the exterior the Mo-
hammedan mosque presents a still more unin-
vltiDg appearance, and we join our faithful
| syce to depart for new scenes.
| Down the next street we meet the gorgeous
carriage OF the Sultan of Jahose, with its foot
| men dressed in scarlet and gold but with bare
legs and feet. The sultan is, of course, under
| BRITISH protectorate," but draws a fat PEN
| tected."
| IN THE BUSINESS STREETS
Here in the business streets of the town the
crowd is very thick. Jinrickshaws drawn by
perspiring coolies, bullock carts attached to
the patient humpbacked Indian CATTLE with a
scantily clothed driver balancing himself on
the pole, crowd one another through the
narrow street. Suddenly there is jam, one
move one way or the other. The driver beats
1 the cattle and every syce, coolie 'rickshaw
! boy and native in the vicinity rushes upon the
cart and beats the driver. A fat black police
man appears and he also starts to work to beat
| the driver. Finally the oxen get ready to move
| and the cart lumbers on. and then, and not till
| then, do they stop beating the poor, patient
| driver. This may not be very amiable remedy,
but 1t ls certainly used upon every occasion
] here.
| Tired at last Of sight seeing we return to
the wharf and getting into prov start for our
| ship. As we clear the pier and start out from
the harbor the four oarsnen in front break
into wild, low chant, pitched in the monotone
that seems peculiar to savage melody. The old
coxswaln In the stern dips the diamond shaped
paddle first ON one side. then on the other keep
! Ing stroke with the oars. The chant forward
ceases and the voice of the old coxswain takes
up the refrain; again they answer him, and the
| sound SO beguiles us as we lean back IN the boat
| under our bamboo shelter that the ship is upon
| US almost before we know it.
AN INDIAN JUaaLER.
Down on the half deck an Indian iupeler is
performing. He is lean old man, with pierre
ing black eyes and thin, nervous hands, ever in
motion. In front Of him is little pile of gray
sand lying on the bare deck and to his left is a
large bag containing his paraphernalia: near it
common wicker basket Taking up small
lead ball he holds it up to us: little cup is
then shown aud laid empty upon the deck,
holding the ball above his head he closes his
hand, mumbles some odd words. and presto
the ball Is under the cup. Of course if is sleight
OF hand, but 1t is wonderfully quick.
Every one, OF course, wishes to see the
famous mango tree grow from the dry seed.
lie assures us that it is for him vera easy,"
and he proceeds to his task Taking from his
basket dried mango seed he holds it up for
inspection and then buries it in the sand heap.
lie then waters it carefully and taking his mantle
covers the whole Picking up his magic pipe
from the deck he bends forward and croons
fhrn Il htl
pipe he repeats several times with great ap-
parent earnestness some words of Hindustani.
Then he raises the cloth and We see above the
gray sand heap few green leaves just pro-
trudlng Again he waters it, bending over it
as if it were dying child, and then carefully
covering it he picks up his pipe and walks
around it with catlike steps, playing
the same queer tune. He again
lays hold of the cloth. gradually raising it as
he repeats the incantatlon till we see a good
sized mango bush about three feet high with
fresh green leaves. Digging itup h, shows US
the root; to which fragments of the sand still
cllngs, and stands before us in triumph. How
1t got there Is a mystery, for it certainly was
not concealed on his person, as his clothing
would not have concealed a smal1-siZed mouse,
much less bush nearly three feet high. But
he could also show basket trick" and would
do SO; only he must get his wife, who was along
side. While he was gone took up the wonder
full pipe and examined it. A seasoned gourd,
NhO cho opcn lOf mOutnDitce anu the
other, the neck of the gourd. joined to a piece
of bamboo stalk fitted with holes as on a fute
composed TINS instrument, which is identical
with that of the famous Indian snake charmers.
THE BASKET TRICK.
But the magician has returned accompa-
MED by his wife. Respondent with silver nose
rings and bangles. Two small children formed
the rest Of his family-a talented one, indeed.
for even the baby turned handsprings, and
/
trick Is what we were waiting for, John" so
drive ahead. He needs no exhor tat ton, how
ever, but proceeds at once to business Drag
ging the basket out into the middle of the little
circle We have formed he turns it over and
shows that it is but a simple wicker basket
somewhat worse for wear. His wife then stands
up and prepares for the ordeal by tying I'D
her long hair and swathing herself in her
scarf. She then steps into a large net made of
horsehair and after her hands and feet have
been bound, crouching down, has the net
drawn tightly over her. He then lifts her up
and places her in the basket; apparently the
lid cannot be forced down, although he jumps
on it with his full weight. A large cloth is put
over the basket and for some seconds it is agi-
tated. Then there is silence; the lid falls and
there with its lid on, the horse
hair net and the rope bands w.
ing in front of it. To all ap-
pearances the basket is empty; it has returned
10 Its original dimensions as though it were
10 longer pressed out by her form. Taking
of the lid he jumps with both feet into it and
sinks in it to the bottom. Standing on the
deck he places a long sword up and down in
the basket, and thrusts it through and through
from every possible direction, and finally puts
it in the top and takes il around, apparently
probing every corner. Where was the woman?
There are no trap doors in the gun deck OF the
Lancaster; she not under the cloth; she
had not tied forward. as we could see the deck
on all sides and beyond our view it was
crowded with the men-she must therefore
be in the basket. But how q small wicker
basket could hold her in such position as not
to be pierced by the sword is problem that
still remains unsolved. Covering the basket
again with the cloth and playing before it on
an odd two-stringed native Lutte, he waited a
minute, then. pronouucing in a loud voice some
Hindustani words, the basket swelled up, and
on taking off the cover the woman was there.
He showed us many other wonders but none
like the famous basket trick. Done on a
stage, with trap doors, with confederates and
every appliance, such performances are clever
and for a season curious, but on the bare deck
OF Il man-of-war they are indeed surprising. or
course we all have our theoMes as to how
John" did it, but none of US know; we think,
but we cannot tell. Can you?
HORACE MAcrAnLAsD.
Nothing to Wear.
From Truth.
There was to be dance in the Gulch that