The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-10
iSTORY OF HINDOO MAGIC.
IS it Nothing More Than HypROtiSm
After all?

UVeTlOOkeos
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Years ago 1 sat one day on the deck of a
vessel lying at its mornings before Cal
cutta I had intended at first to go out
n Garden Reach while the Shawmut was
discharging and taking her new cargo,
but illness in the family of the friend
with whom it was proposed should stop
had interfered, and decided at last to
remain on board.
7 was the more willing to do this, as
close beside us lay the vessel commanded
by a friend of mine, whose wife had also
decided to remain on board while in port.
The Fox lay closely enough for US to call
to each other from our docks, and nearly
every day we spent together. If l could
not go to the Fox, Mrs. King would take
her little niece and come on board the
Shawmut. had my baby boy with me,
and little Nera, my friends niece, who was
about 3 years old, would spend hours
Gwinging with him in his hammock,
which was hung from the spanker boom
beneath the awning, that the baby might
get what little air was stirring during the
heat of the day. Nera would lie there
for hours and play with baby if he was
awake, or with her doll if he slept.
Capt King came aft to where his wife
and I were sitting, and said: ''Would
YOU ladies like TO see one of the best of
The native tugglers2 1 have been talking
with the comprador about it and he says
he thinks he can get one to come off to-
morrow if you would like to see him. Ac-
cording to what he says the fellow is far
beyond anything in the way of magical
performances that you have ever seen"
As neither of US had ever seen any
thing of the sort, of course we were eager
to have the juggler come aboard, and the
captain returned to the hatchway and
made arrangements with the comprador
to fetch him the next day. Mrs. King
and l talked of nothing else during the
rest of the afternoon. We rubbed up our
little knowledge of iugglers' tricks, re-
called the stale stories of seeds planted
and grown into tree within few mo-
ments, of the boy packed into a basket
and the basket cut into ribbons, with an
accompaniment of smothered shrieks, and
groans from the mutilated child within,
. who afterward appeared in the back
ground, safe and sound, and all the other
accounts of the stock tricks of the Indian
iugglers of which we had often read.
We decided that this particular ma
gician would be at rather disadvantage,
for he would be working on a solid deck
instead of in the sand, and in an entirely
unknown place, where he could by no
possibility have made previous prepara-
tions to deceive his audience.
Next morning the captain told me that
the juggler would come on board late in
the afternoon. Mrs. King, as usual, came,
to spend the day with me, and we sat on
deck all day. We felt sure that as we
had been there on the day when the per
formace was first proposed, and all of the
following day, there had been no chance
for any trick to be played beforehand,
and that, therefore, we were to have
genuine performance, whatever it should
be. There could be no chance of decep-
ton by hollow floors or easily moved
sand.
Late in the afternoon, or rather early
f. in the evening, we saw a small boat Gid
ing toward US, in which sat a tall, slender
form clothed in the white native robe,
with arms folded and head bowed upon
his breast Beside him sat a slight
form, whether male or female we could
not distinguish, but we supposed it was
the boy who in all the stories we had
read was one of the most important prop
critics for the magical performance There
were no baskets in sight, and but little
else in the way of furniture for setting
the stage for the coming show The boat
came alongside, and her passengers were
standing in our midst almost before the
boat had touched the foot of the ladder,
] think. The juggler was the finest
looking man | ever saw. He was con-
siderably over six feet tall, and was
formed like a Greek god. His snowy
robe wrapped around him left his arms
and one shoulder bare, and his long, slim
hands were as perfect as bronze castings
from an artists master work. He had
the brightest eyes / ever beheld, but in
their depths shone a light which made
me shudder with-not fear-but, we'll ]
could not tell what the feeling was, but l
knew it was decidedly unpleasant to meet
his eye for more than a moment. On
comparing notes with my companions af-
terWard found that they had all felt this
same strange sensation. 1t was not fear,
Dut none OF us could give it name,
though all experienced the discomfort in
greater or less degree.
AS the strangers reached the deck we
saw that the figure which we had seen
SITTING beside the man in the boat was
mat OF young girl. She was almost as
me looking speciman of her sex as
Jhe man was of his.
They lost no time, but proceeded with
Inelr preparations for our amusement
Inc man disdained to speak to us at all
out gave his directions to the girl, who
repeated whatever it was necessary for
US 10 near IN low melOdious voice. They
aSheu Tor several things, among others a
JdlI cane basket, at which Mrs. King and
smiled AT each other; a slender line, a
pan OF ashes, and some other little articles
"nlch have forgotten now.
Inc line, which was handed the man,
was our spare signal ballard, and after
swinging it around his head a moment he
seemed satisfied and laid it down beside
S Sue mat which he had spread upon the
ueCh. This mat was of woven grass, like
'LDuSancS of others we saw every day.
Inc only thing which he had brought
WIN MIN was long slender sword and
small crystal globe, which seemed filed
WIN some liquid clearer than water,
Win sparkle and simmer in its depths
even even when nothing Jared the globe to ac-
count for the motion.
J After a short time the man squatted
uoW1 upon his mat and his strange eyes
ka1Sa at each one in the circle surround
.tg MN for a moment. AS he looked
or eY[alght into my eyes l felt most unus-
I VA chlll and shudder pass through my
~ Ems was not nervous woman, and
s ouIs neart-chill was new experience to
iit., his gaze passed slowly around our
r.v.le circle, lingering for a moment as it
AZ some eyes, and passing rap
iio1y over others. I thought he paused
"useF as he gazed into my face than
ne ulo at any other, but that may have
Zen Zen imagination. When he had COM
Heted the circle he raised the crystal
slo9e snd held it poised upon one hand
nUFa@ a. L