The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-17
Modern COljlrGP. | and FakirS Of
the East.
THE MANGO TREE ILLUSION
How II Is Done-AIleged Aerial Illusions
MyfhS-Fire WOrks-ln Land
Of Dyaks.

When / first went TO Bombay" says
who has just finished a season here;
II had all the lore of the white magi-
clans at my fingers ends, but / found
that this was not by any means
enough to enable me to graduate in
the great university of the Eastern
world
Daily i had fakirs gathered from
far and wide to give me exhibitions.
They showed ordinary tricks, and
when the performance was over / told
them through the interpreter that l
was very much displeased with the
childish things they had shown me,
and intended to strike them with
lightning. They said they had no fear.
They were in the business themselves,
and | could not frighten them. l made
some passes, and they stood before me
boldly till | made a furious pass and
shouted, and their clothing burst into
flames. Then they fled in terror, cast
ing off their light robes, and my repu-
tation as a wonder worker was estab
lished in India. Big business resulted
everywhere. The trick was very
simple one. | had discovered a fluid
which ignited spontaneously and burn
ed quite fiercely after being exposed
to the air for minute and half. a
few drops of this, scattered on the
clothing of the fakirs by my cOnfede
rate did the trick
After | got my reputation among
them the Indians trOtted out the best
they could do. | found out that the
mango trick is done by substitution.
AS l have said they are far ahead of
us in sleight of hand. Then they have
cloths that help them, as they are
much bigger than the handkerchiefS
used by our magicians. They began
by planting a mango seed and covering
it with a cloth. They work under the
cloth with their hands, and then re-
move the cloth at intervals showing
you the mango bush growing larger
and larger. At last they show you
large bush that has fruit on it. 1t APP
pears to have grown from the seed but
it is all a trick, done by substitution.
The mango is as tough as whalebOne,
and can be crumpled up in any old way
and packed into very small compass.
Working under the cloth with his
hands, the magician straightens the
leaves out"
Hertz declares that all tales of aerial
magic by the fakirs of India are pure
invention Hertz has money and he
offered thousands of dollars for an eX-
hibition of the nature so often describ-
ed as supernormal. He advertised far
ho, Il he Il
ly for single show of sending string
into the air and having boy climb up
and disappear, but he was entirely I'M
able to get any of these manifestations.
Hertz would have readily put up the
money for a show of this character, as
man in his business could not make
a better investment.
Though the present successful tour
has embraced America, Africa. Austria
liza, New Zealand, CeylOn. India, China,
Japan Hawaii and the Far East gem
orally the queerest adventure | ever
had was in BOrneO. | got away up
the country in the land of the Dyaks,
and performed before a Rajah and an
audience of head hunters. A Princess
was among the people who saw my
show. She expressed her pleasure. She
was especially taken with my power
TO burn people up in my Phoenix illu-
sion. She wished she had that power. as
then she would start several cOntiagra-
tons | informed her that | was ready
to burn up any one who diSpleaSed her
She thought for a time and then fixed
on a great. hulking fellow who was
always drunk and would not work
called him and gave him a good scold
ing, saying that | had heard complaints
about him, and that he was not any
good except to be consumed by fire
as an example to other evildOerS. He
jawed back, saying that he could not
see what business of mine it was, no
matter how much he loafed. While We
were talking my confederate scattered
a few drops of fluid on his clothing,
and he soon burst into flames. He ran
away bowling. I told the Princess that
in consideration of his being a mem
Der of the tribe | would not consume
him entirely and sure enough the
flames did him no harm.
She proposed marriage. I said [ was
married already. She told me that it
made no difference, that she would be
sister to my wife, and together they
would rule all other wives | might ac-
quire. My wife, who was present when
the interpreter gave us that, thought
it was all joke, and was for jumping
up and throwing her arms about her
new found sister: but I could see that
there was a very serious side to the
matter To refuse was to insult the
RaJah, and meant perhaps death. 1
explained that such a great honor mer-
tied great preparations, and that |
would have TO so to Singapore in order
to buy presents and wedding clothes.
I asked the Princess what she want
ed me to buy for her. She made
long list, and was delighted at the idea
of getting all the things she ordered.
So I lied myself and party safe out
of the land of the Dyaks. The nearest
English consul to whom I related my
adventure, told me that l had got him
INTO a bad scrape, and that he might