The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-10

IIindus are well known to be the most |
expert In the mysterious things OF mag
ic one viii see things i'm India that !
will make him superstitious unless he |
is naturally pretty well balanced. There !
are two classes of Hindus takers: first.
the fellows who carry their tricks
around i'm bag and for a few rupees
will perform with snakes and swords
and other trinkets; and then those who
are of a higher class. who study magic
as part OF their religious ceremonies
and attempt to make converts by max
ing people believe they have a super
natural power and are divinely appoint
cd to preach the faith of the great Hin
du God.
The men of the latter class are very
expert and perform things that are
marvellous. In my Indian travels 1 have
seen them do things that are beyond the
explanation of any but the priests. When
one hears OF such things as man
throwing a rope into the air. and then
without the slightest appearance OF any
thing to climb on. going UP after 1t, he
is apt TO be skeptical. but 1 have seen
things just as marvellous. The priests
of India are scientific men who have
studied their art for years. not for
money gains but for the sake of their
religion. They are taken good care of
for their entire lives and study and delve
into the mysteries Of science with the
fervor of religious fanatics. OF course,
when their tricks are learned it is found
that the simplest scientific principles
are beneath them all.
A Basis in Science.
What we learn as youths in school
about the siphon and the sucker and
other fundamental tricks in physics.
they put TO the most startling uses
For instance. in the northern part of
India there is a temple 10 the mother
of Buddha. where great throngs go to
worship. In the temple there is
statue of the mother with the child god
in her arms Around the mother there
is a great chalice into which runs a
steady stream Of water.
The superstition about the statue is
that it is impossible for the water ever
to touch the feet of the god. The water
will flow into the chalice and fill ii
clear up to the feet of Buddha, and then
IL will suddenly begin TO sink to the
bottom OF the cup. The chalice is con-
stantly filled and emptied in this way,
and the people believe that there is a
magical power in the god. OF course it
is nothing more than trick performed
with a siphon within the statue, but for
centuries the priests have made the
populace believe in the divinity of Budd-
ha through it.
There is no doubt that the Hindus
have found out the secret of many laws
of nature unknown to us. For centuries
they have known things which for CEN
turtles to come we may not know.
"a. MI
that battle the English officers. and all
efforts to bride and threaten the secrets
out of the Hindus have utterly failed.
The British have spent every effort to
find out how the priests perform some
OF their mysteries, but II looks very
much as though they would never know.
An Advanced Civilization.
Every once in a while we discover
something wonderful in science which
has been known for ages in India. II
is not very many years ago that we
would have thought the idea of wireless
telegraphy preposterous. but since Mar
coni's discovery IL does not seem so
strange The Hindus. however have 9
system of secret communication that is
more battling than wireless telegraphy
They have been abie 10 communicate
with each other for miles and miles,
but by what means is not known to any
but themselves. Outbreaks and insur-
orectiOns in the most distant parts would
be talked of in the southern part of the
country, among the coolies even, for
Gays before the British would receive
notice of them. Communication seemed
to come with the rapidity of thought
and is wrapped up in the utmost
mystery.
During the instruction of Afghanistar
/ was at Calcutta. Colonel Roberts wa:
in charge Of the British forces suppress
ing the uprising, and of course the great
est concern was felt at Calcutta regard
ing the war. One Of these strange oc