Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-08

from the French of Houdin's Mem
oires."
One day I received letter from
Col. de Neveu, head of the pohticai
office at Algiers. This distinguished
functionary begged me to proceed TO
Algeria and to give my performances
before the principal chieftains OF the
Arab tribes.
The invitation reached me in the
midst Of my honeymoon. Scarce re-
covered from the fatigues of my jour-
ney, I was imbibing deep drafts OF
happiness, and 1t would have been a
heavy sacrifice to dispel the charm so
soon. Hence, I expressed to Col. de
Neveu my regret at not being able TO
accept the invitation.
The colonel noted my excuses, and,
the following year, reminded me OF
them. 1t was in 1855; but had pre-
sented at the Universal Exhibiion
several new applications Of electricity
to mechanism, and having learned
that the jury considered me worthy
of a reward, would not leave Paris
until I had received it. Such was, at
least, the motive on which I based
new refusal, accompanied by my re-
grets.
But the colonel kept these excuses
still in mind, and, in June, 1856, he
presented them to me like a bill that
must be met This time I had ex-
hausted my excuses, and though 1t
cost me much to leave my retreat and
brave the caprices of the Mediterra-
mean in the worst month Of the year,
I decided upon going. 1t was settled
that I should reach Algiers by the
next 27th Of September, the day on
which the great fetes annually given
by the capital of Algeria to the Arabs
would commence.
I must say that I was much innu-
enced in my determination by the
knowledge that my mission to Algeria
had a quasi-political character. 1, a
simple conjurer, was proud OF being
able to render my country service.
IT is known that the majority OF re-
volts which have to be suppressed In
Algeria was excited by intriguers, who
saw they are inspired by the Prophet,
and are regarded by the Arabs as en-
VOWS of God on earth to deliver them
from the oppression of the Roumi
(Christians).
These false prophets and holy Ma
rabouts, who are no more sorcerers
than 1 am, and indeed even less so,
still contrive to influence the fanatl-
cism of their coreligionists by tricks
as primitive as are the spectators be-
fore whom they are performed. The
government was, therefore, anxious
to destroy their pernicious influence,
and reckoned upon me to dc so. They
hoped, with reason, by the aid Of my
experiments. to prove to the ARABS
that the tricks of their Marabouts
were mere child's play. and owing to
their simplicity could not be done by
an envoy from heaven: which also led
US very naturally to show them that
we are their superiors in everything,
and that. as for sorcerers. there are
none like the French.
Presently l will describe the sue
cess obtained by these Skillful tactics
Three months were to elapse be-
tween the day of my acceptance and
that of my departure, which 1 en-
ployed in arranging complete roper
tory of my best tricks. and left st
Gervais on the 10th of September.
will give no account of my passage
further than to say no sooner was
at sea than l wished I had arrived
and after thirty-siX hours navigation
l greeted the capital of our colony
with indescribable delight.
1 was expected. An officer came OF
in a neat boat and took me to the Ho-
tel d'Orient where handsome suite
of rooms was retained for me. The
government had behaved nobly, for
was lodged like a prince. From the
window of my sitting-room l could
survey the roads of Algiers, and the
prospect was only bounded by the
horizon. The sea is always lovely
when seen from a window: thus each
morning l admired it. and pardoned
it's past slight insults.
From my hotel l also gazed on
the magnificent Government square
planted with orange-trees. such as
cannot be seen in France. They We're
at this season laden with flowers and
perfectly ripe fruit. Nine. Robert
Houdin and myself delighted in sitting
beneath their shade at nightfall and
eating ice before the doorway of al
Algerian tortoni, while inhaling the
perfumed breeze borne to us from
the sea. Next to this pleasure, moth
ing interested us so much as observ-
ing the immense variety of persons
moving around us.
When l arrived at Algiers. NJ. de
Neveu told me that as a portion OF
Kabylia had revolted the marshal
governor had started with an expedi-
tionary corps to suppress it. In con-
sequence of this, the fetes to which
the Arab chiefs were to be invited
were deferred for a month. and my