The San Francisco call., 1909-12-05


Travellers from time immemoria have told won
der tales of the performances of the fakirs which
bahied the oriental mind and left the impression
that they were genuine supernatural manifestations
which could not be explained in the light of the
knowledge of the western world All these ideas or
most of them, at least, sent glimmering by the
expose of the methods of the supposed thaumatur-
gists of the orient, of whose achievements
proved to be merely the trickery of adept char
latans.
Mr. Darlington until recently was assistant to
Prof James H. Hyslop of the Society of Psychcal
Research, and has had a wide experience as an in
vestigator of psychic phenomena of all kinds He
recently returned from Italy where he examined into
the claims of the noted medium, Eusapia Paadino,
and he has also made first hand studies of the work
Of spiritualists.
This last volume Hindu Magic" is gathered from
his experience and also from that of his father,
an Anglo-Indan, who made extensive studies of the
methods of the fakirs of the far east. Mr. Caring
ton before devoted himself exclusively psychic
studies was a magician and his facility in leger
demain peculiarly fitted him for the role of deliver
into the mysteries of the Yogi art.
He is now resident Of New York where he is
engaged in independent research. He sets forth in
his introduction that he will describe the chief tricks
performed by the picturesque practitioners although
he does by any deny that there certain
of them who have powers beyond the ken of ordinary
He strips most of the performances of which
the returning tourists tell breath much
of their enshrouding mystery.
THE MANGO TREE TRICK
One of the star performances of Hindu magic is
the mango trick 1t is thrilling in the extreme
as all eye witnesses of it agree There is first pre-
sented for the inspection of the spectators seed,
which, after solemn incantations the fakr buries in
earth and cloth it. In the twinkling of
he m oplop nd
finally to evolve which before the eyes of the
assemblage is in rapid growth.
Inch by inch the plant is rising out of the
earth and unfolding the light of day. The
observer is certain that nature
naught and many is the tale told, in all sin
cerity and wonderment, of this remarkable sign of
the power Of the human will.
The traditional method of performing this trick
and it varies little that it may be considered that
there standard method of procedures described
by Mr.. Darlington. The performer comes forward
almost nude He has small loin cloth, which would
not permit Of anything being concealed He has no
cuffs in which objects might be hidden, because he
has shirt to which they could be attached.
The very simplicity apparently of the properties
used by the fakirs disarms suspicion. They use no
stage; they perform in the open air, in grove,
open plain the deck of a ship. There
is nothing to create suspicion of prearrangement
The fakir approaches bearing little earthern pot or
tin vessel filled with water and another containing
fair sized measure of loan or sand perfectly dry
Carelessy he shows in hand several seeds of the
mango tree.
SIMPLE EQUIPMENT
Across one bare arm is flung cloth about four
feet square, which he shakes before spectators
showing side and then other nothing but the
fiber can be seen So simple the poor and cheap
equipments the fakir to have that the spec
tators look him in good indifference at first
Would anybody like to look at the mango seeds? He
passes them around surely there is nothing re-
markable about them.
The fakir makes a mud pie pyramid of mud
for as he squats the ground he has mingled to-
gether little earth and water and nodded the mass
into form. And the mango seed? Which one would
mem sahib have planted? This one? 1t makes no
difference He places it in the top of the little pyra-
mid and presses the mud all around it. Then he
throws the cloth over it and places his bare arms
under the little tent so formed and is seen going
through the motions of patng the little mound more
tightly about the mango seed
AS the arms of the performer are entirely bare it
seems TO the spectators to make difference what
he does. Sometimes he murmurs weird incantations
or causes beating of drums. Then off comes the
cloth and there, quite naturally, may be seen two
tiny green leaves showing above the mound
If there be any who doubts that the seed is
actually growing the fakr prizes the seed out of the
top of the mound and shows him the tiny roots which
growing out of the bottom of it. After everybody
is satisfied the fakr puts the cloth back again over
the seed and the mound, manipulates little more
with his hands and presently whisks the covering off
again and reveals mango sprout several inches in
height.
AMAZING GROWTH
Half dozen times this process is repeated and a
mango tree two three feet high is shown This is
substantially the feat as it is usually performed,
although there reports of the tree apparently
growing to greater heights and developing from the
seed until it bears fruit Several soourners in the
Gar east have told stories of trees of snc czn thn4