Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1884 — FEATS OF ORIENTAL JUGGLERY. [ARTICLE]

FEATS OF ORIENTAL JUGGLERY.

I Bow the Gentlemanly Hindoo Made the Mango Tree Grow, Smashed Watched, Burned Handkerchiefs. Etc. A tall, fine-looking Hindoo, with a 1 clear-cut, intelligent face, and eyes that looked straight at yon, with no indication of “ways that are dark and tricks that are vain,” neat appeared on the scene. He was dressed in the long white robe of his race, with a rich cashmere shawl round his waist, and his salutation and manner were respectful, without the least shade of servility. He was followed by two attendants carrying the various implements of his profession, which they spread out before him, and a dozen or two hangerson of all ages grouped themselves at a respectful distance to enjoy the free show. The ground in front of the bungalow was paved with large flat stones, and upon one of these the conjurer seated himself, curling his legs under him in Oriental fashion, and asked in Hindoostanee, “What special trick would the Sahib like to see ?” At the same time he bared his arms, long, well formed, but not muscular, and untied his shawl to open his robe, and show me that there was no concealed mechanism about his person. I told him, through Handy Andy, that I would like to have him perform the “mango trick," which I had seen, once before at Delhi without being able to penetrate its mysteries. He nodded assent, and, taking a box about ten inches Bquare, filled it with earth, and in it planted a mango nut about the size of an English nut, having first handed it to me for examination. He then made a tripod, or frame work of three sticks, six or eight feet long, and tied together at the top, placed it over the box and covered the whole with a pieoe of white muslin. The only thing thus far that looked like charlatanism was a muttered incantation, rolling up his eyes, with outstretched palms, as if appealing for aid to some'highfer power. Again seating himself an the stone flagging, not more than ten feet from the veranda, he went through the most astonishing performances of sleight-of-hand tricks, such as lb wing swords, tossing balls iti the air which never seemed to come down, drawing from his njouth colored-ribbons -of interminable length, etb. , some of which I have seen done before, bnt never in broad daylight. -He borrowed ray watch, masked;it tq flinders, and then mysteriously returned. it unharmed to my poqket., ' He' burned mv handkerchief. then*'p6ur<kl from a v/al some elixir upon the ashes, and the lineh was returned to me without the smetl d! fire on it? hem?j ' ' „ Kjt These find many other jCU.ripi\s thingshe did for .nearly an hoUf wisu the most intense gravity of mhnnCr and an air of cttfidor that- would disarm suspicion. My eyes were wide open, and I watched him so ifftentlv as scarcely to wiuk. and yoKI was unable to detect q single flaw or account for one of tliejse transformations. * "Some of the tasks he repeated at'my request; but the result was the same. At the . critical moment his motions ’were quick as lightning. In ftU eases ffhero fire was used I noticed that lie eitheV poured some liquid or threw a wliitlkh powder upon the flames, "•frhich produced for an instant a dense smoke, and left a pungent, aromatic odor in the air. . 0 In the meantime the mango tree was growing. Four times, at intervals of ten or fifteen minutes, he raised the muslin cover to report progress. The first time a sprout three or four inches long appeared, at which he expressed satisfaction, and 'Carefully sprinkled it from-a. small watering*pot, The next time it was a foot high, and the leaves seemed just forming. The third time it was fully two feet in height, and appeared to be growing most vigorously. At the close of his other performancen he tossed aside the enveloping cloth and tripod of and lo! there was a mango tree or bush, about five feet in height, with perfectly formed leaves and branches. He brought it to me, and I satisfied myself beyond question that it was a real, live treo by breaking off a branch, which I kept as a souvenir. He then pulled it up by the roots, to which was attached the nut, partly decayed and covered with fine fibrous sprouts. He then emptied the earth from the box to bliow mo that nothing was concealed within it. When it is borne in mind that all this was done in broad daylight, with no person usually near him, the performer’s arms being bare to the shoulders, and seated on a stone pavement, it is not surprising that the bystanders seemed filled with amazement, not unmixed with awe. Their faces would have been to me an interesting study, if my own attention had not been so closely riveted on the conjurer. Through Handy Andy as interpreter, I offered him 20 rupees if he would disclose to me the secret of the mango tree. I then doubled and trebled the offer, but he only shook his head, and I presume 1,000 rupees would have been no temptation. I rewarded him with a generous “tip,” and for the moment regretted that I was not a showman by profession. If I could have secured his services for an American engagement there would have been “millions in it.”