IN FAR YOHORE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11168, 29 March 1930, Page 9

IN FAR YOHORE.

A .MAGICIAN'S ART. A STON ISH ED N ATI YES. 1 arrived at tho ’’lines/’ or eoolio ■quarters, just as tho magician, a young Tamil, had finished a trick of making a young hush appear miraculously from the ground. Amazement was still writ on the faces of the audience, a miztirro of Tamils, Alalays and Javanese, doth vounor and old.

Tho entertainer, says a writer in the “Meekly Scotsman,’’ had an area ol about 20ft by 12ft in which to show the tricks of his tradeor tho arts of his profession. Young children made up the border of this area, their faces tense with excitement, their eyes hardly blinking in case they missed anything. The next trick on the programme was preceded by the magician picking from tho crowd surrounding him an elderly Tamil to assist in his performance. Small boys were too nervous and awe-stricken by what had taken place to help. A basket with :i/ lid was produced and laid on the ground, and around this circles were drawn in the earth' by means of a wand. Our entertainer then brought a blanket from among his paraphernalia, and covered the basket amid the hushed silence of his audience—including the estate manager, liis daughter and three other Europeans.

THE COR lIA

A musical instrument was now produced. It had tho appearance of two stems, with two howl pieces at the end at which the instrument was blown. This instrument, with the whistle notes, was an important factor in tlio proceedings.

AYheu tlio blanket bad been lifted several times to show that the basket was still there, a soft baton was produced, and striking the basket under the blanket, meanwhile chanting some Tamil phrases, our magician put his hand under the blanket to see if all Avas right. The blanket was then removed and 'the basket alone remained in the area. The helper, up till now a negative factor in the proceedings, was then asked to look in the basket, the lid of Avhich was slightly raised. He cl id this sitting on his haunches; but the next moment he had sprung back, and was sitting on the ground about six feet away from the cause cf tlie trouble—the basket.

The conjurer put. his hand in the basket and extracted a, cobra about 3}ft. long, whiclt immediately reared itself off the ground and blew out its h00d... •

I had great difficulty keeping my eyes on the cobra through watching the expression on tho faces of the audience, especially the children. For this is was well worth missing tho swayings of the cobra, caused by the blowing of the wooden whistle affair. One small child of about two, who sat near the basket, just opened bis mouth when tho cobra appeared, showing two rows of white teeth. His eyes were shut; he was crying : hut no sound was hoard.

The cobra was brought for our inspection, and as it was dangled within two feet from my face I did not doubt its reality.

After similar proceedings with the blanket, wand and whistle, mysterious movements under the blanket were apparent, followed by the production of a white rabbit. Tlie manager’s little daughter judged the reality of the bunny by stroking it amidst the smiles and laughter of the onlookers.

Half the outside husk of a-cocoa-nut was then produced This had a hole in the bottom big enough t.> allow a tennis ball to pass through; by means of this hole it was rested on a seated coolie’s head, and both howl and coolie were draped i y tho blanket, allowing the top of ilie bowl to be seen.

In tho bowl was put burning paper, and in the flames of the burning paper and resting on the husk was put a shallow pan which contained a fluid. Tho magician threw on to ths liquid water, whicli made a, hurst ofxflames rise five or six feet with a crackling sound. After the flames had subsided the blanket was unfolded. The bewildered coolie emerged from the blanket untouched bv flames or heat; the astonished look on his face showed his entire ignorance of tho proceedings, whiclt had just taken place with his head as table.

Tricks with', cups, balls and chickens were now shown. Those tricks will be well remembered by those who Lave passed through Fort Said and seen '‘Angus Macpherson” with his tricks and well-known ejaculations of ir gilli, gilli, gillh” Tho'entertainment stopped , as darkness fed, and with the presenting of two lucky leaves to two of mv friends by our entertainer, we. returned to the club to try a fen tiicks with billiard balls and a cue.