Amongst Indian Fakirs
ONE of my most amusing experiences was in connection with a self-ministered test on board the steamer when I was making my first visit to England.
My wife and I were naturally of quiet disposition, and people on board did not know anything about us until a day or two out. I used to amuse myself by playing on a saw, and it was this that first called the attention of one of the officers of the ship, who was organising a concert, and who suggested that I should open the show with a tune on the saw.
I was not agreeable to this, however, and said that I would much prefer to give them a little demonstration of mindreading with Madame Zancig.
He was not the least bit impressed. Mind-reading conveyed nothing to him, and at that time, of course, we were not particularly well known, whilst the possibility of thought transference was very remote.
"Oh, yea," he replied, vaguely. "Yes--you can open the first part of the programme."
"Get it over quick," urged the officer in a whisper as we went on, and I was quite prepared to do so. But once we got to work the audience simply would not let us go, and we were kept at it, describing articles and reading cards for just on half an hour.
When at length we had finished, a remarkable change came over the whole party, and instead of being unknown entities aboard that ship, we wore literally lionised from that moment.
It was our success as thought-readers that enabled us to achieve perhaps the greatest ambition of our life-- a tour round the world. We had heard of the remarkable phenomena said to have been produced by the fakirs and seers of India, and we both had a burning desire to visit those Eastern countries and see these marvels for ourselves.
On one occasion, at Lahore I think it was, I saw the most inexplicable illusion that it has ever been my lot to see. We had been asked to give a performance before the Maharajah Kumar Tagore, who was entertaining many native princes in his wonderful palace.
Our host and his guests were frankly amazed at our performance, and Prince Gumbhir Junj presented us with one of the most unique daggers in our collection.
"You have doubtless seen many more wonderful things done by your own people," I said to him. But he shook his head in dissent, although he admitted that many of the conjurors performed seeming miracles.
Up to that time we had not had any opportunity of seeing the work of any but the lower class of fakirs, and asked the Maharajah whether he could make arrangements for us to witness the performance of one of the higher types.
Servants were dispatched in an ox-cart, and soon afterwards they returned with the most peculiar specimen of mankind that I had over seen.
He was lean, almost emaciated, and as he entered the bejewelled audience chamber, salaaming to the ground, the bones of his body, which was nude except or a loin cloth, seemed as though they would break through the skin.
Yet despite his apparent servility, there was that in his eyes which betoken a knowledge of his power. He knew that because of this power he was the equal of the prince who had summoned him there, and he knew that the Maharajah feared him more than he feared the Maharajah.
In order to inspire some little feeling of friendliness in the bosom of this weird looking creature, I suggested that we might first give him an exhibition of our modest powers.
Madame was sent into the next room with a slate. The holy man sprinkled some sand upon the floor, and then bending down traced with his index finger several sanscrit characters.
No sooner had he finished than Madame Zancig came from the adjoining apartment with a slate upon which the same characters were written, clearly and unmistakeably. The adept's manner immediately changed towards us, and with a deferential bow he invited us to tell him what we would like him to do.
By means of an interpreter I told him that I would like to see the vase upon the piano made to vanish without anyone approaching it.
With a sudden bound that startled us, he leapt into the broad window, and raising an arm, called upon the Sun in a series of shrill appeals. Then he turned, and handing a turban to the interpreter told him to wrap it around the vase.
Suddenly he turnded to me. "The sahib will unwrap the vase," he said with a smile, and I approached the piano. The folds of the turban had assumed the shape of the vase around which it had been wound. I seized one of the folds, and as I did so the whole mass fell limply to the piano. The vase had vanished.
Frankly bewildered I expressed my amazement and delight to the man who had accomplished this wonderful feat. He was remarkably pleased at our enthusiasm and urged us to go with him to his home, where he assured us he would allow us still further marvels.
The floor was simply the earth, and in the centre of the hut was a blackened patch showing where he cooked his meals. A few ill-smelling goat skins formed his bed, and the seats provided for us were nothing but two huge stones.
He squatted on the floor and told us to close our eyes. For a few seconds we did so, and then a shrill whistle caused us to open them suddenly, when we at once perceived that the floor was literally covered with writhing serpents.
They slitered and glided around the stones on which we sat, and my wife was speechless and motionless with terror. There must have been two or three hundred in all, of various species, including deadly adders, and I saw them twisting and twining themselves around the legs and body of the holy man, just as a dog would fawn upon its master.
More Wonders in India
He signed to us to close our eyes, and scarcely had we shut them when the whistle sounded again, and on opening them we saw nothing but the earth and floor, with the holy man squatted on a goat skin smiling at us.
Our adventures in India were among the most interesting and wonderful of any that I have ever experienced throughout my tours of many countries.
Not all of them were in connection with the holy men and fakirs, for one of the most exciting that I remember was one day when in company with two natives, both of whom could speak excellent English, we got into a big crowd which was making its way towards a temple where, I was given to understand, a certain rite, which consisted of the burning of oxen upon the holy alter inside, was to be a feature of the ceremony.
None but the strictest vegetarians were allowed within the holy precincts, and as we were carried towards the entrance by the swaying crowd my native attendants warned me that it would be dangerous to enter the sacred building.
Apart from the difficulty of getting out of the crowd, I was intrigued a little, and felt to see what was going on, and instead of taking the advice of my friends I swept into the temple, carried almost bodily by the natives.
There on a large, marble slab the burnt offerings were being tended by two white-robed figures surrounded by a number of others, amidst a vast gathering of prostrate natives.
Scarcely had we entered, however, than we were spotted, and the strident jangling of a bell upon the stillness of the air called attention to the presence of strangers.
At once there came a tremendous change over the whole assembly, and they gazed towards us with sinister, glowering looks which evidently boded us no good. I could sense that something serious was going to happen, and as one white-robed figure issued orders to others who were standing around, I decided that I must act and act immediately.
At least a dozen began to approach us as we stood hemmed in on all sides by angry, murmuring blacks, and with a sudden inspiration I plunged my hands into my pocket where I had a great handful of tiny silver coins, and seizing them I threw them far and wide, scattering them all over the temple. Now the native is invariably--I might almost any inevitably--a beggar, and forgetful of all except that them was money to be got for nothing, they commenced to fight and scramble among themselves. A terrible melee ensued, and it was during this disturbance that we made a rapid and discreet exit.
I was told afterwards that there had been many infidels who had entered that temple only to disappear mysteriously but very completely. So I rather fancy I managed to escape very neatly.
I was invited to attend many weddings and receptions of various kinds, and never shall I forget the splendour with which these ceremonies were carried out.
During the festivities afterwards I was called upon to give a demonstration or two, and I remember on one occasion varying my performance by the introduction of hypnotic experiments.
There were a number of vastly rich merchants in the gathering, whose gorgeous Eastern robes scintillated in the lights which gleamed from golden candelabra. To my amazement, when I invited subjects for my experiments, several of these gentlemen stepped forward and placed themselves at my disposal. Frankly, I was somewhat nervous of offending my hosts by taking advantage of this offer, but the Prince in whose palace the festivities were taking place smilingly assured me that all would be well.
I proceeded, and found that several of these merchants princes were quite good subjects, and I was easily able to get them under control. I made some of them crawl about the floor on all fours, imagining that they were mules. I told others that they were blacksmiths who had to shoe these mules, and the guests laughed uproariously at the antics of their friends when they saw them going through the movements of shoeing a refractory mule.
Strange Customs
There were no ladies present on these occasions, but they were up in a gallery behind a grille, from which they looked down upon the merriment below, and one, a princess, was so impressed with my performance that she took a wonderful gold toe-ring from her toe and threw it down to me as a present. The handwork on this ring is the most perfect of its kind.
Madame Zancig was allowed to go up and visit the ladies, and was made much of by them all. They examined minutely the clothes she wore, and asked her about the customs of the country. In some of the towns I saw some very peculiar happenings. In some places people are not allowed to die in their homes, and when it is decided by the physician that they are about to pass away they are covered with a sheet and carried to a certain place until such time as they are dead, when they are flung into the holy river.
One of the most gruesome places that I went to see were the Silent Towers at Bombay. There in the Tower live the people who keep a silent watch o'er the heaps of dead that are brought there. They never go out or leave this sacred place, and the trees round about are decayed and withered through the onslaughts of the vultures that throng around this terrible place.
The bodies are taken there and left on a kind of grating. But long ere they reach this spot the birds have sensed their prey, and the trees are literally dark with these waiting vultures.
Before the bodies have been there a few minutes the bones are picked clean and there they are left to crumble beneath the blazing sun, till they fall through the grating on to a still finer grating, and from thence into the holy river which flows underneath.
The methods followed by the natives in laundry work are very peculiar. I remember seeing a whole troupe of them holding hands and stringing themselves out into the river until it was well above their waists. They then removed the clothing so that they might stand whilst they washed it in the water around them. They then donned it again, still standing in the water, after which they came out, and allowed it to dry in the sun.
Coming down the street at Bombay we saw an old man whose head and breast were smeared with oil and ashes, from which we learned he derived the description of "Veiled Man." This term is applied to those who go from shop to shop warding off evil spirits. In his hand he held a huge metal gong which he struck from time to time with a stick.
I watched him, and saw him enter a shop. Apparently he found evil influences in abundance. He gibbered to the merchant, who gave him a silver coin to avert the calamity which the old man prophesied. The latter promptly drew from his belt a small metal globe and a pointed metal roll about twelve inches long and a quarter of an inch in diameter. Inside the globe was a parchment-like paper upon which prayers were written.
Grasping it, he made his way about the room, exhorting the evil spirits to go. Presently he stood stock still in the middle of the room. Then with a sudden cry he thrust the spike into his head, and stood there with gaze transfixed.
The native servant who was with us told us that if we cared to pay this man a rupee we could withdraw the spike ourselves, to show that no false scalp was used, but he pointed out we could not extract the spike until the yogi was willing. We paid the rupee, and I tugged and tugged at the rod without success.
Then the Yogi held up his hand, and muttered a few words. At once the rod came away in my hands, and although I looked closely at the head of the man, no puncture could I see, nor was there a drop of blood.
I do not pretend to explain it, I merely tell you what I saw.
Vanishing Chair
You will remember that I told you about a seance which took place at Lahore before the Maharajah of Tagore during my tour in India. That seance turned out to be more fruitful than I thought so far as phenomena was concerned.
On reaching Calcutta a few weeks later I chanced to be discussing it with one of the guests at the hotel where we were staying, and I was given another example of the mysterious powers of the Hindoo.
This man was a very high caste Hindoo, and amost entertaining talker. When I related my experiences to him we were seated on the verandah of the hotel on the ordinary chairs upon which everyone sat. I mention this to show that there could have been no preparations made, particularly as the following incident was simply the outcome of casual conversation. He listened intently to what I had to say about the performances of the fakirs I had seen, and when I admitted that I could not solve the mystery he gave a little laugh.
"It is because you cannot see," he told me, and then he reached forward, and placing his thumb upon my forehead just between the eyes, he went on: "You have an eye here, but you cannot see. You are clever, and you accomplish much that is wonderful; but you do not know yourself how you do it. You eat too much meat, you drink spirits, you lead too careless a life, and you do not meditate. Watch!"
There on that cane chair where be sat, he drew up his legs beneath him, and tucked them into the chair. Then he placed his hand upon his stomach-- or rather I should say under his stomach, for he formed them into a cup shape--and directed his gaze with the utmost concentration upon them.
Presently, to our utter amazement, he began to rise from the chair and floated about eighteen inches above where he had been sitting.
I suspected trickery at once, and thought that the explanation lay in the fact that he had so disposed of his legs that he was using one of them as a support. I leaned down to make sure, and was astonished to see that his whole body was quite clear of the chair.
Then I walked round to see if there was any means of hoisting himself by the back.
Once more I was completely baffled, and after seizing my cane and passing it to and fro under and over him, as well as all around him, I confessed that I was beaten.
All this while--probably only a matter of 20 or 30 seconds--the distance between the Hindoo and the chair began to diminish and a moment later he had sunk gradually back into his seat.
He smiled an inscrutable smile, and as he regained his normal position he remarked, "You see there are many things you cannot understand. Eat less and meditate more."
Myself, I pretend to make no attempt at explanation, although it has since been suggested to me that when he placed his thumb on my forehand, and told me I had an eye there but could not see, he was simply hypnotising me, and giving me a powerful suggestion that I should not be able to detect him in his trickery.
The following incident, however, cannot be laid to the account of the occult. It happened when we reached Simla. There I gave a demonstration of our powers, and succeeded in describing some of the most remarkable exhibits which were given me as tests.
I had never been to India before, and I knew nothing of the various charms and trinkets which were worn by the natives. Some of them were of the most primitive type, and I remember that on one occasion I was handed a piece of stuff composed of copper wire and rubber, which had evidently spent some time in the water.
Message from the Sea
Gradually I spelt out the message, "a piece of cable taken from the depths of the sea." I had just reached the end of this message when I suddenly saw a piece of something white sticking out from almost the middle of the cable. I looked at it closer and then saw that it was the tooth of some fish which had apparently bitten through the cable and left one of its teeth embedded in it.
At once I commenced to spell out the extra description, and I chanced my luck by describing the tooth as a shark's tooth. As it happened, my description was correct, and when the man who gave it to me acknowledged the fact, the people were so amazed that there was a tense silence until they recovered from their astonishment, then they burst into rapturous applause.
It so happened that the man who had put us to this severe test was himself a conjuror of some repute, and after the performance he expressed a desire to show me some of his own tricks.
Of course, I was only too pleased to take advantage of the offer, and we repaired straightaway to the place where he lived. Now, he was attired in just a simple breechcloth as I believe they call them and the first trick was to produce snake after snake from his naked belly. There seemed to be a supply of these reptiles, which writhed about the floor and crept about the waving arms of the illusionist.
Still they came, and I was frankly puzzled, until with a smile he removed his turban from his head, and there, cunningly concealed in numerous pockets, we saw a number of snakes which, he still had to produce.
I at once offered him a rupee if he would produce more snakes without touching his turban.
He agreed to do so, and sure enough he still managed to extract snake after snake, from the air itself it seemed.
Taking a handkerchief from his pocket he produced seven or eight snakes in rapid succession, and then for another rupee showed us how he did it this time.
His breechcloth consisted of another series of pockets, in each of which was a snake, and the slipping of a string would release a snake, dropping it into the performer's hand. It was the smartest sleigh-of-hand imaginable.
Our readiness to pay for anything he did commanded his admiration, and he chattered to one of our servants, who turned to us and said, "Him say give him one rupee and he die."
It sounded interesting, and I gave the rupee. The conjuror began to lope round in a circle.
At each circuit he became more frenzied. At length the attendant seized a huge stone, which he hurled with all his force, at the conjuror, striking him a terrific blow on the side of his head which would have killed an ordinary man outright.
With a shriek of a agony the man leapt in the air and then fell in a crumpled heap at the feet of his assistant. We were horrified at the tragedy, which we felt quite sure had been enacted in our presence, and I rushed forward to render what assistance I could.
Then there came a convulsive shudder, the muscles relaxed, and there lay a corpse at our very feet. The servant smiled and waved us to make a thorough examination of the dead man.
I knelt town and felt his pulse, and listened to find if we could hear I his heart beating. Not a sign could we detect. I then tried all the known tests, including those of hypnotism. I lifted the eyelid and struck the naked eyeball with my finger. Not the least notice did the conjuror take.
Suddenly he leapt to his feet, and with a gay laugh dashed from our presence. As he went he shouted something to my servant, who translated it as follows:--
"Him say he no die so long for one rupee."