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jacket, thus appearing in a state of nudity from the waist upwards, hav ing a white cloth twisted round his loins. He next took his long tail of plaited hair, and twined it round his head, and being thus prepared, he opened his box, and took therefrom an ordinary basin, or bowl, of about eighteen inches in diameter, closed the lid of the box, leaving it exposed completely to our view: he then walked round the room, allowing each individual separately to inspect the basin, and handle it-the whole of the time talking in his native language, which we afterwards learned was a species of incantation. We were all sufficiently satisfied that the basin was an ordinary one, and perfectly empty. He then placed it on the floor, about five feet from the box, untwisted the cloth from round his waist, which was in size about a yard and a-half long, by one yard wide, and which he threw over the basin, spreading it out, continuing during all the time his mumbling. In about half a minute, he raised the cloth from the basin, exposing it to view, when lo, and behold! to our astonishment, it was filled with limpid water, and a fish of three or four inches long was swimming about in it! He took up the bowl, and handed it to each spectator, as he had previously done, and we satisfied ourselves that there was no ocular deception, but that the water was indeed veritable, and the fish a living one! How this was accomplished, we leave it to others more learned in necromantic arts to solve, but this is certain, that there was no false lining or bottom to the basin; and it was impossible to have changed the vessel, or to have put anything into it, as the performer did not approach it from the time of placing it upon the floor until after he had withdrawn the cloth, and we had seen the limpid water in it. After we had sufficiently satisfied ourselves, by examining the contents of the basin, he replaced it in the box, and took therefrom a green flower-pot, filled with mould, which was about twelve inches in height, and eighteen inches in diameter. Holding this in one hand, and exhibiting what appeared to be an ordinary seed in the other, he handed them round for inspection after the previous fashion; he then made a avity in the mould, and placed the

seed in it, covering it carefully with the earth; he afterwards set down the flower-pot where the bowl had previously rested, covered it in like manner with the cloth, and recommenced his mutterings, which occupied about ten minutes, after which he withdrew the cloth, and we beheld a young and tender plant in the flower-pot, about two inches above the mould; this was of a beautiful bright green colour, with the leaves folded about the stem, one within the other, and apparently a healthy plant, having all that freshness peculiar to one which has just burst from the parent earth, but of what botanical species we are not in a position to determine. This was handed round by the enchanter, and examined by all, with the same feelings and expressions of surprise, but with no less care and accuracy, than the water and fish which had preceded it. He again placed it in its previous position, re-covered it with the cloth, and recommenced his incantations, which continued for about twenty minutes; during which period, we observed the cloth gradually rising in a conical form over the spot where it covered the flower-pot, until it had risen about a foot and a-half, when the cloth was again withdrawn, and to our increased amazement, we beheld the tender plant grown into a small shrub, regularly formed, clothed with verdure, and having its branches covered with buds and leaves; and again, the same examination was resumed we were as equally convinced of the shrub being a bonâ fidè one, and of the impossibility of deception, as we had been of the truth and accuracy of what we had seen on the two former occasions. The replacing, recovering, remuttering, were all seve rally renewed, and after the lapse of half-an-hour, the cloth was once more removed, and need we say that the amazement of the spectators was considerably augmented, by discovering that the shrub was now clothed with blossoms and flowers, in appearance resembling those of the China aster! "Most wonderful-astounding-ex

traordinary-beyond belief-scarcely to be credited surely, our eyes deceive us," were some of the expressions which escaped from those present; we came to the conclusion that nothing more extraordinary could be

exhibited, and we imagined that the show was concluded, when our friend the necromancer re-called the compredore, and through him requested us to resume our seats, as he had something further to produce, by which he hoped to prove his right and title to the imperial dignity which he assumed over his confrères; he, at the same time, intimated that our patience would be slightly taxed, as it required some time to bring the forthcoming spectacle to a completion; we hastened to comply with this his most reasonable request, by reseating ourselves.

Again the casket of wonders, in the form of the aforesaid teak-wood box, was called into requisition, and the lid having been opened, our wonderworker took therefrom a common round earthenware white-and-blue plate, of about two feet in diameter, and placed thereon about a pound of unboiled rice; this he handed round in the manner previously described, and we took the platter, examining it more narrowly than any of the former articles, resolved that this time there should be no mistake (for, as he had promised that it should be something more supernatural than anything which we had yet witnessed, we resolved, if possible, to be uncommonly sharp)-we handled the rice, therefore, which there could be no mistake about, it being, indeed, "la veritable" (as Jean Maria Farina says), and uncooked also. All this time it must be kept in mind, that although the necromancer could see the box, yet it was kept closed at a distance from him, and he never approached it during his operations, so that it was perfectly impracticable that he could abstract any article from it during the time. now put the plate of rice in the centre of the room, and covered it with the cloth, and squatting down after the manner of these pagans (for, be it known, that their attitude resembles that of a monkey squatted, more than that of a human being seated, as their nether-end rests upon, or balances over their heels, and when their long tails rest upon the ground, the resemblance is nearly perfect), he varied the performance this time, by putting his hands under the cloth, scrupulously keeping his arms covered up to the elbows, and then commenced divers

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manipulations, vehemently and loudly muttering his incantations (it has just been suggested to us by an imp at our elbow, that the manipulations he was indulging in might possibly have been of a mesmeric character)—this continued for the space of half-an-hour, our necromancer never budging from the spot, or changing the elegant attitude which he had first adopted; we observed sundry movements under the cloth at divers times, and in various places; it appeared to be raised from the ground, until the whole presented an appearance not unlike the uneven surface and undulations of the model of a hilly country: the three sides which were removed from the magician resting upon the floor. At the expira tion of the half-hour, he arose, and removed the cloth, walking round, and carefully gathering it up by the four corners, which being thus raised, discovered to our view, arranged in sym metrical order, six dishes or plates similar to that which had been handed round, but of various sizes, and these were filled with sundry cooked edibles peculiar to the country, and amongst them was a dish of boiled rice, but, where the dish of unboiled rice had vanished to, or from whence came the six dishes, or how they came there, amply provided, as they were, with ready-dressed food, it passed human ken to explain! Neither is it conceivable how he could have arranged these six dishes without moving from one spot, as those which were farthest from him, when the cloth was removed, were considerably beyond the reach of his arm-but, certes, it cannot be denied that he could with equal facility arrange the order of the dishes, as he could have caused to appear, or have produced, the six dishes of va rious descriptions of cooked food from one solitary platter of unboiled rice! Again were exclamations of wonder and astonishment heard to issue from the mouths of all those who were present; again did we conclude that the spectacle had been brought to a close, but again were we requested to resume our seats, and again did we comply with the solicitation. The conjuror re-covered the viands with his magic cloth, which, to our ordinary vision, appeared to be nothing more or less than two pieces of white calico sewn together up the middle; re-seating

himself in his former elegant attitude, he recommenced his INCANTIC jabberings, he repeated his manipulations in the manner above described. After some time, we observed the cloth gradually rising, rising, rising, and rising again in the centre, until it assumed a form somewhat conical, the apex of which was removed about two feet, or upwards, from the floor; during the whole of this rising or ascending progress, the manipulator remained without moving from the spot where he had originally squatted, but he now assumed the erect posture of the "human form divine," and again, and for the last time, he raised the cloth, when, wonder upon wonders! there were the six dishes, which, twenty or thirty minutes previously, we had seen arranged flat and symmetrically upon the floor, now piled one upon the other in regular order, commencing with the largest at the bottom, and each dish, in ascending order, being of diminished size, until the smallest crowned the top, the food remaining in the dishes, thus forming a pyramid of alternate layers of earthenware and viands.

"Well," said a countryman of ours who was present, "if this does not bate Banagher, and sure ye know who he bate, wasn't it ould Nick himself?" Alas! poor ! for, shortly after, Death, the presiding genius of Hong-Kong, claimed him as a victim, and there his body rests, in the burial ground upon the hill, far from Erin's green isle, and those he loved so well.

"Alas, poor Yorick, he was a fellow of infinite mirth and merriment!"

Ah well, it will not do for us to indulge in these melancholy reminis

cences.

With breathless astonishment we gazed upon this necromancer, half believing that it was not quite impossible that, upon more close inspection, we might discover the cloven hoofs, horns, tail, and other peculiarities appertaining to his satanic majesty-true, there was a tail, but that was of hair, and being twined round his head, it could not very conveniently or legitimately be termed a dorsal termination! During the whole of this time, he preserved his imperturbable gravity, whilst we, unsophisticated mortals, were lost in very amazement at the wonders we had

been the witnesses of: but he treated all that he did seemingly as matters of common, ordinary, daily occurrence, which possibly they might have been, or were, with him. Amongst our English exclamations of wonderment, it should not be forgotten that there were mingled in due proportion the YI-YAWS, and other expressions indicative of similar feelings on the part of the head domestics and their friends, who had crowded round the doors and windows to satisfy their not very unnatural curiosity; for we, although not at all times disposed to be good-natured, on this occasion, for very obvious reasons, followed laudably the course pursued by a certain "Mitey Minister," and shut our eyes to avoid seeing what we felt we should have great difficulty in remedying. The emperor of all the conjurors, and we most fully acquiesce in according him the title, now took his leave with a "chin-chin," meaning, in good honest English, farewell; his coolee removing the teakwood box, and some of our own domestics carrying out the flowering shrub, in all its pristine beauty, and the pyramid of viands, of the latter of which we have no doubt they partook, in company with our friend the emperor, and washed them down with sun. dry cups of their favourite sam-shoo.

We must now conclude, by drawing an analogy between the peformances of the jugglers of the Celestial Empire and their brethren of the British possessions in India. We have not ourselves heard of anything analogous to the bowl of water and the fish; but as regards the growing plant or shrub we have, and believe that it has been previously described by many; but, nevertheless, we will give it here concisely, as we have had it from the lips of an eye-witness, whose veracity is undoubted, and upon whom we can rely, and whose scars bear honourable testimony to the service which he has rendered his country. The performance we allude to is the production of a mangoe-tree. The juggler shews a stone of mangoe fruit, or the young plant, which he places in the earth, covering it with a mat; after a certain time he removes the mat, and the fruit-stone has either become a young plant, or the young plant has become a young tree, with branches clothed with leaves, as the case may

be; it is again covered with the mat, which, after another space of time is removed, and you behold the tree in full blossom.

The same process of covering and uncovering with the mat is repeated several times, and the various stages of the blossoms forming, blowing, the fruit forming, the green fruit and the ripened fruit are exhibited, according to their natural order, for inspection and observation. At the conclusion, the fruit is gathered, cut into pieces, and handed to the spectators; and our informant has assured us, that he not only partook of the fruit which was so produced, but that the appearance, smell, and flavour of them were equal to the finest fruit of that description which he had ever previously tasted. This operation of growing mangoe-trees takes several hours, and, to the best of my recollection, five or six-so that, in point of time,

the professors of the Celestial Empire are not inferior to those of British India; and we have not the slightest doubt upon our minds, that they could produce fruit in a shorter time; judg ing from what we have witnessed, seeing that the flowers were produced upon our shrub in about an hour and ten minutes from the planting of the seed, we may very fairly argue that fruit could have been produced in an hour longer.

We will not here enter into any description of, or dissertation upon, the feats of agility, or gymnastic exercises practised in the Celestial Empire, whatever we may be induced to do hereafter; more particularly as we do not consider that they correctly come under the same class with those performances which we have just been describing.

THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH IN IRELAND.

IN a paper, to which Mr. Wills' "Lives of Illustrious Irishmen" gave a title, in our last November number, we took a rapid review of the early history of this country, and the remarkable men connected with that history, concluding with Gerald, sixteenth and last earl of Desmond. Resuming the subject, we shall briefly advert to a few of the distinguished native chieftains of the same period.

The Desmond Fitzgeralds are generally conceded the first place in power and pre-eminence among the Norman settlers, who established themselves in this country. The house of O'NEILL may justly claim the same station among the native inhabitants.

From

the earliest periods to which our records reach, they had possessed territories of immense extent in the north of Ireland; and would appear even beyond the limits of those extensive territories to have established their dominion, though not the right of property; exacting from the surrounding chieftains an acknowledgment of their supremacy. At first they had resisted, afterwards refused to acknowledge, the sovereignty of England; finally, after long resistance, they yielded an apparent submission, cherishing in secret the most inveterate enmity. Hugh O'Niall disturbed the reign of John with frequent insurrections. Con O'Niall, who married a sister of the eighth Earl of Kildare, Tirlogh O'Niall, and Art O'Niall, successively through the reigns of Henry VII. and Henry VIII., waged war with the lords deputies. Con Boccagh O'Niall first sought and received a confirmation of his title from the British government; he was made a knight, and for several years continued peaceable, and professed fidelity to the British connexion afterwards he joined in the rebellion of his kinsman Silken Thomas; and being thus once tranged from loyal influences, it became an object with the enemies of King Henry VIII. and the Reformation, to gain his alliance. A letter

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was addressed to him by the Bishop of Metz and foreign cardinals, in these singular words:

"MY SON O'NIALL,-Thou and thy fathers were ever faithful to the mother Church of Rome. His holiness, Paul, the present pope, and his council of holy fathers, have lately found an ancient prophecy of our St. Lazerianus, an Irish archbishop of Cashel. It saith, that the Church of Rome shall surely fall when the Catholic faith in Ireland is overthrown. Therefore, for the glory of the mother church, the honor of St. Peter, and your own security, suppress heresy, and oppose the enemies of his holiness. The council of cardinals have, therefore, thought it right to animate the people of the holy island in this sacred cause, being assured, that while the mother church hath sons like you, she shall not fall, but prevail for ever, in some degree at least, in Britain. We commend your princely person to the protection of the Holy Trinity, of the Virgin, of St. Peter, St. Paul, and all the host of heaven. Amen."

Con for some years continued in hostility with various success; at last, wearied of efforts which led to no decisive result, he made terms with the Lord Deputy, surrendered his estates to King Henry-received from him the earldom of Tyrone, and a grant of the country of Tyrone. The patent limited the earldom to him for life, with remainder to his son Matthew. The legitimacy of this Matthew was denied, and another son, Shane O'Neill, assuming to be heir of the estate, by Irish law, though by the patent excluded from the title, engaged in war against Matthew, in his father's lifetime, and put him to death.

Thus commenced the career of John, better known by his Irish name of SHANE O'NEILL, the great leader of the disaffected in Ulster, during the earlier part of Elizabeth's reign, and one of the most remarkable and dangerous of the chiefs, who have at any time rebelled against the English

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