第章

[ItisnotgenerallyknownthatRobert-HoudinoncerenderedhiscountryanimportantserviceasspecialenvoytoAlgeria。HalfacenturyagothiscolonywasanendlesssourceoftroubletoFrance。

AlthoughtherebelArabchieftainAbd-del-Kaderhadsurrenderedin1847，anirregularwarfarewaskeptupagainsttheFrenchauthoritybythenativeKabyles，stimulatedbytheirMohammedanpriests，andparticularlythroughso-called“miracles，“suchasrecoveryfromwoundsandburnsself-inflictedbytheMaraboutsandotherfanaticdevoteesoftheProphet。

Thusin1856thehopesoftheFrenchForeignOfficerestedonRobert-Houdin。Hewasrequestedtoexhibithistricksinthemostimpressiveformpossible，withtheideaofprovingtothedeludedArabsthattheyhadbeeninerrorinascribingsupernaturalpowerstotheirholymen。]

ItwassettledthatIshouldreachAlgiersbythenext27thofSeptember，thedayonwhichthegreatfetesannuallyofferedbythecapitalofAlgeriatotheArabswouldcommence。

ImustsaythatIwasmuchinfluencedinmydeterminationbytheknowledgethatmymissiontoAlgeriahadaquasi-politicalcharacter。I，asimpleconjurer，wasproudofbeingabletorendermycountryaservice。

ItisknownthatthemajorityofrevoltswhichhavetobesuppressedinAlgeriaareexcitedbyintriguers，whosaytheyareinspiredbytheProphet，andareregardedbytheArabsasenvoysofGodonearthtodeliverthemfromtheoppressionoftheRoumi(Christians)。

ThesefalseprophetsandholyMarabouts，whoarenomoresorcerersthanIam，andindeedevenlessso，stillcontrivetoinfluencethefanaticismoftheircoreligionistsbytricksasprimitiveasarethespectatorsbeforewhomtheyareperformed。

Thegovernmentwas，therefore，anxioustodestroytheirperniciousinfluence，andreckonedonmetodoso。Theyhoped，withreason，bytheaidofmyexperiments，toprovetotheArabsthatthetricksoftheirMaraboutsweremerechild’splay，andowingtotheirsimplicitycouldnotbedonebyanenvoyfromHeaven，whichalsoledusverynaturallytoshowthemthatwearetheirsuperiorsineverything，and，asforsorcerers，therearenoneliketheFrench。

PresentlyIwillshowthesuccessobtainedbytheseskillfultactics。

ThreemonthsweretoelapsebetweenthedayofmyacceptanceandthatofmydeparturewhichIemployedinarrangingacompletearsenalofmybesttricks，andleftSt。Gervaisonthe10thofSeptember。

Iwillgivenoaccountofmypassage，furtherthantosaynosoonerwasIatseathanIwishedIhadarrived，and，afterthirty-sixhours’navigation，Igreetedthecapitalofourcolonywithindescribabledelight。

Onthe28thofOctober，thedayappointedformyfirstperformancebeforetheArabs，Ireachedmypostatanearlyhour，andcouldenjoythesightoftheirentranceintothetheater。

Eachgoum，[1]drawnupincompanies，wasintroducedseparately，andledinperfectordertotheplaceschosenforitinadvance。Thencametheturnofthechiefs，whoseatedthemselveswithallthegravitybecomingtheircharacter。

[1]BrigadeofnativesoldiersunderFrenchcommand。ItwasthisinfluentialnativefactionthattheForeignOfficewishedparticularlytoimpress，throughRobert-Houdin’sskill——EDITOR。

Theirintroductionlastedsometime，forthesesonsofnaturecouldnotunderstandthattheywereboxedupthus，sidebyside，toenjoyaspectacle，andourcomfortableseats，farfromseemingsotothem，botheredthemstrangely。Isawthemfidgetingaboutforsometime，andtryingtotucktheirlegsunderthem，afterthefashionofEuropeantailors。

Thecaids，agas，bash-agas，andothertitledArabs，heldtheplacesofhonor，fortheyoccupiedtheorchestrastallsandthedresscircle。

Inthemidstofthemwereseveralprivilegedofficers，and，lastly，theinterpretersweremingledamongthespectators，totranslatemyremarkstothem。

Iwasalsotoldthatseveralcuriouspeople，havingbeenunabletoprocuretickets，hadassumedtheArabburnous，and，bindingthecamel’s-haircordroundtheirforeheads，hadslippedinamongtheirnewcoreligionists。

Thisstrangemedleyofspectatorswasindeedamostcurioussight。

Thedresscircle，moreespecially，presentedanappearanceasgrandasitwasimposing。SomesixtyArabchiefs，clothedintheirredmantles(thesymboloftheirsubmissiontoFrance)，onwhichoneormoredecorationsglistened，gravelyawaitedmyperformancewithmajesticdignity。

Ihaveperformedbeforemanybrilliantassemblies，butneverbeforeonewhichstruckmesomuchasthis。However，theimpressionI

feltontheriseofthecurtain，farfromparalyzingme，onthecontraryinspiredmewithalivelysympathyforthespectators，whosefacesseemedsowellpreparedtoacceptthemarvelspromisedthem。AssoonasIwalkedonthestage，Ifeltquiteatmyease，andenjoyed，inanticipation，thesightIwasgoingtoamusemyselfwith。

Ifelt，Iconfess，ratherinclinedtolaughatmyselfandmyaudience，forIsteppedforth，wandinhand，withallthegravityofarealSorcerer。Still，Ididnotgiveway，forIwasherenotmerelytoamuseacuriousandkindpublic，Imustproduceastartlingeffectuponcoarsemindsandprejudices，forIwasenactingthepartofaFrenchMarabout。

Comparedwiththesimpletricksoftheirpretendedsorcerers，myexperimentsmustappearperfectmiraclestotheArabs。

Icommencedmyperformanceinthemostprofound，Imightalmostsayreligious，silence，andtheattentionofthespectatorswassogreatthattheyseemedpetrified。Theirfingersalonemovingnervously，playedwiththebeadsoftheirrosaries，whiletheywere，doubtless，invokingtheprotectionoftheMostHigh。

Thisapatheticconditiondidnotsuitme，forIhadnotcometoAlgeriatovisitawaxworkexhibition。Iwantedmovement，animation，lifeinfact，aroundme。

Ichangedmybatteries，and，insteadofgeneralizingmyremarks，I

addressedthemmoreespeciallytosomeoftheArabs，whomI

stimulatedbymywords，andstillmorebymyactions。Theastonishmentthengavewaytoamoreexpressivefeeling，whichwassoonevincedbynoisyoutbursts。

ThiswasespeciallythecasewhenIproducedcannonballsfromahat，formyspectators，layingasidetheirgravity，expressedtheirdelightedadmirationbythestrangestandmostenergeticgestures。

Thencame——greetedbythesamesuccess——thebouquetofflowers，producedinstantaneouslyfromahat；theCORNUCOPIA，supplyingamultitudeofobjectswhichIdistributed，thoughunabletosatisfytherepeateddemandsmadeonallsides，andstillmorebythosewhohadtheirhandsfullalready；theFIVE-FRANCPIECES，sentacrossthetheaterwithacrystalboxsuspendedabovethespectators。

OnetrickIshouldmuchhavelikedtoperformwastheINEXHAUSTIBLE

BOTTLE，soappreciatedbytheParisiansandtheManchester“hands“；

butIcouldnotemployitinthisperformance，foritiswellknownthefollowersofMohammeddrinknofermentedliquor——atleastnotpublicly。Hence，Isubstitutedthefollowingwithconsiderableadvantage：

Itookasilvercup，likethosecalled“punchbowls“intheParisiancafes。Iunscrewedthefoot，andpassingmywandthroughitshowedthatthevesselcontainednothing；then，havingrefittedthetwoparts，Iwenttothecenterofthepit，when，atmycommand，thebowlwasMAGICALLYfilledwithsweetmeats，whichwerefoundexcellent。

Thesweetmeatsexhausted，Iturnedthebowlover，andproposedtofillitwithexcellentcoffee；so，gravelypassingmyhandthriceoverthebowl，adensevaporimmediatelyissuedfromit，andannouncedthepresenceofthepreciousliquid。Thebowlwasfullofboilingcoffee，whichIpouredintocups，andofferedtomyastoundedspectators。

Thefirstcupswereonlyaccepted，sotospeak，underprotest；fornotanArabwouldconsenttomoistenhislipswithabeveragewhichhethoughtcamestraightfromShaitan’skitchen；but，insensiblyseducedbytheperfumeoftheirfavoriteliquor，andurgedbytheinterpreters，someoftheboldestdecidedontastingthemagicliquor，andallsoonfollowedtheirexample。

Thevessel，rapidlyemptied，wasrepeatedlyfilledagainwithequalrapidity；anditsatisfiedalldemands，likemyinexhaustiblebottle，andwasbornebacktothestagestillfull。

Butitwasnotenoughtoamusemyspectators；Imustalso，inordertofulfilltheobjectofmymission，startleandeventerrifythembythedisplayofasupernaturalpower。

Myarrangementshadallbeenmadeforthispurpose，andIhadreservedfortheendofmyperformancesthreetricks，whichmustcompletemyreputationasasorcerer。

Manyofmyreaderswillrememberhavingseenatmyperformancesasmallbutsolidlybuiltbox，which，beinghandedtothespectators，becomesheavyorlightatmyorder；achildmightraiseitwithease，andyetthemostpowerfulmancouldnotmoveitfromitsplace。

Iadvanced，withmyboxinmyhand，tothecenterofthe“practicable，“communicatingfromthestagetothepit；then，addressingtheArabs，Isaidtothem：

“Fromwhatyouhavewitnessed，youwillattributeasupernaturalpowertome，andyouareright。Iwillgiveyouanewproofofmymarvelousauthority，byshowingthatIcandeprivethemostpowerfulmanofhisstrengthandrestoreitatmywill。Anyonewhothinkshimselfstrongenoughtotrytheexperimentmaydrawnearme。“(Ispokeslowly，inordertogivetheinterpretertimetotranslatemywords。)

AnArabofmiddleheight，butwellbuiltandmuscular，likemanyoftheArabsare，cametomysidewithsufficientassurance。

“Areyouverystrong？“Isaidtohim，measuringhimfromheadtofoot。

“Oh，yes!“herepliedcarelessly。

“Areyousureyouwillalwaysremainso？“

“Quitesure。“

“Youaremistaken，forinaninstantIwillrobyouofyourstrength，andyoushallbecomeasalittlechild。“

TheArabsmileddisdainfullyasasignofhisincredulity。

“Stay，“Icontinued；“liftupthisbox。“

TheArabstooped，liftedupthebox，andsaidtome，coldly，“Isthatall？“

“Wait——!“Ireplied。

Then，withallpossiblegravity，Imadeanimposinggesture，andsolemnlypronouncedthewords：

“Behold!youareweakerthanawoman；now，trytoliftthebox。“

TheHercules，quitecoolastomyconjuration，seizedtheboxonceagainbythehandle，andgaveitaviolenttug，butthistimetheboxresisted，and，spiteofhismostvigorousattacks，wouldnotbudgeaninch。

TheArabvainlyexpendedonthisunluckyboxastrengthwhichwouldhaveraisedanenormousweight，until，atlength，exhausted，panting，andredwithanger，hestopped，becamethoughtful，andbegantocomprehendtheinfluencesofmagic。

Hewasonthepointofwithdrawing；butthatwouldbeallowinghisweakness，andthathe，hithertorespectedforhisvigor，hadbecomeasalittlechild。Thisthoughtrenderedhimalmostmad。

Derivingfreshstrengthfromtheencouragementshisfriendsofferedhimbywordanddeed，heturnedaglanceroundthem，whichseemedtosay：“Youwillseewhatasonofthedesertcando。“

Hebentonceagainoverthebox：hisnervoushandstwinedroundthehandle，andhislegs，placedoneithersideliketwobronzecolumns，servedasasupportforthefinaleffort。

But，wonderofwonders!thisHercules，amomentsincesostrongandproud，nowbowshishead；hisarms，rivetedtothebox，undergoaviolentmuscularcontraction；hislegsgiveway，andhefallsonhiskneeswithayellofagony!

Anelectricshock，producedbyaninductiveapparatus，hadbeenpassed，onasignalfromme，fromthefurtherendofthestageintothehandleofthebox。HencethecontortionsofthepoorArab!

Itwouldhavebeencrueltytoprolongthisscene。

Igaveasecondsignal，andtheelectriccurrentwasimmediatelyintercepted。Myathlete，disengagedfromhisterriblebondage，raisedhishandsoverhishead。

“Allah!Allah!“heexclaimed，fullofterror；thenwrappinghimselfupquicklyinthefoldsofhisburnous，asiftohidehisdisgrace，herushedthroughtheranksofthespectatorsandgainedthefrontentrance。

Withtheexceptionofmystageboxesandtheprivilegedspectatorswhoappearedtotakegreatpleasureinthisexperiment，myaudiencehadbecomegraveandsilent，andIheardthewords“Shaitan!“

“Djenoum!“passinginmurmurroundthecircleofcredulousmen，who，whilegazingonme，seemedastonishedthatIpossessednoneofthephysicalqualitiesattributedtotheangelofdarkness。

IallowedmypublicafewmomentstorecoverfromtheemotionproducedbymyexperimentandtheflightoftheherculeanArab。

OneofthemeansemployedbytheMaraboutstogaininfluenceintheeyesoftheArabsisbycausingabeliefintheirinvulnerability。

Oneofthem，forinstance，orderedaguntobeloadedandfiredathimfromashortdistance，butinvaindidtheflintproduceashowerofsparks；theMaraboutpronouncedsomecabalisticwords，andthegundidnotexplode。

Themysterywassimpleenough；thegundidnotgooffbecausetheMarabouthadskillfullystoppedupthevent。

ColoneldeNevenexplainedtometheimportanceofdiscreditingsuchamiraclebyopposingtoitasleight-of-handtrickfarsuperiortoit，andIhadtheveryarticle。