ything it is to
caress lovingly the "paisa" or pieces of money that he last earned,
not to improve his dexterity but because they will give him a good
meal, a cup of arak, (or intoxicating liquor) and a long lazy sleep.

The Chinaman gives his entertainment with his stage well filled with
tables covered with gorgeous dragon-be-decked draperies that reach
the ground, and behind which useful assistants could be easily
concealed. His own garments are roomy and his sleeves could contain a
multitude of billiard balls and rabbits. But he gives a showy
performance with clean bright articles, ending up occasionally, as I
have seen, with the production of twelve large Chinese lanterns all
lit!

The Chinaman is the inventor of many of the most beautiful illusions
that are performed. One of the prettiest tricks imaginable is that of
the production of bowls of gold fish in real water, one of Chinese
origin. He has improved from ancient times as an up-to-date showman,
and is a wonderful illusionist. To show what can be done in the
voluminous garments of a Chinaman, on one occasion, I, in his national
costume, produced a large bowl of water which took two men to carry
away, then a little boy aged ten, and his younger brother aged five,
ostensibly from a shawl without moving from the centre of a stage
devoid of trap doors, or any furniture. It was more a feat of strength
than skill at conjuring, though, as one may readily imagine, extremely
effective.

The Chinaman is also a clever productionist and excels in producing
flowers, lanterns and similar articles. His dexterity or
sleight-of-hand is good but inferior to that of the European. He has
and uses well, many extremely ingenious devices, or "fakes." One in
particular has always appealed to me and is worth describing. He takes
a piece of tissue paper which he either chews, or moistens somehow and
rolls it into a small ball like pulp. This he places on his fan and
tosses up into the air several times while it gradually assumes the
shape of an egg. After some few seconds it has become a large duck's
egg which he places in an egg cup on the table in full view of the
audience. This little trick is very effective, easy to do, and can be
purchased for half-a-crown at any magical depot in London.

I hope that I have gained my point in showing that the Chinaman is an
ingenious and a neat performer. There are many other amazing tricks
which were originated in China and the far East, (as