302 



LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



by themselves, and almost all the rest when they had 

 provided the proper apparatus. Dr. Desagu tiers exhi- 

 bited some of the experiments before the Royal Society, 

 and has given such a distinct explanation of the principles 

 on which they depend, that we shall endeavour to give a 

 popular account of them. 



1. The performer sat upon an inclined board A B 

 placed upon a frame ODE, with his feet abutting against 



Fig. 51. 



the upright board C. Round his loins was placed a strong 

 girdle F G, to the iron ring of which at G was fastened a 

 rope by means of a hook. The rope passed between his 

 legs through a hole in the board C, and several men, or 

 two horses pulling at the other end of the rope, were 

 unable to draw the performer out of his place. His hands 

 at G seemed to pull against the men, but they were of no 

 advantage to him whatever. 



2. Another of the German's feats is shown in Fig. 52. 

 Having fixed the rope above mentioned to a strong post 

 at A, and made it pass through a fixed iron eye at B, to 

 the ring in his girdle, he planted his feet against the post 

 at B, and raised himself from the ground by the rope, 'as 

 shown in the figure. He then suddenly stretched out his 

 legs and broke the rope, falling back on a feather-bed at 

 C, spread out to receive him. 



3. In imitation of Firmus, he laid himself down on the 

 ground, as shown in Fig. 53, and when an anvil A was 



