[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，andareregardedbytheArabsasenvoysofGodonearthtodeliverthemfromtheoppressionoftheRoumiChristians。
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，clothedintheirredmantlesthesymboloftheirsubmissiontoFrance，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。