saved after desperate and amusing
struggles. Our engravings, which are from the _Graphic_, illustrate
the mode of filling the ring with water, and the steamboat launch.

[Illustration: A THEATRICAL STEAMBOAT.]

* * * * *

SCIENCE IN THE THEATER.

In the pretty little hall of the Boulevard des Italiens, at Paris, a
striking exhibition of simulated hypnotism is given every evening.

This entertainment, which has met with much success, was devised by
Mr. Melies, director of the establishment, which was founded many
years ago by the celebrated prestidigitator whose popular name (Robert
Houdin) it still bears. This performance carries instruction with it,
for it shows how easily the most surprising phenomena of the
pathologic state can be imitated. To this effect, several exhibitions
are given every evening.

Mr. Harmington, a convinced disciple of Mesmer, asks for a subject,
and finds one in the hall. A young artist named Marius presents
himself. Mr. Harmington makes him perform all sorts of extravagant
acts, accompanied with a continuous round of pantomimes that are
rendered the more striking by the supposed state of somnipathy of the
subject. At the moment at which Marius is finishing his most
extraordinary exercises, a policeman suddenly breaks in upon the stage
in order to execute the recent orders relative to hypnotism. But he
himself is subjugated by Mr. Harmington and thrown down by the
vibrations of which the encephalus of this terrible magnetizer is the
center. When the curtain falls, the representative of authority is
struggling against the catalepsy that is overcoming him.

All the phenomena of induced sleep are successively simulated with
much naturalness by Mr. Jules David, who plays the part of Marius in
this pleasing little performance.

At a certain moment, after skillfully simulated passes made by the
magnetizer, Mr. David suddenly becomes as rigid as a stick of wood,
and falls in pivoting on his heels (Fig. 1). Did not Mr. Harmington
run to his assistance, he would inevitably crack his skull upon the
floor, but the magnetizer stands just behind him in order to receive
him in his arms. Then he lifts him, and places him upon two chairs
just as he would do with a simple board. He places the head of the
subject upon the seat of one of the chairs and the heels upon that of
the other. Mr. David then remains in a state of perfect immobility.
Not a muscle is seen to