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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 264, 12 May 1865, Page 3

The Art of Doing the Davenport Trick.— Mr U. H. Bernard, in a letter to the Daily News reply to Dr. Nicholas, gives the following solution of the Davenport rope-tying mystery; —“The secret principally consists ra the knot by which the hands of the operators are secured. This knot in its best form is a double slip-knot, through which the hands are passed, and the ends drawn as tight as required by a kind ofnionkcy-like process, which process the Davenports certainly deserve the credit of inventing. And here I must attempt the difficult task of describing to the uninitiated the formation of this knot. 'lhe method of using it will be sufficiently obvious. The rope should be of a firm smooth quality, about fire or six yards long. Take it by the left hand in the centej, holding it between the left thumb and fore finger perpendicularly before you. Take hold with the right hand of the upper end of the rope, about a foot above whore you are holding with Ihe left hand; bring the two thumbs together, placing the portion of the rope in the right hand behind the portion already .under the left thumb j this will foam s loop about four inches diameter, leaning

on the right haiicl side of the first end of the rope, which ia still hanging straight before you; then paas the .second end over the thumb and through the loop, and pull the en through; then pass the right hand about six incites along the second end, and double it into a loop, and pass the double portion held in the right hand under the portion covering the left thumb, in the direction of the loop already formed in the left hand, letting the second end hang down in the centre by the side of the first end ; pull light the two side portions of the loops, and the knot is complete. You will-then have two loops large enough to pass the bauds through, and the two long ends which will slip freely to and fro when you hold the knot. If you put one of these-jbops over your left wrist, and pull the corresponding end with the right hand, you will find you can draw it tight enough to stop all circulation, if you choose to do so. There are several other knots which, may be used, but this One is sufficient for exem plifieation. To return to the Davenports. Whenthe lights are extinguished, the operator first of all makes the knot, he then passes one end of the rope through each of the holes in the seat, or through the carved back of a chair. He then knots the two ends together, a few inches underneath. This is apparently to prevent the operator rising from the seat, but it also enables him to get a straight even pull on both loops. He then seats himself, the cords are tied tight round the ankles, then brought up to the knees, securely fastened round them, and the ends fastened anywheres it does not matter where, so that they cannot be reached by the mouth. The operator then thrusts his hands into the loops, extends liis legs an inch or two, the knot is drawn tight, the lightsare called for, and Mr Davenport is found, not only apparently, but. really tightly bound, so much so, that if you were to reverse the position of Mr Davenport, and suspended him with his head downwards, he could not release himself, even were he to endeavor to do so. But place the gentleman in his normal position, extinguish the lights, and in the twinkling of an eye the legs are erlaxed, the loops are slackened, the handsare withdrawn, and MrDavenport isfree towavcguilars, to play tambourines, to take-off'liis coat, to touch anybody lie can reach, to strike objectionable committee-men sharply on the head, and, in fact, to do everything that the spiritual agency or the new physical force is sup. posed to do for him.” Patterns nr Post.— The new Post-office regulations with reference to the funvurding'of patterns or samples of merchandise by post from England to New Zealand came into operation on the Ist inst. The rates, which must be prepaid by means of postage stamps, are as follow:—Via Southampton: —For a packet not exceeding 4ozs., 4d.; above 4ozs. and not exceeding Jib., Bd.; above Jib. and not exceeding lib., Is. 4d.; above 11b. and not exceeding I Jib., 25.; above 1 Jib. and not exceeding 21bs., 2s. Bd. Via Marseilles: —For a packet not exceeding 4ozs., fid.; above 4oz. and not exceeding Jib., Is. above Jib. and not exceeding IJlb., 35.; above 1 Jib. and not exceeding 21bs., 4s. No packet of patterns or samples exceeding the weight of three pounds can be sent to New South Wales; but on patterns or samples addressed to any- of the other colonies above mentioned, the postage for heavier packets will increase by two rates of postage for every half-pound or fraction of a half-pound, without limit. Special attention is directed to the following rules and regulations, which will be strictly enforced:—l, No packet of patterns or samples must exceed two feet in length, breadth or depth. 2. The patterns or samples must not he of intrinsic value. This rule excludes all articles of a saleable nature, and, indeed, whatever may have a value of its own, apart from its mere use os a pattern or sample; and the quantity of any inaterial sent ostensibly as a pattern or sample must not be so great that it can fairly be considered ns having on this ground, an instrinsic value. 3. There must be no writing or printing other than the addres of the sender, a trade mark and numbers, and the prices of the articles. 4. The patterns or samples must be sent in covers open at the ends, so as to be easy of examination. Samples, however, of seeds, drugs, and so forth, which cannot in open covers, may be enclosed in bags of linen or other material, tied at the neck; hags so closed that they cannot be readily opened, even although they be transparent, must not be used for this purpose. Noncomplianco with any of the foregoing rules will subject a packet of patterns or samples to bo treated and charged as a letter. In all other respects the regulations of the colonial book post will apply to the pattern post with the above colonies. Under these regulations, in order to prevent any interruption to the regular transmission of letters, a packet of patterns or samples may, when it is necessary, be kept back for twenty-four hours beyond the lime when, in the ordinary course, it would be forwarded. N.B.—The rule which forbids the transmission through the post of any article likely to injure the contents of the mail bags or the person of any officer of the postoffice is, of course, applicable to the pattern post, and a packet containing anything of the kind will be stopped and not sent to its destination. —Hem Zealand Examiner, Jan. 12. Dunking a Peer.— Lord Bath owed a tradesman eight hundred pounds, and would never pay The man determined to persecute him till he did, and one morning followed him to Lord Winchelsea’s and sent up word that he wanted to speak with him. Lord Bath came down, and said, Fellow, what do you want with me ?” “My money,said the man os loud as he could bawl, before all the servants. He bode him come the next morning, and then would not see him. The next Sunday, the man followed him to church, and got into the next pear; he leaned over and said. “My money, give me my money.” 11 y Lord went over to the end of the pew, the man too —“Give me my money.” The sermon was, upon avarice, and the text, “Cursed are they that heap up richea.” The man groaned out, “ O Lord!” and pointed to my Lord Bath. In short, lie persisted so much and drew the eyes of all the congregation, that my Lord Bath went out and paid him directly. 1 assure you this is a fact.— Horace Walpole. An Irishman was challenged to fight a duel, but declined upon the plea that he did not wish to *< late his oidd mother an orphan.”