The saving of two days in the voyage between our Atlantic and Pacific ports; Its healthier climate, and the alleged lesser cost of construction. The _Engineering Magazine_, on the other hand, sums up the advantages of the already-undertaken Panama canal as follows: It is three-fourths shorter, and could be maintained at a cost of $1,350,000 a year less than the Nicaragua canal, is exempt from fifty miles of dangerous river navigation, and its completion would require but half the amount necessary to build the Nicaragua canal. The Danish West Indies On January 24th, 1902, the government of Denmark, through the pen of their minister in Washington, ceded to the United States the group of islands known as the Danish West Indies. Unsuccessful attempts to purchase these islands were made in the years 1869 and 1877. This last effort which, so far, promises success, was begun two years ago. The delay has been due to a difference of price. The amount now agreed upon is believed to be $5,000,000. IN-DOORS PARLOR MAGIC By Ellis Stanyon The first thing for the student of magic to do is to learn palming, the art of holding small objects concealed in the hand by a slight contraction of the palm. Practice first with a half-dollar. Lay it in the right hand as shown in Fig. 1. Then slightly contract the palm by pressing the ball of the thumb inward, moving the coin about with the forefinger of the left hand until you find it is in a favorable position to be gripped by the fleshy portions of the hand. Continue to practice this until you can turn the hand over without letting the coin fall. [Illustration: Fig. 1.--PALMING COIN] When this can be accomplished with ease, lay the coin on the tips of the second and third fingers, steadying it with the thumb, as in Fig. 2. Then, moving the thumb aside to the right, bend the fingers, and pass the coin up along the side of the thumb into the palm, which should open to receive it, and where, if you have followed the instructions carefully, you will find no difficulty in retaining it. [Illustration: Fig. 2.--PALMING COIN] Practice this movement with the right hand in motion toward the left, as if you really intended to place the coin in that hand. To get the movement perfect, it is advisable to work in front of a mirror. Take the coin in the right hand and actually place it in the left several times; then study to execute the same movement exactly, with the exception that you retain the coin in the right hand by palming. The student who desires to become a finished performer should palm the various objects with equal facility in either hand. When you can hold a coin properly, as described, practice with other objects of a similar size. In this case, however, owing to the greater extent of surface, it will not be found necessary to press the object into the palm, but simply to close the fingers round it, in the act of apparently placing it in the left hand.