Paris, at which time his demonstrations of
heat-resistance were sufficiently astonishing to
merit the attention of no less a body than the
National Institute.

To the more familiar feats of his predecessors
he added startling novelties in the art of
heat-resistance, the most spectacular being
that of entering a large iron cabinet, which
resembled a common baker's oven, heated to
the usual temperature of such ovens. He carried
in his hand a leg of mutton and remained
until the meat was thoroughly cooked. Another
thriller involved standing in a flaming
tar-barrel until it was entirely consumed
around him.

In 1828, Chabert gave a series of performances
at the Argyle Rooms in London, and
created a veritable sensation. A correspondent
in the London Mirror has this to say of
Chabert's work at that time: ``Of M. Chabert's
wonderful power of withstanding the operation
of the fiery element, it is in the recollection
of the writer of witnessing, some few years
back, this same individual (in connection with
the no-less fire-proof Signora Girardelli)
exhibiting `extraordinary proofs of his
supernatural power of resisting the most intense
heat of every kind.' Since which an IMPROVEMENT