The Miracle Mongers and their Methods | Page 7

solidly along
the middle; as far as possible inequalities in its surface were beaten
down, and the coals which protruded were brushed aside.''
There follows a long and detailed description of further ceremonies, the
receiving of gifts, etc., which need not be repeated here. Now for the

trick itself.
``One of the priests held a pile of white powder on a small wooden
stand. This was said to be salt--which in Japan is credited with great
cleansing properties--but as far as could be ascertained by superficial
examination it was a mixture of alum and salt. He stood at one end of
the fire-bed and poised the wooden tray over his head, and then
sprinkled a handful of it on the ground before the glowing bed of coals.
At the same time another priest who stood by him chanted a weird
recitative of invocation and struck sparks from flint and steel which he
held in his hands. This same process was repeated by both the priests at
the other end, at the two sides, and at the corners.
``Ten minutes, more or less, was spent in various movements and
incantations about the bed of coals. At the end of that time two small
pieces of wet matting were brought out and placed at either end and a
quantity of the white mixture was placed upon them. At a signal from
the head priest, who acted as master of ceremonies during the curious
succeeding function, the ascetics who were to perform the first
exhibition of fire-walking gathered at one end of the bed of coals,
which by this time was a fierce and glowing furnace.
``Having raised both his hands and prostrated himself to render thanks
to the god who had taken out the `soul' of the fire, the priest about to
undergo the ordeal stood upon the wet matting, wiped his feet lightly in
the white mixture, and while we held our breaths, and our eyes almost
leaped from their sockets in awe-struck astonishment, he walked over
the glowing mass as unconcernedly as if treading on a carpet in a
drawing-room, his feet coming in contact with the white hot coals at
every step. He did not hurry or take long steps, but sauntered along
with almost incredible sang-froid, and before he reached the opposite
side he turned around and sauntered as carelessly back to the mat from
which he had started.''
The story goes on to tell how the performance was repeated by the
other priests, and then by many of the native audience; but none of the
Europeans tried it, although invited to do so. Mr. Reid's closing
statement is that ``no solution of the mystery can be gleaned, even from

high scientific authorities who have witnessed and closely studied the
physical features of these remarkable Shinto fire-walking rites.'' Many
who are confronted with something that they cannot explain take refuge
in the claim that it puzzles the scientists too. As a matter of fact, at the
time Mr. Reid wrote, such scientists as had given the subject serious
study were pretty well posted on the methods involved.
An article under the title The Fiery Ordeal of Fiji, by Maurice Delcasse,
appeared in the Wide World Magazine for May, 1898. From Mr.
Delcasse's account it appears that the Fijian ordeal is practically the
same as that of the Japanese, as described by Mr. Reid, except that
there is very little ceremony surrounding it. The people of Fiji until a
comparatively recent date were cannibals; but their islands are now
British possessions, most of the natives are Christians, and most of
their ancient customs have become obsolete, from which I deduce that
the fire-walking rites described in this article must have been
performed by natives who had retained their old religious beliefs.
The ordeal takes place on the Island of Benga, which is near Suva, the
capital of Fiji, and which, Mr. Delcasse says, ``was the supposed
residence of some of the old gods of Fiji, and was, therefore,
considered a sacred land.'' Instead of walking on the live coals, as the
Japanese priests do, the Fijians walk on stones that have been brought
to a white heat in a great fire of logs.
The familiar claim is made that the performance puzzles scientists, and
that no satisfactory solution has yet been discovered. We are about to
see that for two or three hundred years the same claims have been made
by a long line of more or less clever public performers in Europe and
America.
CHAPTER TWO
WATTON'S SHIP-SWABBER ``FROM THE
INDIES.''--RICHARDSON, 1667--DE HEITERKEIT,
1713.--ROBERT POWELL, 1718- 1780.--DUFOUR,
1783.--QUACKENSALBER, 1794.

The earliest mention I have found of a public fire-eater in England is in
the correspondence of Sir Henry Watton, under date of June 3rd, 1633.
He speaks of an Englishman ``like