The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1821-05-30
From the Salem Gazette.1
MaHOJMET'S COFFIN.

The story Of the suspension Of Mahomet's
coffin IN mid air, by me ans of the magnet, has
been familiar to US from earliest childhood,
and generally been regarded as fiction in ma
turer years. But Mr.. VIM. Anderson, the per-
son who has been mentioned in the papers as
having lately returned to his native place, in
Virginia, after an absence of nineteen years
during which time he was in Upper and Lower
Hindostan, Guezarat, Arabia, Egypt, Persia,
&c.-attests the fact from the evidence of his
own senses, having visited the tomb of the
Prophet, and seen the phenomenon in question
in 1904. From him it is thus described -
"The vault is in Medina, and situated
contiguous to the grand Mosque, through
which, and two inferior buildings, term
ed majets, the entrance into which is by
a small door aperture arched at top, in
stone wall 7 or feet thick. The vault
inside is round, likewise arched at the
top, although octagon without-the size
m the interiour about feet wide, and
10 to II feet high, without aperture to
admit lght-the loss of which is suppi-
ed by lamps, which are constantly burn
ing.-At the top of the dome, or arch,
is inserted square dove-coloured stone,
or slab Of marble, into which is inserted
another stone of a dark brownish hue,
round, about OF 8 inches in diameter,
and probably IS inches in length, pro-
jecting downwards. At the centre of
the floor, which is Of stone, there is
pile of marble tables, or slabs, about Is
or 90 inches square, and two feet high,
into the top OF which is inserted a SINH
lar stone to the one just described as at
top, projecting upwards-its diameter,
however, does not exceed three inches.
From the stone at the top, projects, on
the right and left two rods apparently
of iron, extending to the side walls, at
their extreme height, where the arch
springs, thence down the side walls to
about midway, where it curves off to-
wards the centre of the whole space in
side the vault; at the ends of these rods
are bulbs, resembling four-pound shot,
black, or dark brown, bnt not rusty-be-
tween these four points, but detached
from all, stands erect boz, or coffin, "a
bout four and half feet long, by eigh-
teen inches square-how thick, of what
metal, he does net pretend to say, but
thinks probable it is steel, washed with
some composition, as its appearance was
white, but not polished-at either end
of the coffin, or box, was half round
bulb Of similar appearance to those
on the ends of the rods. The ends of
the rods come not Immediately opposite
to the centre of the coffin, but some
what below it.''
when at Medina, he understood that
himself was not the only European
who had visited the vault ; although
from circumstances which it would be
indecorous for him to explain to every
person, he believes no Christian travel
Ter ever before was permitted to actu-
ally enter the interiour.. The vault is
open only on particular days, and few,
even of the religion of the country, are
permitted to approach nearer than the
grapd Mosque, from which, through the
aperture already described, the visitors
have an opportunityof seeing the coffin.
But Mr.. AS. curiosity was not SO easily
gratifed. A number of impediments
were in the way. He surmomted
them all !, and when in the interiour,
actually passed his sword at either side
of the coffin, which very sensibly Vi
brated as the steel approached it., He
is of opinion, however, that this coffin
does not contain the remains of the
great Mahemet; but that it is an inge-
NOUS continuance to add to the religious
superstitions of that already too super
stitious country"
Mr.. Anderson is preparing an account
Of his travels and observations for the
press, in which he will give drawing
Of the vault and coffin.