Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-04-06
From the History of the sikhs, by W. L. More
gor, Nj. d.
THE STORY OF 4 FUKEER.

A fukeer, who arrived at Lahore, en-
gagged 10 bury himself for any length of
time, shut up in a box, without either
food or drink Runjeet disbelieved his
assertions, and was determined 10 put
them to proof; for this purpose the man
was shut up in a wooden box, which was
placed in a small apartment below the
level of the ground; there was a folding
door to this box, which was secured by q
lock and key. Surrounding this apart
ment, there was The garden house. the
door of which was likewise locked; and
out side Of this a high wall, having the
doorway built up with bricks and mud
Outside the whole there was placed a
line Of ~sentries so that no one could ap.
proach the building. The s~trictest watch
was kept for the space of forty days and
forty nights; at the expiration Of this Pc
Rod, the Mahariah, attended by his grand
son, and several Of his sirdars. as we'll
as General Ventura, Captain Wade. and
myself, proceeded 10 d~isinter The fukeer.
The bricks and mud were quickly remov-
ed from the doorway of the outer wall
the door of the house was next unlocked,
and lastly, The box containing he fukeer {;
the latter was found covered with n white
sheet, on removing which, the figure of
the man presented itself in d sitting pos
ture. His hands and arms were pressed
TO his sides: and the legs and highs
crossed. The first part of the operation
OF resuscitation consisted in pouring over
his head a quantity Of warm wafer after
this, u hot cake of Alta was placed on the
crown Of his head a plug was next re-
moved from one Of his ~nosiriis, on this
being done, tho man breathed strongly
through it. The mouth was now opened,
and the tongue, that had been closely ap-
piled to the roof of his mouth, brought
forward, and both tand the lips anointed
with ghee or melted butter during this
part of the process, | could not feel the
pulsaiion Of the wrist though the tenn
perature ofIhe body was much above the
natural standard Of health. The legs
and arms being extended, and the eye
lids raised, the former were well rubbed,
and q lille Ghee was applied 10 The latter,
The eye-balls presented a dim, sulfused
appearance, like those Of a corpse.
The man now evinced signs ofreturn-
ing animation, the pulse was felt, while
the unnatural temperature of the body
quickly decreased. lie made several in
efectual efforts to speak, and at length
uttered a few words, but in a tone so
low as to make them inaudible. BY and
by his speech was re-established, and he
recognized the b~ystanders, addressing
himself 10 the Maharjan, who was seated
opposite to him watching all his move
men,s. When The fukeer was able to
converse, the completion of the feat was
announced by the discharge of guns, and
other demonstrations of Joy; while a rich
chain of gold was placed round his neck
by Runjeet himself; and earrings, ban.
glee, shawls, &c. Were presented 10 him.
However extraordinary this feat may ap.
pear to both Europeans aud natives il is
impossible TO explain it on physiological
principles, and equally dificultto account
for the means which the man employed
in his successful imposition for he not
only denied his having tasted food or
drink, but ever maintained his having
stopped the functions of respiration du.
ring the period of forty days and forty
nights 4; resembling in this respect the
child before birth. To all appearance,
the long fast had no. been productive of