Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-07-06
MisCellaMeaM5.
A WONDERFUL STORY.

Hc ioiioWluS oooi y 10 toIu ny LUTu
Lytton Of the wonderful prolongation of
human existence under the most remark
able circumstances that occurred under
his notice while he was Governor G en-
eral of India, who, it is said, vouches
for its truth:
"a deputation of the highest rank of
Indian priests visited Lord Lytton in
1878, his second year as Governor Gen
eral of the Indian Empire. He received
them with tho honors due their rank,
consequence and dignity, for he knew
the influence the native priesthood had
on the people of the country. AS a
proof of their learning and the know-
edge they had of secrets and mysteries
of nature only known to their order they
proposed an extraordinary test If it
resulted as they declared it would the
particular order they belonged to should
be exempted from the more stringent of
the regulations now in force all over In
dia touching the practices Of tho native
priesthood.
A pit was prepared ten feet in depth,
about six feet in width, perfectly square.
On the bottom was laid a native cement
foot thick which became in forty eight
hours as hard as stone The walls Of
the pit were prepared with the same
material about half its depth, and thus
a chamber was made, to which was fitted
a covering of stone, weighing about l..
200 pounds, that closed over the walled
space, fitting it like the lid of box.
With solemn ceremonies one of the
priests present was prepared for the sa-
cred rite At midnight the evening of
the new moon for that month Lord Lyt-
ton, his private secretary, and an aid
de-camp, with civil officer, we're then
told what was to be done. The priest
prepared for the solemn rite looked as
though he were dead No sign of pulse
appeared. His eyes aud nose all the
organs opening into the body, in fact
were closed up, first being filled with
prepared cotton, then covered over with
some wax-like substance. The entire
person of the naked man was annointcd
with something that smolled to mo like
collodian, said Lord Lytton. we will
put our brother in the pit, said the
spokesman then cover it over with the
stone and seal it tightly. Then your
men shall fill in the rest of the earth
taken out in digging till the level of the
garden has been reached. Then you,
with your hand shall SOW on this earth
that covers the pit crop of millet. 1t
shall grow, ripcn and be reaped by our
own hands. After that. in your pres
ence and with those who are here look
ing on to night as witnesses, we will
remove the earth, raise tho stone, and
restore our brother to this life he hath
left for the moment, recall him from that
Nirvana to which he has gone. Shall it
be SO, my Lord P
This pit was in the government reser-
walton not more than one hundred and
fifty yards from the Governor Generals
residence, The grounds were surround
ed by lofty wall, and the entire place
was within the absolute control Of Lord
Lytton himself. Here now, thought
ard said he to the Englishmen present,
is an opportunity to test the truth
of the often repeated assertion that
these people have knowledge of
the mysteries Of nature that Western
nations never have dreamed of. | will
permit this to be done upon one condi-
ton, that being that guard of English
(not native) troops shall be kept over
the spot night and day till the expert
ment is ended He announced this to
the head Of the order, who accepted the
proposition. So just at the moment the
old moon became the new the seemingly
lifeless body was placed in the tomb, or
pit, wrapped in layers of woolen cloth.
The great stone was placed with der
rick and pullies over the mouth Of the
chamber, and the same cement they had
in preparing the bottom and walls was
used to fill in the small crevices between
the walls and the great closing stone.
Then five feet Of earth Git was carefully
measured by the aid-de-camp present)
was filled in. The millet was then
sprinkled over the moist, rich soil,
handful or two being used, and the
ceremonies were closed
Two of the Englishmen remained at
the place till tho detail of guard, from
new regiment just come out to India,
was made. The place was watched day
and night There was no possibility Of
any interference from The priest. The
tackle used in lifting and placing the
great fiat stone over tho mouth Of the
pit was removed, and without it the
mass of granite could not be handled at
all by human hands.