Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-18
A Wonderful Story.

| existence unueT t06 uOSU IeIDaTksUi6 CIT
cumstances that occurred under his notice
while he was Governor-General Of India,
who, it is said, vouches for it's truth:
ga deputation of the highest rank of In.
dian priests visited Lord Lytton in 1878,
his second year as Governor General of the
Indian Empire. he received them with the
honois 0ue their rank, consequence, and
dignity, for he knew the influence the ma
tive priesthood had on the people of the
country AS proof of their learning and
the knowledge they had of secrets and mys
teries of nature only known TO their order,
! they proposed an extraordinary test. II it
resulted as they declared it would the par
ticular order they belonged to should be ex-
empted from the more stringent of the regu.
lations now in force ell over India touch
ing the practices OF the native priesthood.
"a pit was prepared ten feet in depth,
about six feet in width, perfectly square.
On the bottom was laid native cement
foot thick, which became in forty. eight
hours az hard as stone. The walls of the
pit were prepared with the same material
about half its depth, and thus chamber
was made, to which was fitted q covering of
stone, weighing about 1900 pounds, that
closed over tho walled space, fitting ii like
the lid Of box.
"yNith solemn ceremonies one of the
| priests present was prepared for the sacred
rite. At midnight the evening Of the new
moon for that month Lord Lytton, his pri-
vate secretary, au6 an aide de-cemp, with
civil officer, were then told what was 10 be
done. The priest prepared 70: the solemn
rite looked us though he WAS dead. No
sign of pulae appeared. His eyes and nose
all the organs Opening into the body, in
fact-were closed up, first being filed with
prepared cotton, then covered over with
T, some Wax.lke substance. The entire per
SOP OF tho naked man was anointed with
something that smeiled to me like collodian,'
says 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 tha
earth taken out in digging till the level of
the garden has been reached. Then you,
with your hand, shall sow on this earth thai
covers the pit crop OF milet. 1t shall
grow, ripen, and be resped by our own
hands. After that, 10 your presence and
with those @ho are here looking on 10 night
as witnesses, We will remove the earth, rinse
! the stone, end restore our brother to this
| life be hath left for the moment, recall him
| from that Nirvana to which he has gone.
Shall it be SO, my -Lord?'
''Ehis pit was in the government reserva-
/ Sou Hot more tnan one hundred and fifty
yards from the Governor Generals resi-
dence The grounds were surrounded by q
lofty wall, and the entire place was within
the absolute control OF Lord Lytton himself.
| Here pow, thought and 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 condition, that being
that y guard OF English mot native) troops
shall be kept over the spot night and day
till the experiment is ended de an
nounced this TO the head of the order, who
accepted the proposition. So just at the
moment the old moon became the new the
seemingly lifsless body was placed in the
tomb, or pit, wrapped in layers of Woolen
cloth The great stone was placed With
derrick and pulies over the mouth OF the
chamber, and the same cement they had ID
preparing the bottom and walls was used to
| fill in the small crevices between the walls
end the great closing stone. Then five feet
of earth tit was carefully measured by the
ade.de-camp presept) was filed in. The
millet was then sprinkled over the moist,
rich soil, handful or two being used. and
the ceremonies were closed.
1.-TWO of the Epglishmen remained at the
place til the detail of guard, from new
regiment lust come out to India, was made.
The place was watched day and night.
There was no possibility of any interference
| from the priests. The tackle used in lifting
and placing the great fiat stone over the
mouth of the pit was removed, and without
! it the mass of granite could not be handled
at all Oy human hands.
s'The millet sprouted and grew green and
thick with the spring rains. Lord Lytton
| felt little anxious. As lar as he could tell
and see everything was done in good faith.
The priests went to their homes, trusting
the matter to the English Saib.' The
Governor General watched the growth OF
the milet-a cereal not ualike barley. 1t
grew and lourished. Its bearded heads be-
gan to bend down with the hardening grain
as they grew brown IN tho sun and ripened.
The time had almost expired.
Fifty six days had elapsed, and one
evening the Governor General was told
| that some native priests wished an audience
with him. It was just before the sunset.
He went into the receiving salon, and be
| hold. there were his friends from-.
The time has expired, my Lord Saib,' aaid
| the eldest--there were five. The mil'et IS
full ripe To-day it has reached its perfec-
tiou Nature can do nc more. Tonight,
at midnight, if your Lordship wills, we will
take our brother from the earth where va
placed him..
Lord Lytton gave the permission ard
waited the end Of the trial At little be-
fore the midnight hour they all met at the
little hil1nnk o~vo~rI -7It{, tho rinene6