The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-05
ZULU MAGIC.
strange and Startling Feats Performed
by South African Conjurers.
krnnl The Nnrth American Ro,,ic.r

strange and Startling Feats Perform ed
by South African Conjurers.
From the North american ReUietU.
During the Zulu war l was in South
Africa, travelling north through Zululand.
In Dun's reservation, 200 miles north OF
Durham, in Natal. I saw u witch doctor
levitate the form Of a young Zulu by wav.
ing tuft OF grass about his head amid
surroundings calculated to impress them
selves deeply upon the most prosaio imagi-
nation. 1t was evening, and the witch
doctor, who belonged to the GLASS described
more than once by Rider Haggard with
great accuracy, was as, revolving in his
appearance as the high caste fakirs
had been pleasing. A number of fakirs
had gathered about our campfire and had
given them some illustrations of nv own
skill. They seemed puzz ed, but were not
especially curious. One of them stole away,
and otter some minutes returned with their
own conjurer the witch doctor in question.
After considerable solicitation from the ma
tives the intricacies of which my knowledge
of the Zulu language did not enable me
quite to penetrate, the conjurer, no at first
seemed reluctant TO give his consent to an
exhibition of his powers before me, took a
knob kerry, or club, and fastened it at the
end of thong Of rRwhide about two feet
long.
A young native, tall and athletic, whose
eyes appeared to be fixed upon those of the
conjurer with an apprehensive steadfast-
ness, took his own knob kerry and faster ed
it at the end Of similar thong of hide. The
two then stood about 6 feet apart, in the
full glare of the fire, and began, all the
while in silence, to whiri their knob kerries
about their heads noticed that when the
two clubs seemed in their swift flight
-. g., In f.n rt-
passed or appeared to pass from one of them
to the other. The third time this happened
there was al explosion, the spark appeared
to burst, the young mans knob kerry was
shattered to pieces, and he fell to the ground
apparently lifeless. The witch doctor
turned to the high grass few feet behind
us and gathered a handful of stalks about
3 feet long.
Standing in the shadow and away from
the fire, he waved, with a swift motion, ex-
actly similar to that of the clubs a few min
utes before, the bunch OF grass around the
head of the young Zulu, who lay as dead,
in the freight. In a moment or two the
grass seemed to ignite in its flight, although
the witch doctor was not standing within
twenty feet of the fire, and burned slowly,
cracking audibly. Approaching more
closely the form OF the native in the trance
the conjurer waved the flaming grass
gently over his figure. about a foot from
the flesh. To my intense amazement the
recumbent body slowly rose from the ground
and foated upward in the air to hight OF
about three feet, remaining in suspension
and moving up and down, according as the
passes of the burning grass were slower or
faster AS the grass burned out and
dropped to the ground the body returned
to its position on the ground and after
few passes from the hands OF the witch
doctor the young Zulu leaped to his feet >,
apparently none the worse for his wonder
full experience.