The record-union., 1898-07-26


the earth oven. Sometimes the heat is
SO terrific that the operators are unable
directly to manipulate the levers them
selves, SO they are compelled TO rest
the poles on the sides of the oven, and
then pull on them by means of vine
ropes. The Fijians who take part in
this ceremony make for themselves out
of the broad banana leaf special kind
of garment to shelter their bodies from
the heat given off by the white hot
stones. When the big embers have
been removed, the wood ashes are
swept away by means of whisks fast
ened to the ends of long sticks, and
then nothing remains in the over save
the clean layer of glowing stones. These
preliminaries, after the fire has burned
itself out, occupy about half an hour,
and then all is ready for the ceremony
itself AT a given signal the perform
ers, bare legged and bare footed, ex-
cepting for the anklets of dried fern
leaves, crowd into the pit and begin
walking leisurely about as if on a fash
ionable promenade.
Here is the narrative Of a person who
witnessed the ceremony: Jonathan, a
native magistrate led the way into the
pit, closely followed by fourteen others
They marched round about the oven,
moving slowly and leisurely and tread
ing firmly on the red hot stones. The
spectacle held me spellbound. Every
moment / expected my nostrils to be
assailed with the smell Of burning hui
man flesh, but it was not so; and as
l looked in the faces of the men stroll
ing about in the lOvo / could see no
emotion whatever depicted, but merely
the inscrutable impassivity of feature
common to many savage races. Some
of the bystanders threw bundles of
green leaves and branches into the
oven, and then Immediately the men
inside Were half hidden in the clouds of
steam that arose from the Kissing,
boiling sap. HandkerchiefS We're also
thrown in, and afforded an unmistak-
able proof that there was no deception.
Before these lace trif1es reached the
floor of the oven they were alight and
almost consumed by the great heat.
Presently Jonathan and his followers
marched out of the inferno, and were
promptly examined by the Governors
Commissioner. Not only was there not
the least trace of burning, but even
their anklets, which were of dried fern
leaves, and, therefore, extremely in
f1ammable, were not SO much as singed."
Jonathan himself was closely cross
examined by the Government officials
presented whom he stood in great awe
and he declared with perfect candor.
There is no trick. Why should there
be? / and my forefathers have done
this thing for generations, long before
the white man came into the islands.
Some of US may not believe the legend
of the Fairy Chief Moliwai, but l do
believe that it has been given to my
tribe to pass unframed at all times
through the masawe oven" Another
official eye witness declares 1.-The men
had not anointed themselves with any
preparation whatsoever" Traders,
missionaries and others who have wit
messed the ceremony cannot explain it,
and some have endeavored to do the
thing themselves, with the most hor-
rible and disastrous results
One official theory, given by Lord
Stanmore's aidede-camp, is contained
in the following: Il venture to think
that the ordinary mortal who visits
tropical chimes has no idea of the
amount of heat the natives can bear on
the soles of their feet. Let any one put
his hand upon a rock or object on which
the tropical sun has been playing for
hours, and the result will be that he
will find himself extremely anxious to
withdraw it as speedily as possible.
The native, however, can go all day
on the rocks and not feel the heat. In
fact, he has on the soles of his feet a
natural sort of leathery substance-a
non-conductor of heat-perhaps an
eighth of an inch thick. He can even
peel off the skin of the soles of his feet
and yet feel no pain" Lord Staninore
himself, however in a letter to the
writer, directly contradicts the infer
ence here conveyed If we accept this
theory" he says in effect, the thing
excites no wonder. 1t is not, however,
the case that the natives feet are so
insensible. have often seen the hardi-
est of natives crossing a short extent Of
the shingly bed OF a river in the hot
sunshine, compelled TO run off and cool
their feet in the stream, being utterly
unable to bear the heat of the sun
warmed stones" And Lord Stanmores
testimony is conclusive. In his opinion
the thing is simply inexplicable, and a
better theory will have TO be found
than the callOusness of the performers
feet. But even granting that the naked
feet of the Fijians do become somewhat
hardened in the course of years, is it
to be supposed that they can walk leis-
urely about barefooted on white hot
stones, pressing their cuticle on to the
glowing surface with all the weight of
their body?-World Wide Magazine.
------sp-------
Phillimore and the Navy Board.
Fifty years ago the allowance of
paint in the British navy was very
small, and sometimes the officers had
to pay large sums in order that their
ships might maintain a decent appear
ance. One of them resorted to a hui
morous expedient. either to soften the