The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-21

IT was nearly $40 O'Clock When SIX
acolytes (natives), wearing crowns or
flowers, wreathed with sarlahas ano
hearing poles nearly fifteen feet long,
cstensiI,1y. to be used as levers in top
ming over the upper stones. ;s:pNr'eI
They were supposed to need such long
p,i.s IeSaus. {: the distan e 1T wh.'a
hey mast .Iand on account II the heat
from the pile, but had walked
close beside it moment before aud sa--
isfied myself that / could have manipu-
lated the stones with a lever of one
third the length, with some discomfort,
hut with absolute safety. Some of the |
unnermost stones only were turned, leav-
ing a superior layer, the long poles be
ing needlessIy thrust down between the |
stones to the bottom, where two of them |
caught fire at their extremities, adding |
very much to the impression that the !
exposed layer of stone was red hot |
when in fact they were not, at least 10 |
the eve These long poles and the way |
they were handled, We're, then, part
of the ingenious staging of the Wnoio
spectacle.
Now the most impressive part of the
ceremony began. Papa-Ita, tall, dtgniti-
ed doWer-crowned and dressed with gar
lands of flowers, appeared with naked
feet and with large bush OF II leaves
in his hands, and, after going partly
around the fire each way. uttering what
seemed to be commands TO it, went back
and, beating the stones nearest MN
three times with the TT leaves, ad-
vanced steadily, but with obviously hur-
ried step, directly over the central ridge
of the pile Two disciples, similarly
dressed followed him, but they had not
the courage to go so directly along the
heated center. They followed about half
way between the center and the ridge
where the stones were manltestly coo'er,
since 1 had satisfied myself that they
could be touched slightly with the mana.
Papa-Ita then turned and led the way
hack this time with deliberate conf
dence. followed on his return by several
new disciples most of them not Keeping
| exactly in the steps of the leader, but
obviously seeking cooler places. A tntrd
| and fourth time Papa-1ta crossed win a
larger following, after which many Euro
peans present walked over the stones
without reference to the priests instr'i;-
| tions. The natives We're mostly IN lneF
hare feet One wore stockings. No Euro
mean attempted to walk in bare feet ex-
cent In one case, that of boy, who,
| was told found the stones too Lot anc
immediately stepped back
| The mise en- scene was certainly note
| worthy The site near the great ocean
| breaking on the barrier reefs, the tNclt-
ed crowd, talking about red hot stones.
the actual sight of the hierophant and
his acolytes making the passage along
| the ridge where the occasional tongues
of flame were seen at the center, with all
the attendant circumstances, made up a
scene in no way lacking in interest. stu,
| the essential question as to the actdal
| heat of these stones had not yet Deeh
| answered, and after the fourth passage
| 1 secured Papa-Ita's permission TO re-
move. from the middle of the pile, "ne
stone which from it's size and position
averv foot had rested upon in crossing.
and which was undoubtedly at least as
hot as any one of those trodden on II
was pulled out by my assistants with dlr-
fculty, as 1t proved to be larger than L
had expected. it being of ovoid shape
with the lower end in the hottest part oil
the fire. / had brought over the largest
wooden bucket which the ship had,
which was half filled with water, expect
ing that this would cover the stone, but
1t proved to be hardly enough. The
stone caused the water to rise nearly TO
the top of the bucket. and it was thrown
into such violent ebuliition that great
deal of 1t boiled over and escaped weigh
ing The stone was, an exceedingly pad
conductor of heat, for 1t continued TO
boil the water for about twelve minutes,
when the ebullition being nearly over
It was removed to the ship and the
amount of eyaporated water measured.
Meanwhile others, as l have said, be-
gan to walk over the stones without any
reference to the ceremony prescribed by
Papa-Ita and three or four persons,
whom 1 personally knew on board the
ship. did so in shoes, the soles of which
were not burned at ALL One of the gen.
tlemen. however who crossed over with
unburned shoes, showed me that the ends
of his trousers had been burned by lie
flames which leaped up between the
stones, and at all times added so much
to the impresSiveness of the spectacle,
and there was no doubt that any one
who stumbled or got a foot caught be-
tween the hot stones might have been
badly burned. United States Deputy
Consul Ducorran, who was present, re-
marked to me that he knew that Papa
tia had failed on a neighborins Island,
with stones of Il marble-like quality, ana
he offered to test the heat of these ba-
saltic ones by seeing how long he could
remain on the hottest part of the File,
and he stood there in my sight from
!. eight to ten seconds before lie felt the
heat through the In soles of his
shoes beginning to be unpleasantly
warm.
| A man present asked Papa-1ta why he
did not give an exhibit that would be
convincing by placing his foot even for
a few seconds, between two of the red
hot stones which could be seen glowing
at the bottom of the pile. to which Para
, TIA replied with dignity, MY fathers
did not tell him to do it that way"
asked him If he would hold one of the
smaller upper hot stones in his hand. lie
promised to do so, but did not.
The outer barriers were now removed
and 81 crowd Of natives rast d in. !,
who was taking these notes on the spot,
t left, after assuring myself that the
/ stones around the edge of the pit Were
comparatively cold, although the center
, was no doubt very hot. and those below
red hot. The real question is, I repeat
How hot were those trodden on? and the
j answer to this 1 was to try 10 obtain
S after measuring the water boiled away.
\ On returning to the ship this was est
a mated from the water which was left II
! the bucket (after allowing for that spill
, | ed ove) at about ten pounds. The stone
: which, it will be remembered, was on
of the hottest in the pile, was found Z
: weigh siXty-five pounds, and to hav'
:. evaporated this quantity of water. l
r was. as have said. a volcanic stone
Y and on minuter examination proved t
be a vascular basalt, the most isttnc
Of Zee ~