The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-17
FOR PAPA'S
SAUNT ER|NG
Hot CauseWay Is Being
Prepared.
At KAUMAKAP|L| CHURCH
The Aged Tahitian Firewalker Says
None Dare Follow
Him.

year ago rid Honolulu of her foulesl
spot, when the bubonic plague held the
city in it's grasp, preparations are go
ing on for the ordeal of the aged Ia
hitian, Papa TIA, who is to walk over
white-hot lava stones on Saturday
night.
/, All day yesterday curious people
fiocked to the scene of the prophesled
marvel, anxious to see what was Delng
done toward making things ready for
the great feat.
Little groups of citizens stood around
an open pit and exchanged ideas and
theories on the subject of fire-walklng
until the sun sank low in the heavens
and it was too dark for them to see
anything more.
Would the Tahitian, about whom so
much had been said and printed, really
walk upon the white heated stones as
he had promised, and as it was said
he had done many times before? Ii
he We're really able to do what he SAID.
how was it that he did it, and by what
power did he control the flames and
| forbid the fire to do him harm?
| Would anyone dare to follow him
| over the fire-fed lava stones? Would
! the local haole aSpirant IN things oc-
| cult dare to do what he had promised,
and follow in Papa Ita'S burning foot
steps? All these questions and a great
many more the people asked them
selves and each other through the day.
| A high fence is being erected on a
| lot in front of the ruins of kaumaka-
| pill Church in the form of square.
In the middle of this square large
| 1r1cr ipfx fact Ion nv
fifteen feet wide, and three or four feet
| in depth. LaborerS were busy carting
away the earth which had been exca-
waited, while others were working on
| the outer fence, and also upon guard
| rail which is to be placed around the
| bed of fire, twenty feet away from
! the causeway of Scorching stones, so
that people will not be crowded upon
the fire and suffer injury. a great
quantity of hau wood, which has been
obtained with considerable difficulty
and at some expense, will first be
placed in the prepared pit, heaped sup
high Then the lava stones Will be
placed upon the wood and the fire will
be started. 81
Although the exhibition is not to take
place until o'clock in the evening,
the fire will be started about 1 O'Clock
| in the afternoon of Saturday, and
many people will be there all the at
ternoon to watch the progress of the
| fire and to see the pyramid of burning
wood and notwithstanding stones. fan
| in and become level, ana In a condi-
ton to be stepped upon by the feet
of Papa TIA
When asked concerning certain per-
sons walking over the heated stones
| after he had gone through the ordeal
himself, Papa tia said that he was
about sixty-fve years of age, and that
| he had spent something like thirty
years of hard study and training TO
| fit him for the ordeal and that if
others thought that they could accom-
plish the feat in a moment, they must
be very, very wise.
mo white man can do this" he said,
''he would be Immediately burned up
on stepping upon the stones, and his
| clothing would be consumed at once.
! If piece of paper is placed upon my
shoulder as 1 pass over the hot stones
it would be suddenly withered SO in
tense is the heat"
Wearing only white robe and arm
ed only with a ii leaf, Papa tia will
walk over the living fire unframed and
defy any man to follow him.
! q. III. Edwards, a former resident of
Mauritius, who is now living in Homo
lulu, witnessed there a similar exhibit
ton to that Papa tia proposes to give
Mr.. Edwards said yesterday:
/ Shortly after my arrival in Mauritius
/ saw a notice in the local papers in
forming the public that special trains
would be run on a given date-the 4th
of January. if 1 remember rightly-.o
Rose Hill, on the occasion of the walk
ing through the fire.
Curiosity prompted me to avail my
self of an opportunity of witnessing this
performance, of which I had recently
heard so much; so on the day fixed ]
hooked to Rose Hill.
| ION arriving at the station I found a
motley crowd-composed principally OF
Indians. In all good nature, men, wonl-
len and children hustled each other,
Laughing, chatting and full of badinage.
As they all appeared to be bound in one
direction, / naturally concluded that by
following in their wake I should eventu-
ally arrive at the spot where the feat
Iof walking through the fire. was to be
witnessed. e
I'm a very short time was not only
a follower, but being followed-for I
found myself unit in a surging mass
OF humanity. In about half an hour
emerged into large open space, around
(which had been erected rry-go-rounds
swings and temporary booths, in which
cakes, sweets and non-intoxicants were
being offered for sale-a perfect repre-
isentation OF a country fair AS these
had no attraction for me I made towards
ia place where the largest crowd appeared
TO be collecting. In course of time, man.
aging to elbow my way through. / reach
led the innermost circle, though not to
stay for long. Immediately in front of
me was hole about fifteen feet wide,
forty feet long and two feet deep. In
the hole had been put layer of char
coal about one foot in depth This had
been lighted sometime previous to my ar
rival, and was now a living mass of fire
Although standing some fifteen feet away
from the edge the heat was so great
that / was glad to take shelter behind
the buriiest figure I could find, several
rows in the rear
In time a loud beating of tom-toms
was heard. This appeared to be the sig.
nal for the killing of several goats
whose decapitated carcasses were drag
ged with great solemnity round the pit
Meantime the tonl-tom beaters drew
nearer, and, as the crowd divided, the
first thing I saw was a huge chatty OF
vase full of flowers. This was being car
RED on the head by man attired il
most fantastic garb. who walked witt
slow and measured step in front of tht