The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-03
MYSTERIES OF THE PRIMITIVE MAN.


MYSTERIES OF THE PRIMITIVE MAN.
European writer has at pains recently to in
vestigate phenomena observed by many Europeans in
their dealings with CT other races revealing extra
ordinary knowledge Independent apparently of the usual
channels OF communication which those have been
sometimes found to possess Of events happening at
distance The investigator has drawn experience in
America India and South Africa for illustrations. He
cites among other things the startling powers Of the
Kaflrs in this respect.
The Beers had an excellent system Of communication.
Their scouts spies they call them, were so well
posted that if British column convoy moved from
any post all the commanders within seventy miles knew
it the same day thus giving them time to prepare for
attack or TO clear off of the OF march of the
column or convoy was sent from commando to com
mando all being soon acquainted with the British move
ments. That the Beers employed KafHrs to keep them
informed OF British movements scarcely admits OF ques
ton.
into Thibet without permission have usually failed for
however carefully they may have arranged their plans
they always the most unexpected places by
the Thbean guards, who make them prisoners. com
pei them to return.
The explanations usually given by this rapid diffusion
Of intelligence only cover portion Of the facts; and
while may be admitted the probability OF easily
explained means of Communication in certain cases, it
seems not improbable that there may not be one but
several modes of communicating intelligence to dis
lance which known the ancients but the know
edge of which has not descended to- yet been
rediscoyered by, the scientific of modern Europe
though this knowledge may well have been perpetuaed
among of the descendants of ancient races whom
we apt to despise "savages" The hello
graph was employed by the Arabs to transmit intel
hgence from city to city throughout their empire nine
hundred years ago. and there curious passage in the
writings of Cornelius Agrippa who lived about the time
OF Henry WILL which may relate to the heiograph (the
moon being substituted for the sun as throw
the unintated off the track fthe secret else may
relate to other or less similar of trans
hitting intelligence, probably derived from ancient
sources, which down to the time of Agrppa but
which did not descend to our own time Agrippa audes
to the magic lantern and the obscura and pro-
ceeds: IF any shall take images arfcally painted
written letters and in clear light set them against
the beams of the full whose resemblance being
multiplied in the disk and caught upward and reflected
back again with the beams Of the any other
that is prvy the thing long distance Sees reads
them the very Compass and Circle of the
Moon. which Art OF declaring Secrets is indeed very
profitable Towns and Cities that besieged being
thing which Pythagoras long since did often do, and
which is not unknown to in these days will not
except myself" Here we have nothing more whatever
may be the real phenomena alluded than optical
contrvance the footing with the magic lantern
and the camera obscura.
Probably the narrators may have omitted some par
ticuars which might have enabled to give plaus
bic explanation of the of secret eegraphy which
they have recorded but they do not be all
picabe by only. observation-disclosures sponta
artificial may sometimes account for the per
ception of enenys plans in time; but the
Of Cornelius Agrippa and Swedenborg due rather
to optical phenomena of unusual imperfectly
description. With these may perhaps
meet the phenomena Of mirage stories of the appearance
of armies fighting in the air flor the explanation
of these being only supersous establishment of the
borealis is very conyncng) and the appear
said to have been witnessed the
thon and other great battles for years afterwards Other
of abnormal perception of may possibly be
due to the imperfect working Of faculties usually abey
ance in ordinary waking state but which may be-
has been conjectured faculties which the human race
enjoyed at earlier stage in the history but
which have since fallen into disuse possibly dawning
faculties which will become fully developed in future
of men, or thirdly faculties in what we may call
larva condition which do not pertain our present
life ali, but other stage in our existence
though potentially present rare occasions partially
active even here and now.