The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04
KNOWN ONLY TO SAVACES
MYSTERIOUS POWERS OF SETTING
ASIDE THE LAWS OF NATURE.
Ability to Walk on Red-Hot Stones
with Immunity from Harm-Send-
ing News without Wires.
london Answers.

with bare feet seems a ridiculous impossi-
bility. Yet that the Marois and other Pa
cific natives possess the power of accom-
plishing the feat We have evidence that
cannot be disputed
Not only can certain of these Polynesians
walk over the glowing stones unframed
but they able to delegate their power
to other people. In the Journal of the Poly
nesian Society, Colonel Gudgeon, British
resident at Raratonga, one of the Cook
Islands, describes such an occurrence. 1t
was on Jan. 20, 1899 For many hours
large fire had been kept up on a foundation
of large stones, and at o'clock in the aft
ernoon, when the burning embers were
raked aside, the colonel found the stones
to be hot that branch of green wood
thrown upon them blazed up in few mo-
ments.
The native priest struck the edge of the
furnace three times with a branch of the
ti-tree. and then he and his pupil slowly
walked across. The pupil afterward hand
ed his branch to Mr.. Goodwin another
Englishman who was present, and said: Il
give my mana power) over to you. Walk
across with your friends Four white
men thereupon walked across, including
SOlOnti 1uQSeOH IHc ldilcT, uSSCliOAiS
the experience says: II knew quite well 1
was walking on red-hot stones and could
feel the heat, yet 1 was not burned 1 felt
something resembling slight electric shocks
both at the time and afterward, but that
was ALL
The Shintos of Japan possess some SINH
lar secret. AT the Houshi Shinshukyo tenn
pie. in the district of Kanda, Toxic. there
is fre-walking performance every half
year. Another equally extraordinary feat
is the ''yubana'' ordeal by boiling water.
At this the devotees literally drench them
selves with water out of cauldron at a
gallopng boil. 1t would take the skin off
any one else, but not blister appears upon
the bodies of these Shinto priests. The
only explanation they vouchsafe is that
they draw out the spirit of the water,
and so it becomes harmless. Think of the
value of such a secret to the engine crew
of modern torpedo boat.
So-called savages, even of very low types,
are able to do many things which the
modern scientist cannot explain, and some
times to beat the white man at his own
game. Mr.. Servais lie Roy's name is well
known to all who take interest in
conjuring. On one occasion this master
of mysteries took trip into the Congo.
His feats of magic delighted the natives,
and their professional mag1cians would
frequently show the greatest interest in
his tricks. At last, however. he met one
who was more than his match. This man
took an ordinary turnip and made 1t
change into human face. How he did it
the Belgian conjurer has never succeeded
in discovering.
to be able to turn themselves into lions,
or other animals, and so travel vast dis
tances. and find out the plans Of their
certain that these tribes have means Of
finding out with Geographic rapidity oc-
currences at great distances.
About five years ago DR.. r. w. Felkin,
accompanied Emin Pasha on a tour
through Uganda and the territory behind
it, The doctor then travelled northwards
toward the Soudan. At last he got to
L.ado, about thousand miles south of
khartoum. One morning after his arrival
a local wizard told him that during the
previous night he had been at Meschera
that two steamers had arrived there.
The doctor, who had been away from
civilization so long that he knew nothing
OF the retaking of the Soudan, laughed at
the news. But the mlogo. or wizard, in
sisted it was true, described the people
on the boats, and spoke of one English
man, short, with big beard, who had
letters for Dr.. Felkin. He said he was
coming to Lado and would be there in
about thirty days. Thirty-two days later
the wizard. the doctor believes that he
never was more than a few miles from
his native village in his life. 1t seems
certain that he, and others of his kind
must have far greater command over
the mysteries of biography than any
European.
tives have means of distributing news Of
which We know nothing. The relief of
Mafeking was known next day in Zulu
land and also 200 miles away in the in
terror of Cape Colony. 1t has been sug-
gested that runners carry the news from
village 10 village; that men shout from
hilltop to hilltop, or that smoke signals
are sufficient. for news travels in a fiat
| forest country, and even across seas. as
quickly as among the South African
The celebrated African traveller, Captain
| Wellby, had an utterly unexplainable ex-
| perience when fortnight's journey south
| or Ads Adeeba, In Abyssinia man
| rushed into camp shouting: ''Walamo!
Walamo!" He fell down in a fit, and was
raving lunatic for many hours. His
| men told the explorer that they were in
| the country of the Walamo, or devil pos
sessed" people. These, they declared, were
| able to drive a man mad, and it was dan
| gerous to eat in their presence. One of
| Captain Wellbys men did so. and he. too,
went mad. Resolving to put an end to
| this superstition, the captain himself ate
| meal before about a hundred of the
Walamo. He thought no more about it I'M
| til the next morning, when he found him.
| self miserably ill, although up to that date
he had not been unwell single day during
| his journey.
| He confesses that he could find no cause
| for the evil effects resulting from con-
tact with lHeSe curious people. Inc wal
amo were by no means repulsive. The
men Were tall and powerful and the women
very good looking. They were, he adds,
| always laughing and full of fun.
The papalci. obeah man, exercises
| the most absolute dominion over the ne
groes in our West Indian islands. espe-
cially Jamaica. He has secrets behind
| him which give him this power. Some
| of these wizards have, for instance, the
power of injecting enemy with leprosy.
| Their knowledge of posons is far beyond
| that Of the European druggist. Quite re-
Gently the old and trusted servant of a
| British official in Jamaica went off his
| head and was evidently unable to under
| stand what was said To him. His wife
! declared: that he must have unwittngly Of
| Tended the obeah man.
| His master said that was all nonsense,
and put the man under the care of first
rate European doctor. After three weeks
| during which the unfortunate man got
| steadily worse, the doctor gave him I'D as
| incurable. His wife thereupon took him up
| the mountain TO the obeah mans house.
| The latter examined him, and then mixed
| some leaves into thick green paste and
made him eat them. Three days later he
| was quite well again.