THE ORDEAL OF FIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1340, 13 September 1886, Page 3

THE ORDEAL OF FIRE.

[by a k, haktweix ] At the Island of Bsiatea, in the Sooth Pacific Ocean, cm the 20th September, 1885, I witnessed the wonderful, and, to me, the unexplainable i erformince,of pass log through ih» fiery furnance. It is performed by the natives of the island, and Is at times, as I am informed, observed aa a religious ceremony. The furnace which I saw was an excavation of 3ft or 4ft in the ground in a circular form and about 30ft across. The excava tion was filled with logs and wood, and then covered with large stones. A fire was built underneath, and kept burning for about a day. when I witnessed it on the ■econd day the flames were pouring up through the interstices of the rooks which where heated to a red and white heat. When everything was in readiness, and the furnace still pouring out its intense heat, the natives marched up with solemn countenance and measured tread to the edge of the furnace, where they halted lor a moment, and after a few passes with wands made of the branches of the tea root, by the leaders, and the repeating of a few words in their native language, the little company stepped down on to the rooks, and walked leisurely across to the Ather side with their bare feet, stepping from stone to stone. This was repeated five times. At the last crossing there were nineteen men and women passed through. Tnis was done without any preparation whatever on their feet, and without in jiry or discomfort from the heated stones. There was not even the “ smell of fire on their garments.”— San Francisco Bulletin