FIJI FIRE-WALKERS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1961, 18 December 1906, Page 3

FIJI FIRE-WALKERS

AT THE EXHIBITION. lira-"***# PRESS ASSOCIATION Christchurch, las# nigbf. Thefirat ofthefire walking performances by the troopo of Fijians from she Island of Bega took place on the Exhibition sports ground this afternoon, and was witnessed by nearly 4000 spectators. The pit was dug on Saturday, aod the stones were placed in position and covered with the Jpflammable wood brought over from Fiji. .Ih'roadinoss for to day the fire was lighted early this morning, and the logs covering tbo stones blazed all day. Tois afternoon the balf burnt legs were removed, aod tbe wood, asbes, etc., oleared away, leaving the stones dean and intensely het, and at a given signal tbe fire-walkers emerged frem their place of concealment, ran to the pit, and walked over the hot Btones, leaving tbe pit at tbe point of entranceThey walked confidently and swiftly, and were in tbe pit for a little over balf a minute. The masawo for the subsequent feast was then thrown upon the stones, and the fire-walkers remained kaeeling for a time upon tbs masawes. A commencement was made with tbe filling in of tbe oven, when tbe crowd surged round and caused operations to be suspended for a lime. The oven was eventually filled in, and will be left till Thursday, when tbe cooked masawe will be eaten by tbe fire-walkers prior to tbe second performance,

A special message, describing an interview with the fire-walkers, stated : —The

yougest of the fire walkers, I ascertained is 24 years of age and the oldest about 51, The oldest, a pleasant faeod fellow with black hair tinged with silver grey, is named Titus and he is tho most expert firewalker of the lot, He it is who always leads, and he it is who is able to stay the longest on the hot stones, “How long have you been firc-walk-ing ? ” I asked, “ Since tbe measles came to Fiji,” he replied. It appears that tho Fijians date a lot of things from tho time of tho measles, and they have reason to remember that epidemic, for not knowing what tho fever wa3, they rushed into the .sea to cool

themselves, and died in thousands, The

time of tho measles was about forty years ' ago, so old Tana has been fi;r-walking for forty years. Ho looks none the worse for it, and still wears the same pair of feet. He let me feel the soles of his feet, and there was nothing about them that seemed at all abnormal.

The Begana Bay it is the spirits that jsave Ihem from being burned by the red HSbot stones, and that if others bad the faith they could do likewise. As a matter of fact, a friend of my own, LieutenantColonel Gudgeon, did go snoce3sfa)ly through the ordeal when the Tahitan firewalkers were at Barotonga, so 1 suspect that it is not faith bat something on the lines of a thin layer of vapour, such as

■saved the Prince of Wales’ band when si the instance of a great soioniist he plunged it into a cauldron of molten metal. However, the performance ie sufficiently wonderful, and no doubt pocplo will flock from all parts of New Zealand to tho Chrisioburoh Exhibition for tbo purpose of seeing 'it, la all some four, porbapß five performances will be giveD. Mr Duncan (who is in charge) took me down So the BSeamer, and showed me tbo native dresses and the whole of the paraphernalia that will be used in connection with the fire-walking—the stones for thD oven, the timbir for making the fire, hibiscus to throw in tbe oven and other materials have been hrought over from the island of Bega, They have simply lifted the original oven from tbe island and transplanted in into New Zealand. It will liako fully a day to heat the oven. Finally t when all is ready, and the public are allowed in, none of tbe natives will be seeD, only tbe oven with the timbers Btill blazing over tbe red bot stones. At a

aigoal, a number of tbe men will tush in, pull away from the stones tbo blazwood, and level out tho stenea. They then give tbe oty that the great spirit in olden times told them to use, and tho actual fire-walkers, who have all this time been bidden in a bower about fifty yards distant from tbe oven, will appear and walk three times round on tbe bot stones cf tho pit, Thereupon the green branches from the sides will be thrown in, and will immediately begin to burn and emokr. The fire-walkers will 4hen sit on the branches in the mlddlo of tho oven. At this time tho masawo, tho root of the F.jiana’ dracaena, will bo placed in the oven to cook, tbe fire walkers’ remaining on tho oven until they are lost sight of in the smoko and steam. Then they will bury the oven and dance a meke or war danoe. The Masawe, which, ■on beiDg cooked, changes to c glutinous substance with a sweet taste and a flavor as of liquorice, must then be partaken of with dalo, another baked root, aud after that, according to the native rites and

customs, tbero can bo no more fire walking

for three days, This will bo tho first %■■■ ccoasion on which the ocremony of firewalking has been performed by Fijisns out of Fj', and much interest is beiDg taken in tbo performance throughout the colony,