FIRE-WALKING IN JAPAN.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8840, 17 June 1907, Page 4

FIRE-WALKING IN JAPAN.

The following interesting description of fire-walking as practised iu Japan is contained iu a lettel - from Mr W. W. Smith, of Christchurch, despatched from Tokio in May last; —“I have just come homo from seeing a fire-walking performance :at one of the Shinto in j Tokio, and thought you would like to hear how they, the priests, do it as compared to the Fijians at our Exhibition. Well, the fire was composed of a layer of charcoal about 30ft. long by about 7ft. wide and 18in. high, then ou ton of the charcoal a layer of wood, then a tin of kerosene was poured over it, and set fire to, aud after burning one hour, till all was a mass of red-hot fire, the priest came out aud performed some incantations, and used fans to fan the rod-hot embers. They then placed some white powder at each end of the fire, and five priests all walked through it. Th*y took seven steps-each to go through, and came round and did the performauce about twelve times. There was no mistake about the heat, as the people in front had to rise aud turn their backs to it. There was a very large crowd, and platforms •rected for tho visitors. About 300 Europeans were present, who all seemed pleased. One young man tried it, and after the priests had made some mesmeric passes over the fire he walked through as they did, only he followed injheir track, and their walking on it had made tho track black. There was no mistake about the heat, _ as I was a good way off and felt it. ’ ’