Fulton. — On the Fiji Fire-walking Ceremony. 195 



to pulp again points to but one conclusion. It seems to me 

 evident that such a stone does not throw off or radiate its 

 heat to anything like the extent that an ordinary stone 

 does, and that, given a foot in contact with it for one second, 

 the heat penetrating into that foot is not more than a frac- 

 tion of what would come from a stone of different compo- 

 sition in the same space of time. I draw the conclusion 

 that this volcanic stone does not burn matter coming mo- 

 mentarily in contact with it to the extent that many other 

 heated bodies would. Further, it is a remarkable fact, which 

 seems to have hitherto escaped notice, that fresh stones are 

 used for each performance. Fresh boulders in heap3 certainly 

 appear in all pictures of preparation for "fire-walking," and 

 the description of the heating is in all cases almost identi- 

 cal. So far as I could gather that is so, the natives never 

 using split or already burnt stones, but having fresh ones 

 for each " walk." 



Now, it was noticed by Mr. Burke and others Q), includ- 

 ing myself, that the assistants, or " supers," as one may call 

 them, were most particular in turning and re-turning the 

 stones until in most cases the smooth side — that is to say, 

 the flattened side — was uppermost. To me the significance 

 of that arrangement was evident. The stones, originally 

 rounded, were split by the action of the heat into segments, 

 in many cases preserving on one side a convex surface, which 

 I think received more of the heat, being part of the original 

 outside of the stone ; the flattened or fractured surface, on 

 the other hand, being from the inside, received, owing to 

 poor conduction, a less amount of heat. It would be pos- 

 sible for the "walkers" to avoid any stone which did not 

 show a flattened or fractured surface, and that choice, I 

 think, would lessen the amount of heat absorbed into the 

 foot. This seems to me a point for future observers to look 

 into. 



Fresh round stones are used every time, and the " walk- 

 ing " does not take place till all or nearly all of them are 

 split up. The fire is then removed, and much time and 

 trouble is spent in getting the flattish surface of the stone 

 upwards. It must be borne in mind that while the stones 

 are lying in the oven the upper surface of each is practically 

 the onlv part that is cooling, and that to a very slight extent, 

 as the lower and greatly heated surfaces are then all in con- 

 tact with one another. This it is that makes the "mean" 

 heat of the stone seem so great on removal from the fire, and 

 the comparative coolness of one surface is unsuspected. So 

 long as the stone remains in the highly heated lovo radiation 

 is infinitesimal, first from the peculiar character of the stone, 

 of which you shall presently hear, but also from the fact that 



