672 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



unable to suggest any explanation or theory, I am absolutely 

 certain as to the truth of the facts and the bona fides of the 

 actors. A feature is that, wherever this power is found, it 

 is possessed by but a limited few. I was assured too that 

 any person holding the hand of one of the fire-walkers could 

 himself pass through the oven unharmed. This the natives 

 positively assert. 



My friend Mr. Walter Carew, for thirty years a Eesident 

 Commissioner and Stipendiary Magistrate in Fiji, has fre- 

 quently conversed with Jonathan (referred to above), who, 

 whilst \vithholding no explanation, can give none. He says, 

 " I can do it, but I do not know how it is done "; and, further, 

 that at the time he does not experience any heat or other 

 sensation. 



Does any psychical condition explain these facts, as sug- 

 gested in Lang's " Modern Mythology " ? I certainly did not 

 observe any appearance of trance or other mental condition. 

 In connection wath this Mr. Carew thinks that intense faith is 

 the explanation, and that if this were upset the descendants 

 of Na Galita would be no longer charmed. But it is difficult 

 to see how any mental state can prevent the action of physical 

 law. Hypnotism and anaesthetics may produce insensibility 

 to pain, but do not interfere with the cautery. 



Many of the so-called fire miracles are remarkable in- 

 deed, but are readily explained, and by no means come within 

 the present category. Such, for instance, as plunging the 

 hand, which is protected by the interposed film of perspira- 

 tion assuming the globular state of water, into boilmg lead. 

 Similarly, many conjuring feats. At the beginning of this 

 century an Italian — Lionetti — performed remarkable experi- 

 ments — rubbed a bar of red-hot iron over his arms, legs, 

 and hair, and held it between his teeth ; he also drank boiling 

 oil. Dr. Sementini, of Naples, carefully examined these ex- 

 periments, and experimented himself until he surpassed the 

 fire-proof qualities of his suggestor. He found that frequent 

 friction with sulphurous acid rendered him insensible to red- 

 hot iron ; a solution of alum did the same. A layer of pow- 

 dered sugar covered with soap made his tongue insensible 

 to heat. In these and similar instances however, an expla- 

 nation, though probably not a very sufficient one, has been 

 given, but in that forming the subject of this paper no solu- 

 tion has been offered. Lang's chapter on the "Fire-walk" 

 should be consulted ; his account of the Bulgarian Nistinares 

 is as wonderful and inexplicable as anything here recited. 

 The whole subject requires thorough scientific examination. 



