Ohjervations &c. ^07 



alfo ihare in the iame Reputation with their Prophet, ί^ζ xQ*somefntcnd 

 ceiving Vifions and converfmg with the Deity, whilil; others, ^'^^^ΐ mz•' 

 who are fuppofed to work Miracles, are endowed with Gifts, 

 which Mahomet' himfelf durft not pretend to. When I was 

 with Seedy Mufiafa the Kaleefa of the weftern Province, (near 

 the River Arhew) he told me, in the Prefence of a number of 

 udraFiati Sbekhs, who vouched for the fame Fail, ύ\2ίΙ Seedyl'"'^] ^^!' 

 Ben Miikha-lah, a Marabhutt hard by, had a folid Iron Bar, 

 which, upon Command, would give the ilime Noife, and do 

 thehke Execution, as a Cannon, and that once, the whole ^Z- 

 gerine Army, upon demanding too exorbitant a Tax from the 

 Arahs under his Proteolion, were put to Flight by the Miracle. 

 Yet notwithilanding the Frequency, as they pretended, of the 

 Experiment, the Merit I urged there would be in the Con- 

 viction of a Chrlftian concerning the Truth of it, and the Sol- 

 icitations of the whole Company , the Mnrahhutt had too 

 much Policy to hazard his Reputation at that Time. But I 

 had better Succefs, π^άϊ Seteef, with Seedj> AβJoure, the Ma-Sccay Aih- 

 rahbuit oi thQ Atnmer, a Perfon famous all over the caftern°"'^" 

 Province for the vomiting of Fire. This Operation, as he 

 performed It, I faw ieveral Times : the firft Inftance whereof 

 did very much furprize me, to obferve his Mouth to be all of 

 a fuddain in a Blaze, and the violent Agonies that were coun- 

 terfeited at the fmie Time. But when the fame was repeated 

 a little afterwards, (for he pretended to have frequent Illapfes 

 of the Deity) I plainly faw the great Dexterity and Artfulnefs 

 he made ufe of in drawing his Head and Hands within his 

 Biirnoofe, which, as he told us, was in order to converfe with 

 the Deity, but, as I fufpefted, to kindle the Fire. For as 

 foon as he had got all Things ready for the difplaying of the ^ 

 Flame, fuch a Quantity of Smoak attended his Head and Hands 

 in withdrawing them from under his Burnooje, fo ftrong a 

 Smell was there likewife of Tow and Sulphur, beiides fome 

 Threads of the former, that were engaged to his Beard, that 

 none but an ignorant and bigotted People, could be deceived 

 by the Impofture. This I took Notice of to fome Turks, that 

 were with me, who faw through the Contrivance ; but the 

 u^rahs ftill infilled upon the wonderful Gift of Seedy Afmrre, 

 and that [Ma Kan β})> kiff}joo~\ there was no?ie like him. 



I Vid. Prii/i-ifi/x's Life of Mij/ww^r. p. 18. 19. 



Hhhh2 Thofe 



