THE TOUR 321 



cuous place. In later times they were chiefly celebrated 

 as jugglers and acrobats, and as such they are frequently 

 mentioned in the memoirs and histories as performing 

 before the emperors. 



Their performances struck all beholders with amaze- 

 ment, and so wonderful did they appear, that they were 

 attributed to supernatural agency ; and, indeed, if the 

 accounts of them are correct, by hardly any other means 

 could they have been accomplished. Ibn Batutu, the 

 traveller, relates that he saw one Jogee turn himself 

 into a cube, and in that form ascend to the skies ; and 

 the Emperor Jehangire in his memoirs describes exhi- 

 bitions even more wonderful. The Jogees are even now 

 believed to possess the secret of the transmutation of 

 metals, and to them is attributed the production of 

 all the silver at present to be found in the world ; for, 

 there being no mines of silver in India, none are sup- 

 posed to exist elsewhere. 



In former days some of the fakirs were warlike. 

 They went armed and in large bands. Their contests 

 were, however, chiefly among themselves. It is men- 

 tioned in the histories that the Emperor Akbar once 

 came on two such bands of rival orders preparing for 

 combat. He endeavoured to dissuade them, but without 

 avail. Then he let them fight it out ; but, with his usual 

 humanity, when one side was defeated and commenced 

 to fly, he sent out his cavalry, and prevented the other 

 side from pursuing and slaughtering them. 



The most singular of these warlike fakirs were the 

 " Nagas/' or "unclothed." They carried arms, but, as their 

 name implies, they wore no garments. They did not, 

 Y 



