LIFTING HEAVY PERSONS. 311 



the chair, each of the four persons takes hold of the body 

 as before, and the person to be lifted gives two signals by 

 clapping his hands. At the first signal he himself and 

 the four lifters begin to draw a long and full breath, and 

 when the inhalation is completed, or the lungs filled, the 

 second signal is given, for raising the person from the 

 chair. To his own surprise and that of his bearers, he 

 rises with the greatest facility, as if he were no heavier 

 than a feather. On several occasions I have observed that 

 when one of the bearers performs his part ill, by making 

 the inhalation out of time, the part of the body which he 

 tries to raise is left as it were behind. As you have 

 repeatedly seen this experiment, and have performed the 

 part both of the load and of the bearer, you can testify 

 how remarkable the effects appear to all parties, and how 

 complete is the conviction, either that the load has been 

 lightened, or the bearer strengthened by the prescribed 

 process. 



At Venice the experiment was performed in a much 

 more imposing manner. The heaviest man in the party 

 was raised and sustained upon the points of the fore- 

 fingers of six persons. Major II. declared that the experi- 

 ment would not succeed if the person lifted were placed 

 upon a board, and the strength of the individuals applied 

 to the board. He conceived it necessary that the bearers 

 should communicate directly with the body to be raised. 

 I have not had an opportunity of making any experiments 

 relative to these curious facts ; but whether the general 

 effect is an illusion, or the result of known or of new 

 principles, the subject merits a careful investigation. 



Among the remarkable exhibitions of mechanical 

 strength and dexterity, we may enumerate that of support- 

 ing pyramids of men. This exhibition is a very ancient 

 one. It is described, though not very clearly, by the 

 Roman poet Claudian. and it has derived some importance 



