Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 9.djvu/157

 ii s. ix. FEB. 21, 1914.] ;XOTES AND QUERIES

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who resided at Monmouth. She was the wife of Mr. William Thomas, of the firm of Gill & Thomas of Lombard Street. Is this portrait of Bishop Cartwright still extant, and, if so, in whose possession is it ? Are there any of his descendants yet remaining ?

W. G. D. FLETCHER, F.S.A. Oxon Vicarage, Shrewsbury.

" C'EST PROGRfeS EN SPIRALE."

' Spiral ' the memorable Lady terms Our mind's ascent.

I have been told that this passage from George Meredith's sonnet ' The World's Advance ' refers to Madame de StaeTs well-known saying, " L'esprit humain fait progres toujours, mais c'est progres en spirale " ; but I am unable to find this saying, which was not well known to me, in Madame de Stael's works. I should be very glad if any of your readers could tell me where it occurs. M. A. C.

DOMESTIC IRON AND OTHER METAL WORK. I should welcome any information or correspondence from collectors regarding the above subject. Of course I am acquainted with the Lady Dorothy Nevill Collection, and with the Brighton, Hastings, Lewes, Guild- hall, and London collections.

JOHN LANE.

The Bodley Head, Vigo Street, W.

FORMS OP THE NAME " JAMBS." I am collecting forms of the name " James," and shall be very glad if any of your readers can supply me with fresh ones. Probably I have not found half those which exist. My list is as follows : James, Jacobus, Jacob, Jacot, Jacko, Jack, Jock, Jaques, Jacques, Jake, Jago, lago (Santiago), Diego, Jaime, Hamish, Kamish, Kemish, Kemmis, Kam- mick, Kames, Jamez, Gomez, Gommez, Gomme. About the last or " Gomez " group I am not sure, but the etymology of the rest is easily traceable.

M. A. ELLIS. 55, Tonbridge House, St. Pancras, W.C.

CHARLES I. I am looking for a complete list of societies dealing with the cult of Charles I. (not necessarily Jacobite), but can hear of only one or two. I have the address of the Royal Martyr Church Union.

J. PARSON.

"STARTUPS END," TRING. WTiat is the origin of this place-name ? It is spelt " Startopesende " and " Startuppeseride " in 1585, and is described as being in Great Tring. W. B. GERISH.

FIRE-WALKING : PHYSICAL EXPLANATION.

(11 S. ix. 49, 114.)

I ROAMED about the Fiji Group so long ago as 1868, long before civilization reached it, and I took great interest in the so-called " fire-walking " of the natives.

In the first place, I may state the fact that the feet of persons who habitually walk barefoot become indurated. I do not think anybody can deny that, and such is undoubtedly the case with the Fijians.

In the second place, no substances what- ever, whether vegetable or other, are applied to the feet before they perform the ordeal. Again, it is not done through or over fire, but over hot stones over which an immense fire has been burning for many hours, the stones being of such hard substance that they do not become soft from the great heat, but are used for the purpose over and over again.

From all I know of the Fijian fire-walking, I do not think it has anything whatever to do with religion in any shape or form, though it has some ceremonial significance about it.

A few years ago there was an illustration of the feat in a pictorial magazine, the name of which I have forgotten. I wish now I had kept the picture. It is only per- formed in the island of Bega.

Nobody now living knows more about the matter than Dr. Corney, T.S.O., who was Chief Medical Officer to the Fiji Group for years, and he wrote to me upon it recently as follows :

"I am not wholly satisfied as to the causes of immunity against heat in the Fijian fire-walking ceremony.

" I have seen it done five times, and I have ex- amined the feet of several of the performers imme- diately afterwards, without meeting with any trace of injury, or any trace of a protective application.

' On one occasion a boy of 14 or 15 years, who was doing it for the first time, was unable to complete the journey round the hot stones in the pit, either from the heat, or from losing heart, or from im- perfect knowledge or skill in evading the risk.

" He hopped briskly out of the line of men on to the brim of the pit, and I examined his feet there and then. There was no injury whatever to be seen, though the stones were hot enough to have charred a pocket-handkerchief into a frizzled black ash in a few seconds, and some were still red hot on their under sides, towards the middle of the pit.