Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 3.djvu/62

Rh length gave a reluctant consent. After ten or twelve days' preparation, the Fakir gave notice of his readiness to undergo the trial, Accordingly, in the presence of the whole court, after placing himself in a sitting posture, he was covered over and semi up in cere-cloth, somewhat after the maimer of an Egyptian mummy, and placed inside a large wooden case, which was strongly riveted down, and the Maharajah's all's own seal put upon several parts; the case was then lowered down into a brick vault, previously made for the purpose, and the whole covered with earth, after the manner of an ordinary grave. Corn was then sown in the earth, which sprang up during the period of his interment; an entire battalion was placed in charge of the grave, four sentries mounting guard over it during the day, and eight in the night. At the expiration of forty days he was disinterred, the whole court as before being present, when everything was found in precisely the same state, and on the case being opened the Fakir was discovered in the same sitting posture, apparently lifeless. He was speedily extricated from his covering, and, pursuant to the instructions given, hot bread was applied to his head and feet, and also his body bathed with hot water. After a couple of hours, incredible as it must appear to every rational person, the Fakir not only gave symptoms of returning life, but in the course of the day, though very feeble, he was perfectly restored. The author repeats, that, not having been actually present, he does not vouch for the truth of this extraordinary circumstance; but he has been assured of its truth by so many persons who were attached to the court, that he can only leave it to his readers to form their own conclusions upon the matter. Similar experiments, moreover, were made upon the same individual by two officers in the Bengal army, and with a like result. The Fakir stated that the secret was not confined to himself alone, that any person could qualify himself for the performance of it, and in an article which appeared in the Asiatic Journal shortly after, in allusion to this circumstance, it was stated that the art of prolonging life to an incredible degree without air or nourishment, was not unknown to the ancients. It was remarked that during the interment of the Fakir, neither his hair nor nails had grown."