the temple devote themselves to fasting and
prayer to prepare for the ordeal. . . . The
performance itself usually takes place in the
late afternoon during twilight in the temple
court, the preceding three hours being spent
by the priests in final outbursts of prayer
before the unveiled altar in the inner sanctuary
of the little matted temple, and during these
invocations no visitors are allowed to enter the
sacred precincts.''

Mr. Reid's description of the fire walking
itself may not be out of place; it will show
that the Japs had nothing new to offer aside
from the ritualistic ceremonials with which
they camouflaged the hocus-pocus of the
performance, which is merely a survival of the
ordeal by fire of earlier religions.

``Shortly before 5 o'clock the priests filed
from before the altar into some interior
apartments, where they were to change their
beautiful robes for the coarser dress worn during
the fire walking. In the meantime coolies had
been set to work in the courtyard to ignite the
great bed of charcoal, which had already been
laid. The dimensions of this bed were about
twelve feet by four, and, perhaps, a foot deep.
On the top was a quantity of straw and kindling
wood, which was lighted, and soon burst