Now for the trick itself.

``One of the priests held a pile of white
powder on a small wooden stand. This was
said to be salt--which in Japan is credited with
great cleansing properties--but as far as could
be ascertained by superficial examination it
was a mixture of alum and salt. He stood at
one end of the fire-bed and poised the wooden
tray over his head, and then sprinkled a handful
of it on the ground before the glowing bed
of coals. At the same time another priest who
stood by him chanted a weird recitative of
invocation and struck sparks from flint and steel
which he held in his hands. This same process
was repeated by both the priests at the other
end, at the two sides, and at the corners.

``Ten minutes, more or less, was spent in
various movements and incantations about the
bed of coals. At the end of that time two small
pieces of wet matting were brought out and
placed at either end and a quantity of the
white mixture was placed upon them. At a
signal from the head priest, who acted as
master of ceremonies during the curious
succeeding function, the ascetics who were to
perform the first exhibition of fire-walking
gathered at one end of the bed of coals, which by
this time was a fierce and glowing furnace.