took a small portion of it out, placed it in
his mouth, and then gave it in a solid state
to some of the company. This performance,
according to his account, was also
very easy; for he seized only a very small
particle, which, by a tight compression
between the forefinger and the thumb,
became cool before it reached the mouth. At
this time Mr. Smith made his appearance,
and M. Chabert forthwith prepared himself
for mightier undertakings. A cruse
of oil was brought forward and poured
into a saucepan, which was previously
turned upside down, to show that there
was no water in it. The alleged reason
for this step was, that the vulgar
conjurors, who profess to drink boiling oil,
place the oil in water, and drink it when
the water boils, at which time the oil is
not warmer than an ordinary cup of tea.
He intended to drink the oil when any
person might see it bubbling in the
saucepan, and when the thermometer would
prove that it was heated to three hundred
and sixty degrees. The saucepan was
accordingly placed on the fire, and as it was
acquiring the requisite heat, the fire-king
challenged any man living to drink a
spoonful of the oil at the same temperature
as that at which he was going to drink