THE EXHIBITION.

Colonist, Volume XLVIX, Issue 11813, 18 December 1906, Page 4

THE EXHIBITION.

\ FIJIAN FIRE WALKERS. Christchurch, December 17. The first of the fire-walking performances by the troupe of Fijians from the Island Bega took place on the Exhibition Sports Ground this afternoon. It was witnessed by nearly 4000 spectators. The pit was dug on Saturday and the stones were placed in position and covered with the inflammable wood brought over from Fiji, in readiness for to-day. The fire was lit early this morning, and the logs covering the stones blazed all day. This afternoon half burnt logs were removed, and the wood ash, etc, cleared away, leaving .the stones clean, and intensely hot, and at a given signal the fire-walk-ers emerged form their place of concealment, ran to the pit, and walked over the hot stones, leaving the pit at the point of entrance. They walked confidently and swiftly, and were in the pit for a little over half a minute. The masawe for the subsequent feast was then thrown upon the stones, and the fire-walkers remained kneeling for a time upon the masawes. A commencenment was made with the filling in of the oven, when the crowd surged round, and caused operations to be susponded for a time. The oven was eventual^ filled in, and will be left till Thursday, when the cooked masawe will be eaten by the firewalkers, prior to the second performance.