WIZARDS OF THE PYRAMIDS

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVII, Issue XVIII, 31 October 1896, Page 579

WIZARDS OF THE PYRAMIDS

I STOOD upon the highest point of the pyramid (writes W. von Siemens) and held up my forefinger in the air. There was a slight, hardly perceptible prickling observable on the skin of the finger which was opposed to the wind. I could only explain this fact, observed by all of us, as an electrical phenomenon, and such it proved to be When I held up a full bottle of wine, the top of which was covered with tinfoil, I heard the same singing sound as when the finger was held up. At the same time little sparks sprang continually from the label to my hand, and when I touched the bead of the bottle with my other hand I received a strong electric shock. It is clear that the liquid inside the bottle was brought into metallic connection with the metallic covering of the head of the bottle, through which the damp cork formed the inner coating of a Leyden jar, while the label and the hand formed the outer coating. When I had completed the outer coating of my bottle by wrapping it in damp paper, the charge was so strong that I could make use of it as a very powerful weapon of defence. After the Arabs had watched our proceedings for a time with wonder they came to the conclusion that we were engaged in sorcery, and requested us to leave the pyramid. As their remarks, when interpreted to us, were without effect, they wanted to use the power of the strongest to remove us from the top by violence. I withdrew to the highest point and fully charged my strengthened flask when the Arab leader caught hold of my hand and tried to drag me away from the position I had attained. At this critical moment I approached the top of my flask to within striking distance of the tip of his nose, which might be about ten millimeters. The action of the discharge exceeded my utmost expectations. The son of the desert, whose nerves had never before received such a shock, fell on the ground as though struck by lightning, rushed away with a loud howl and vanished with a great spring from our vicinity, followed by all of his comrades. We had now a full opportunity of carrying out our experiments.