1 164 THE RELIGION OF THE SIKHS.
2 his readers to form their own conclusions upon
3 the matter. Similar experiments, moreover, were
4 made upon the same individual by two officers in
5 the Bengal army, and with a like result. The
6 Faquir stated that the secret was not confined to
7 himself alone, that any person could qualify him-
8 self for the performance of it, and in an article
9 which appeared in the Asiatic Journal shortly
10 after, in allusion to this circumstance, it was
11 stated that the art of prolonging life to an incre-
12 dible degree without air or nourishment was not
13 unknown to the ancients. The Faquir, not con-
14 sidering himself sufficiently remunerated for his
15 performance, left Lahore, or the author would
16 certainly have tested his powers more con-
17 vincingly to himself.
18 It was remarked that during the interment of
19 the Faquir neither his hair nor nails had grown.
20 Leaving the reader in the state of astonish-
21 ment which the perusal of this incident cannot
22 fail to excite, the author lays down the pen.