1 1128 THE RELIGION OF THE SIKHS.
2 his readers to form their own conclusions upoH
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 stated
11 that the art of prolonging life to an incredible
12 degree without air or nourishment was not un*
13 known to the ancients. The Faquir, not con-
14 sidering himself sufficiently remunerated for his
15 performance, left Lahore, or the author would cer-
16 tainly have tested his powers more <5onvincingly
17 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.