, and so terrify
the superstitious onlookers. The cairn was about fifteen feet high, with
an opening at the summit and other small openings at the sides in order
to ensure a good draught. At the base I left an opening sufficiently
large for me to crawl through. Then I placed inside a quantity of
inflammable material--such as wood and dry bark;--and as all these
preparations went forward in a very leisurely manner, my monthly
reception was quite due when everything was ready. Wishing to have an
exceptionally large gathering, I sent out invitations to all the
surrounding tribes to come and see my wonderful performance at which I
would "set fire to the rocks and stones."

A perfectly enormous crowd assembled at the time appointed, for my
previous achievements had led the black-fellows to suppose I had some
marvellous manifestation in store for them. Never can I forget the
keenness with which that great assembly anticipated the entertainment in
store for them. And remember, they were growing pretty _blase_ by this
time, having witnessed so many miracles.

In the twilight of the evening, when the murmur of the multitude was
hushed, I crawled cautiously into the cairn (I should have been buried
alive had it collapsed), and at once commenced operations with the flint
and steel and tinder which I had taken care to leave there. In another
minute I had set fire to the wood and dry material that filled the bottom
of the shaft. When I was satisfied that it was thoroughly alight, I
discreetly withdrew and joined the wondering crowd, which I had forbidden
to approach too close. Dense clouds of smoke were now rolling from the
apertures of the great cairn, and in a short time the shaft was a fierce
and raging furnace, with the ordinary stones red hot and occasionally
bursting with loud explosions, which threw showers of glowing slag high
into the air.

The blacks were almost paralysed with fear, and many of them threw
themselves prostrate on the ground, ignoring the hail of stones that fell
upon their naked bodies. I stalked about majestically among them,
exulting in my power and the success of my manifestation. The big cairn
burnt for many days more fiercely than even a stack of coal would do; and
I never ceased to wonder that the blacks themselves had not long ago
found out the inflammable nature of the "stone."

By this time Yamba could speak English tolerably well, but we did not
invariably use that language.

Grad