Then there were trials connected with eating and drinking. One of these consisted in drinking water in which a sacred image had been bathed. If any misfortune happened to the person within a fortnight after the day he took the water he was declared guilty. In other cases rice was eaten; this was given by the priest, and was mixed with drugs and other nasty things. If the accused person was made sick by the dose, that proved him to be guilty. This form of trial was practised until quite recently for the detection of various small offences. A similar form of ordeal existed in England as late as the middle of the thirteenth century. A morsel of bread and cheese had to be eaten. It did no harm if the person were innocent, but gave him convulsions if he were guilty. Tree-climbing was also indulged in for the discovery of culprits. For this purpose a particular kind of tree was stripped of its bark, leaving a very slippery stem underneath. A man could prove his innocence of the charge brought against him by successfully "climbing the greasy pole." Before any of the diving-trials that we have mentioned take place, the recorder reads out a long address to the "gods of all mountains, streams, lakes, and creeks," for which he is paid about five shillings. There is a similar address and a similar fee before any one of any of the trials by fire. In this latter address the deities are asked to take vengeance on the guilty. Amongst other pleasant things that the recorder reads are the following words: "May the deities cause all the sinful, ferocious beasts who molest man on this earth to arise and appear before the eyes of him who has said what is false, making him shake and shiver with fright; may his skin blister and his hair bristle on his head; may the terror of the approaching danger appear on his countenance, and his limbs tremble as he sees the glare of the brisk flames! "O God of Fire, so gloriously shining and mighty! scorch and blister him as he enters the flames! "O God of Fire, radiant and mighty in these accumulated embers, scald, blister, burn him, so that his guilt may appear evident before every eye!" THE END BILLING AND SONS, LTD., PRINTERS, GUILDFORD OTHER BOOKS FOR BOYS & GIRLS ILLUSTRATED IN COLOUR LIKE THE PEEPS AT MANY LANDS PRICE +3/6+ EACH ALL WITH FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR _Large crown 8vo., cloth_ By Lieut.-Col. A. F. MOCKLER-FERRYMAN THE GOLDEN GIRDLE With 8 full-page Illustrations in Colour by ALLAN STEWART By JOHN FINNEMORE THE WOLF PATROL A Story of Baden-Powell's Boy Scouts 8 full-page Illustrations in colour by H. M. PAGET JACK HAYDON'S QUEST 8 full-page Illustrations in Colour by J. JELLICOE By DANIEL DEFOE ROBINSON CRUSOE With 8 full-page Illustrations in Colour by JOHN WILLIAMSON By STANLEY WATERLOO A TALE OF THE TIME OF THE CAVE MEN With 8 full-page Illustrations in Colour by SIMON HARMON VEDDER By ANDREW HOME BY A SCHOOLBOY'S HAND