Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-02-04

age, dressed in mourning, (white,) hold
ing flags of red and blue, made of paper.
Near to these were arranged the offerings
prepared for the gods. These consisted
of whole hogs. sheep, goats, fowls, fish,
&C., all dressed, but made to resemble life
as much as possible: Around these were
arranged ali kinds vegetables and fruits,
in due order Next was seen the pall-a
piece of black silk, richly embroidered
with purple, yellow, and crimson. This
was thrown over light framework of
bamboo, which covered the coffin. By
the side Of this were the mourners, liter
dUv clothed in sack-cloth and sitting in
the dust. At o'clock, P, NJ, all arrange
ments being made, the procession. compos-
ed of more than ten thousand people,
marched about mile to the graveyard.
The images and offerings were all borne
to the grave with the procession, which
marched at the beating of gongs and other
instrumental music, $50 called.) On ar
irving at the graveyard, we saw tempo
rary sheds erected, not only over the new
ly opened grave, but in many places
around, to shelter the people from the
scorching sun Beneath these, after the
interment Of the deceased, the various Of
ferings were arranged, and after they had
been spiritually offered to the dead, they
were literally devoured by the living. -.
The circumstance wished more par
ticularly to notice in connexion with this
occasion, is the distribution of Chinese
books. OF these, we have, today, given
away about fifteen hundred; each book,
on an average, containing about 90 pages,
making in all about twelve thousand pa
ges. In this distribution all the mission
airy brethren here have been engaged. Ii
has been to US laborious, but delightful
day. May we enjoy many such opportu.
mites for doing good. Our plan was, fol
each one to take box of books, and sta.
ton himself by the gathering multitude
. Ali we could do, was to give as fast as we
could. to the throng that pressed upon us
and guard against seizure of the whole
at once.
In view Of the feeling manifested to-
day, have been led to inquire, what
shall we do for supply of tracts for the
Chinese at BGnkok? The American
Tract Society has indeed appropriated
$500 for tract distribution in Siam; bu
this and much more will soon be pro fta.
, bly, and necessarily employed in prepar
ing Siamese tracts. From the specimen.
Of br. Jones's translation of Scripture, anc
the tract prepared in the Siamese Ian
= guage, (now printed we may judiciousl,
E appropriate funds in this department, t
any extent which his labors may demand
= Thus with the aid Of press, which
trust we shall soon have at Bankok, be
ginning at least may be made, toward
supplying the Siamese with books. Blu
e then the question returns-what shall b
IS done for the 100000 Chinese? 1t
y known that the Chinese are a readin
e people, and it is also true that books of an
IS kind among them are very scarce The
e their native books are cheap, they are s
q miserably poor, they are unable to pur
: chase them. Believing that the church
s. beginning to pray for China, and that
E. gracious God is removing the obstacles t
l. her conversion, I am encouraged to hop
l. that her millions of interesting but perish
% ing inhabitants may soon be supplied wit
re the bread oil
e Further extracts merit geek