Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-05-30

blown up, and set fire to the financial 81
flee which was to gid him with an imBar-
tally Of glory Mat. Int.
/ The EMPEROR AT THE PLouGH.--On the
! 10th Gay of the first moon, in every year,
which corresponds to the first Of March,
tie Emperor (ol China) in person performs
the ceremony Of opening the Grounds.
! This Prince, in great pomp, proceeds to
the field appointed for the ceremony the
princess of the imperial family, the Presi-
dent of the Eve Great tribunals, and an in
! Fl njte number OF mandarins, accompanying
lhim.-rwo sides OF the fields are occupied
| by the Emperor's officers and guards; the
third is allotted Tor all the laborers Of the
province, to behold their art honored and
practised by the head Of their empire the
fourth is reserved for the aandsrias.
The Emperor enters the field alone, pros
lratcs himself, and nine times strikes his
head against the grDund, in alteration Of
lieu, the god of heaven he pronouuces
with loud voice, a prayer appointed by
the tribunal Of the rites, invoking the bles-
sing Of the Almighty Sovereign on his labor
and on the labor of his people, who form
his family; he them in quality Of sovereign
ponliF Of the Empire, sacrifices bullock,
which he offers up to heaven, as a source
OF every blessing whilst they cut the
victim in pieces, and place them on the al
ter they bring the Emperor a plough, in
which are yoked pair of hnllocks maani-
icently adorned. THE Emperor then, lay
ing aside his loyal robes, takes hold OF the
handle Of the plough and turns up several
burrows the whole length OF the field thea
with a conpiaisant air, having delivered
the plough 10 the mnndarins, tLey success
sively follow his example, enuating one
another in performing his labor with the
greatest dexicrty. The ceremonies CON
cludes with the distribution ofmoney, and
pieces OF stuff among the IsDorers there pre-
sent; the most active Of whom fniah the
remaining labor, in presence Of The Empe-
ror, with great agility and address.
Some time alter, when they have sufi-
ciently labored and MANFRED their grounds,
the. Emperor repairs again, in procession.
and begins 10 SOW the field, always se-
companied with ceremony, and attended by
the lsborers of the province.
The same ceremonies are performed on
the same days in all the provinces OF tbe
Empire, by the vieeroye, assisted BY all
magistrates Of Chg asPsTs'nee1L,s' ia
sbf .lsir respective provinces. has
seen This opening Of the ground al Caalon,
lsays The writer Of this aitice) and ne
yer remember to have beheld any 81 the
ceremonies invented by men, with half the
pleasure and satisfaction with which OBJ
served this Pietou ~: s. Bes.)
Poisoned Valley Of Jeva. At a recent
meeting OF the Royal Asialis Society, pa
per was read by Col. Skyes, on the poison
ed Upas Valley at Beture, in Java, exrac-
ted from letter by Mr.. Loudon, contain
ing description ofhs visit to the place in
July, 1880. According to the statement of
Mr. Loudon, this valley il twenty miles in
extent, aud OF a considerable width; it
preseaisa most desoa'e appearance the sur
face being sterile and without any vegets-
ton. The valley contains numerous skcl-
etons of nammaia spd birds. 10 one case
the skeleton OF a human being was seen
with the head resting upon the right hnnd /;
according to tradition il ia said that the
neighboriEg tribes were in the habit ok9ri-
wing their criminals into the valley toe
plate their crimes. Mr.. Loudon tried the
experiment of lowering some dogs sAd
fowls into the valley, and in every case IN
imatlon became quickly suspended al
though life was prolonged in some inst.n-
COS lOT Ten DilDulGS. ilt VdHeY proved 10
be the crater OF an extinguished volcano,
in which carbonie acid gass ia generated,
like the Grolto de Cane, al Napl.s. The
fabulous influence imputed to the Upss
Tree is, therefore, without foundation, the
mortality beiag caused solely by the dele
terious agency OF The gas.
A WHALE FIsHT. From the description
given US bi the sanguinary battles which
not unfreauently occur between sperm
whales, we should think that no animals
fight with such dreadful lerocity. The
females always go in droves 81 about TWEEN
~, with one very large male in company.
A MA jorty Of the males wander over the
ocean alone. Whenever a loan whale
meets with drove, tie forthwith turns up
on the male of the group and gives him
battle. Our informant says he attacked one
ofthese males, while engaged in 4 fight,
and succeeded in taking him. Their manner
Of lighting is hold and destructive. they
run backwards from each other several rods
and then rapidly advance head foremost,
their great square heads meeting with n
dreadful suddenness. The scene was one
Of awful DISPLAY. The two monsters, be-
ing about the largest OF their species, ad-
vance upon each other, with their Jaws,
which measured sixteen ieet in length, wild
ely extended, exhibiting huge rows OF great
teeth, and presented the most ierocions ap-
pearance. They eleaved much flesh from
each others heads, and left deep marks of
their teeth in other parts. In the ARRAY,
one OF lhtm had his aw slowed round, and
many OF his teeth stove out, while the Jaw
of tho other was broken of, SD that it hung
to he head only by the flesh. II is said
tina, these battles are not uncommon-and
thp connuprer alWavs Joins the drove OF fe-