The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-09-11

ity in rank. Lilo who acted as high priest
placed himself at tho end of the altar, two
others ranged themselves before it, willie
the remaining six took their stand in the
lower part of the hall, facing tho hugo can
dies and incense vases burning on tho end
of tho long central table.
Then commenced the service. The high
priest uttered few words in kind of dis
cordant, nasal, recitativo way, to which tho
Others responded; while the band in tho
next room, opening into the temple, gave
flourish OF their horrible music. Then, at
every sentence, the second priest at the end
OF tho hall prostrated himself till his fore
head touched tho floor. Then tho whole
SIX would bow their heads equally low
Then they would march in procession up
and down the hall and round the table.
chanting in monotonous tone. At one
tlmo they knelt before tho table, and vari-
Gus gifts were handed to the priest, which
he elevated rs if offering them, and then,
bowing to the floor, placed them on the ia.
bic. 1t seemed kind of conservation Of
them to tho idol. Then tho provisions on
the altar, at the gods feet, were subjected
to the same process, together with cups of
rice, and tea, and wine. Then sandal-wood
was thus offered, which was afterwards
burned in the incense vase.
The large window at the lower end of the
hall was open to tho floor; and, at signals
given during different parts of the service.
small cannon was discharged in the yard
below, followed by most deafcning noise
of fire crackers. These last occupy an i'm
portant place in all Chinese ceremonies, and,
during their festivals, the part of tho city
where they most live, is rcsounding al day
and night with the noise. Towards the
close of tho service they all knelt, and one
of their number read aloud tho contents of
several sheets of red tissue paper, before the
idol. These were prayers, which were i'm
mediatcly afterwards burned in n furnace
outside the door of the room, this being the
Chinese method of offering them. The
whole service lasted almost an hour, and
was thus mado up Of genullexions, bowings,
prostrations, professions, and chants, to us,
of course, utterly unintclligiLle. 1t was ap-
parcntly confined entirely TO the priests, for
tho Chinese who were crowded around, 1ill-
ing tho hall, seemed to look ON just rs the
spectators did. and cvinccd 10 moro interest
in the proceedings. The whole affair con-
c!uded with repeated prostrations by all the
nine priests, and we went home with split
ting headaches from tho heavy, oppressive
atmosphere of the temple, the air of which
was loaded with incense.
There was ono fact with which I was
forcibly struck. 1t was, tho great rcscm-
Llance i'll outward appearance to many
services Of the Romish Church, which
have sccn Take some grand service in
St. Peters, at Rome, and substitute the
popc on lis throne for the idol on his high
seat, and except the prostrations were not
quite SO low as to bring the forehead to the
floor, there were apparently the Same bow
ings, and kneclngs, and professions, and
chantings. believe that Chinese, look
ing at Romisll service in the presence Of
the pope, would be struck with its rcsem-
blance to his own.
Yet, who would imagine that such a
scene could be witnessed in this city! The
worship of a god of wood in this nominally
Christian land, where, within mile, twenty
congregations who "profess and call them
selves Christians" are accustomed to assem-
bic for'the worship Of tho One True God
-Rt. Rev. Bishop Kip.