Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1863-10-28
The chinese In San Francisco.
OUTLANDISH RELIGIOUS CERE-
MONIES

The San Francisco Bulletin, of Septem-
Der 10th, gives the following account of a
visit to a Chinese temple in that city:
The Chinese are having a great time in
their Temple, on Sacramento street just
now Evidently the festival is of a re
liaious character, though whether the pro-
ceeds are to be devoted to canccling 4
mortgage on their church or to sending out
pagan missionaries to win over Christian
believers to Buddhism, is more than in
quisitivcncss itself has been able TO as
certain. The dignitaries of their Temple
are not at all reticent, bnt display Il
charming readiness TO indulge in CON
versa.ion with visitors to which the ONLY
drawback is that neither understands the
the others language. However, they
themselves know what the celebration
means and is intended for, and they being
the principal parties concerned, no others
have a right TO complain.
Tie first thing which strikes the visitor
on entering the vestibule of their s;,nctu;irv
| is a most ancient and fsh-like smell. and
| if he approaches the altar he will discover
/ that The breath of the gods smells strange
| ly of stale salmon. Evidently their drink
| is not nectar, neither is it possible that
! their victilal is ambruSia. The first Oh
| ject pf Chinese alteration that meets the
eye is high and hilarious god, standing
some seven or eight feet in his stockings,
and houriShing Il cigar in his left hand,
like IA Montgomery street swell. The at
titude OF this lido! is not very graceful,
while his legs widely spread apart, and
the air with which he braces back against
the wall suggests that he is unler in: in
fluence OF ihe rosy. .Altog..ther, he las :,
coaviviaI look about him, highly cheerful
to behold. AMI the effect is heightened by
horns, with scrrated edges, which sprout
gai,y from behind his ears HIS belly is
modelled like Il bass drum, but 50 nicely
adjusted as not to seriously interfere with
the even tenor of his whole contour.
Passing on and ascending a narrow and
f>hy staircase, we tinl balcony, ga,
with flags and lanterns and illuminated
with scrolls written in sinuous characters
probably pregnant with the wisdom Of tn,
immortal Kung- -tu-tre, whom the LatIn'
, name CONTIGUOUS. We mat very wei
r conclude that the books which lie open
, but shut So far as our understanding il
? concerncd-betore us, are the .SOlioie De
5 cIqyato and the Coaco,qhac Formula o
, their peculiar church. Here the sound o
music is loud-:ecklcss disciples crash
ing anvil choruses upon immense gongs
: willie milder-manuered musicians kept M
a rafting accompaniment on kct,le-drums
a blended with symphony of shrill note
- from The lips Of cracked flies. The god
: stand it mlrvclonsly well, however, am
. So does the temnle, though a much les
2 noise brought down the walls of Jerico
: In the temple, the gods. and worshipoer
are So numerous that one calls them n
5 longer .Ihn, bnt le@ion You s;unbi
d over little god on the floor, or orprrcipitat
c your head into the stomach of the bi
one braced against the altar. The bi
n ones numbered two, and face each othe
+, in q Cog and Masos style In heigl