Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-10-24

From the san Fiaaci.co Bulletin. Sent. Is.
Heafheni~m an >au Francisco-A Chi
Oesc RclIgaoux Festival.

From the san Fiaact-co Bulletin. Sent. Is.
Heafheni~m an >au Francisco-A Chi-
nese seiigfous FESTIVAL.
The Chinese are having a great tine in their
Temple, on Sacramento street, just now. Evi-
IDENTITY the festival is OF religious character,
though whether the proceeds are to be devoted 20
eaneeiiing a mortgage on their church. or 10
sending out pagan missionaries to win over Chris
tain believer tn Buddhism. il more than inquis-
tivene~s it~eif h,S been able % ascertain The
diguir rie> OF their Temple not ut all reticent.
but display charming readiness IL indulge IN
cons e-Satien With visitors. 10 which the only
drawbsck Is that nett YET understands the other
language However. they themselves know
what the celebration means. snd i intended tor.
aud they being the principal parties concerned.
I 40 other have a right to complain.
The first thing which strikes the visitor on en-
tering the yeS,ibule of their sanctuary Is a most
ancient and Ssh like smell. and il he approaches
the altar he will discover that the brelth al the
gods smells strangely OF sale salmon Evident
" their drink i not nectar, neither u It Dossbe
that their vIctu,l Is ambroSia The inst OBJECT
of Chinese adurstion that meets the eve u high
and hilarious god. standing some seven or eight
feet in his stockings. and houri-hIng Gig r N
his lei, hand like Montgomery street swell
/ The attitude of this idol is not very graceful.
while his LEGS widely spread apart. and the air
with winch he braces back again the wall. sug
gest, that he Is under the Influence OF the rosy
I Altogether he has A conviyial look about him.
highly cheerful % behold. aud the effect is high
I tened by two horns. with serrated edges, which
/ sprou, gaily from behind bis ears. His belly i
moded like bass drum but so nicely adjusted
a. not TO seriously interfere with the even ten
/ or OF bis who e Contour.
Passing n and .ceud a. narrow and ishv
staircase, hnd balcony gay with flags and
! lanterns and Illuminated with scrolls written in
sinnors characters, probably pregnant with the
vision of the immnrtal Kuhg -iu tse. whom the
Latius named Cunfucius. We NAV very well
I conclude that the books which lie open-but
shut so far as our understanding is coucei ned
before ~. are the SOIide DecIarito and the Con
CO dia Formula of their peculiar church Here
, the sound OF music is loui-reckless disciples
PLAY crashing anvil choruSes upon immense
congs while milder hammered musicians keep up
| a rafting accompaniment on kettle drums,
blended with a symphony OF shrlll notes from the
lips or cracked ife>. The gods stand it marvel
ousv well however, and so does the temple
though a much less noise brought down the walls
OF Jericho. In the temple, the gods and wor-
shippers are So numerous that one calls them no
lOsger John, but legion. You stumble over a
little god on the floor, precipitate your head
into the stomach OF big one braced against the
altar The big ones number two. and face each
other in Coz and Magog style In hight. they
are Anaks, each standing good eight feet above
the level of the floor, without counting in
slight wrinkle in the bank. which would give
them "A few inches more were IL ironed out
Each one has foot perched on suppoSitiOu.
rock, while the other rests on paper tiger
they seem to have been backing against the
tiger all the night through One holds colder
; apple in his hand. plueked from one knows
what hesperides: the other graspS colder
wreath They spanged Ike harlequin. and
tie ,rded and moustachei like bogus barons A
chronic lassitule rests on heir tearures-prbabl,
occa stoned bv having been up all night. Beior,
them IL spread either late breakfast or an eirl'
lunch but they seem in no hurry To ATTACH
! it Undoubtedly they feel safe in the
assurance that else will eat it
; Ranged around the wall. in convenient littl,
sentry boxes. start fudey little gods. with spa,
Z, feet. These he the common jesse OF th'
concern. One OF them is habed like A Christar
martyr. ard has the 'soiorous look of one con
demnet 10 be burned The apprehension seem
not entirely erounde-s. number OF torche
lighted close To his feet. Should they burr
! on, the JecticIe would prob bly, be furnished 0
a bsk Ell tomato.
The wor>hipers in the pureus of the tempt
are not very devout Thev ioai around and TAX
all sorts of. liberties with their gods. even to th
occasional smouching OF cod from thei
} breakfast table. There are dowagers With hea
I dresses whlcn tower up ~ crlnigerOu- BIOeS, AM
dam-els with ewes more clam shell than almond
shell shaped There are male Cinnamon havnl
Il the look of Chmp,nzees. and others dandi6e
: enough in appearance To stand as lay ignreS in
+, BARRIERS window Altogether. the picture j.
motley one. and we'll worth seeing. but curiou
visitors should be viccinaied before entering tn
synagogue, and should carry smelling salts wit
= them.
n Were there time in this connection to indulg
4 in speculation and reflection concerning this cur
Gus people, who have moved their temples an
/ gods INTO midst and sat down among US bu
: of whom We really know SD little there wer
ample food for it How long will they MAINTAIN
: their idplhtrOuS worship in the full blaze of th
e light which Christian community II e,i>r Or
Il unfair 70 call them idolterS when these ina 20
which they maxi unto themselves are NOT mad
lin the shape of anything in the heavens abuv,
: IN the earth beneath. or in the waters under th
e earthI" Will ever lcnnocIast come along an
Il send these paper deiIies hying higher than an
kiieI Will these Thors finally lac broken wit
{ their hammers? Or will this people Q
Oh chanting barbaruu> ymns ilIrOug IN their nose
. and he ting tom toms TO the honor OF their ton
: t'mcods and tom tomgods to the end OF anothe
century,