Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-11-19

represent the interior OF houses, with fig.
ures OF men. beasts, birds aud insects in
strange juxtsposi,on while Others con.
sist OF trees, vints aud scroll work--all
gilded, the background being the original
dark color of the wood. = nsri0 lt
! On the top Of these massive cabinet,
are large br' z:ers filed with incense or
containing live Goals, in which sticks of
sandal wood are slowly burning fartas,ic
wax tapers; sticks Of punk three feet nigh
and four inches thick lofty vessels of met
al like tin, whose use Is not appareut /:
small images peaked yellow Aigs; pyra.
nidS, or fan shaped lunches of artificial
llosers, peacock tails ard insects mixed
with ,iusel ornaments blaz ng lamps ;
carvtd aud gilt sticks of sandal wood. etc.
Along the sides of the room, at the end of
these cabinets Of embroidered silk, round
and square and fringed d'nms brass
emblems, military and eve, aud " eapons
oi war, lu the rear Of all This splendor
stands the altar Of Josh--he wooden god
Of the almond eyed idolutors This is a
square alcoge Of carved aud gilded wood.
in which sits the awful Josh himself
big pauncyed Cbnaman with brick red
face, long strips of red cloth flowing from
each side of his head, three long tails of
black horse hair sprouting out of his chin
aud the corners CT his mouth, and his per.
son bedizened with blue, green, crimson
and gilt carvings, studded with bis of
glass, 10 represent his small clothes, and
high above his Lead brass sun, as il thi,
celestial superstition bad mixed with il
hit of Parseesm Hl r'Nats". 90. ss
b ave were asked to believe while in this
awful presence that josh, when alive Oh
earth, stood fifteen feet in his bare fect.
sieldcd battle axe that weighed ton,
md one day killed thirty thousand Of his
f,es. ln proof Of this sto'y we are shown
by All Wee. in manner that admitted Of
no controversy, a wooden battle nxe, highly
carved and gided, which is an exact rep
resentation of the one that Josh swung
with such fateful fury. Under Josb's au-
gust nose blszed several oil lamps and
sticks of burning sandal wood and punk,
and broz'ers of incense powder, sent up
wrea,hs of smoke, filling the room with an
odor that was rather pleasant after while.
Before Ibis altar the heads of the compa
h'N"t "eiou W. iOHS
skHll caps, appear daily during the fes ivul,
bowing, kissing the floor aud chanting,
while the Som Yeu and Good Kim are
twauged and drums are beat iu horrid dis.
sonauce. Hhher are brought offerings of
baked and raw meats-whole sheep and
hogs. A record Of these is kept, but with
the exception of he left headquarters Of
the bnked animals, they are taken away
again 10y those who tring them. This is
an economical form of sacrifice, and prob.
ably does Josh as much good as though
his votaries did not save their bacon so
carefully, The religious ceremonies are
soon over laud that is another wise econo-
my), though during the current festival
they are equently repeated.
1T is curious fact that the Chinese do
not resent or apparently o'j.et TO the pres
ence Of Americans during these rites. Per
baps they are willog to give US every op
portuBity to be converted, aud desire to
set us an tx nipple OF libernlity and cour-
,esy which we will be long iu following "