Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-05-22
General Miscellany.
tFromNe .lHa Caiboruid, APW3.l
chinese Ecdst Of the Dead.

The annual feast of the dead, lasting
some three or four days during which
time the believers in the Buddhist faith
among which may be classed the whole
of our Chinese population-pay visits to
the graves of their dead friends, bearing
testimonials of their affectionate remem-
brance, commenced yesterday, and all
day long the road leading to Lone Noun
tain has been thronged with carriages
filled with celestial visitors and Caucas-
ian novelty seekers. Riding out to the
Chinese quarter of the cemetery in the
morning, we found the ceremonies i'll
honor OF the dead in full blast, and the
place swarming with celestials, with Il
fair sprinkling OF male and female vis-
tors of our own race. The ceremonies
did not seem to partake in any marked
degree of Il religious character, but
seemed more like a friendly visit, lunch
and chit-chat with the dear departed.
Sticks of prepared incense, or Joss
sticks,n and red wax candles, with
small sticks to hold them above the sand,
were burning by the head OF nearly ev-
cry grave and in and around the open
brick enclosure or temple, and its wood
en- counterpart on the hill above.
Nearly every party, on driving on the
ground, would let Off a feu dc jOie of fire
crackers by way of announcing to their
friends in the spirit land that they We're
on hand and prepared for business.
Then the roast pig, oranges, bananas,
pieces OF fresh sugar cane, and other
toothsome delicacies prepared for the
occasion, would be unloaded from the
wagons and Il nice spread, or lay out,
would be arranged at each grave or in
the nOndescript enclosures, which, for
want of a better name, we call temples.
After the spread had been arranged,
rows of tiny porcelain cups would be set
down on the sand and poured full ofsam
choO, or other alcoholic or vinOus liquor.
After few minutes fire would be kim
died, and baskets full of square, vari-
colOred paper would be burned, the eat
ables would be packed up again and put
back in the wagons, the liquor would be
turned on the fire, or on the ground, and
the joss sticks and candles lighted and
left burning. Then a woman would
take up handful of pale straw colored
squares of paper, each with a bit of gold
foil fastened on the centre, and twirling
them deXterously in her hand so as to
arrange them i'm the form of Catherine
wheel, as a Caucasian sport will some
times arrange pack of cards, fiinging
them into the air, sending them tlutter.
ing away on the wind for many rods
The whole cemetery all around the Chi
nese quarter is full of these little squares
of gilt paper, and whatever virtue they
may possess will be largely shared by
the occupants of the POtter's Field oil
our own race, whose graves are strewn
with them as the ground in the forest
is strewn with leaves. The visitors
would then walk around for shor
time, chat, laugh, and exchange con
CALCULATIONS with their living friends
and then ride away to the city, appar
emily in the best of humOr with them
selves and the rest of mankind. AL
the celestials come and go in carriages
the rich merchants in the costliest hack
to be hired at the Plaza, and the poOre
classes in humber style, but all in vehi
cles ofsOme kind. In hack drawn b.,
two fine grays, with silver-mOuntet
harness, you would see four Opulent mer
chants in their Sundays best,u smOk
ing cigars, and evidently enjoying them
selves thoroughly, and next to then
would come an express wagon, lOade,
with common laborers, who dubbed to
gether, and by riding dozen in one
conveyance managed to keep the eX
pense within their means, while q thir
would be filed with women of the pub
lie class only. And the offerings the
brought to please their dead friends wer
of like diverse character. Behind tn
carriages of the rich men would come
wagon loaded with delcacies of tn
costliest description, hogs roasted entir,
and provisions by wholesale, while tn
poor cigarmaker, washerwoman, or th
pedler of fruit and vegetables, woul
humbly bear i'm his hands q few triflt