Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-01-03
THE CHINESE DELUGE.

TARnuY InOuhMu0 ENaAHo
Submerged - superstition of the
Natives.
The Shanghai Budget Of October 4th
contains letter from which we copy as
follows.
All who have hoard Qf the, terrible
foods IN North CHINA, consequent upon
the overflow Of the rivers, must wish
that it we're possible to investigate fully
de cause, progress, and results OF an
event which cannot hut have sad and lar
reaching effects. ! Butt nhforlpnately'
we have to guess a good deal, as usual.
We can only collect and compare the
nieagreapd not very reliable evidsnee
afforded BY official ,docnmepts with the
stories current among the people, and
testimony Of the few foreigners who
have had the opportunity of making
personal observations. The country
Immediately about Pekin has escaped,
and the crops thereabouts berg above
the average, it is said that our friends IN
the capital have concluded that the IN
undation is local and quite unimportant.
For the sake OF the poor peasantry, every
one must hope that it is so. But fear
the hope is delusive. According to the
most trustworthy information we can
get land it so happens we have
the testimony ofsthree lorstouri English
eye-witnesses from as many extreme
points,, it would seem thatsthe sdbmerg-
ed district is of vast extent-probably,
at least twenty thousand square miles.
To realize what this means, we have
only to remember that it represents an
area larger than one-third of England
and Wales. The mind is appalled, at
the bare thought of such calamity.
Those upon the spot, as they look down
upon drowned villages aud fuined crops,
or listen to the tales of desolation which
reach them from the, interior, or,see the
crowds of homeless and foodiess reiu-
gees pouring into the city from the
country, getsome faint idea ot the KIND
of suffering il is causing, but even they
can have no adequate idea OF its samount
The sto-y goes that before the river
actually broke at Tsz-chu-lin, messen-
ger was sent from the Yanten tolnspec,t
the threAtened spot. He foupd q small
hole, and every sign OF the coming dls-
aster. But in the hole was large hsh.
This was declared to be . god, and the
conclusion drawn was that II would be
impious to try to stop the passage OF the
waters, as il was plainly the will OF
Heaven, thst the hank would give way, a
When The catastrophe had actualy
occurred, and successive attempts to NIL
The breach had failed--the rushing stream
having swept piles and reeds away--the
tale grew 1t was then said there were
two fishes, one of which had gone up the
country, while the other remained about
the opening, ana that of course II would
be useless to do anything until the wan
derer returned. A few days later !
learned that thesfAu-tai Of fHien,ts9i,. %
his capacity Of conservator OF rivers,
etc, had gone to the break in the Eucho,
on the west of the city, TO saeriiiceto 70
Yuen Shen, a fabulous tert6ises orsfish,
who is supposed to control the waters
He went in great state, accompanied by
other officials. Tables were placed upon
the river banks, tablet, incense urns,
candle.stioks, and All other necessary
paraphernalia placed IN their proper
places, and then this strange ceremony
began. Not having been present j can
only give the bare facts. Beside the ac-
tual worship the principal business was
long prey Or offered by the Tan-tah who
recounted the sufierings caused by the
food, the fruitless efforts made to stop
the various breaks in the banks of the
rivers, and besoUght the fsh-god to al
lew them now to be repaired The works
at this spO; we're then recommenced At
once
Unfortunaiely,g fuen1Shen does not
seem to have been satisfied, for before
long the waters again asserted their pow
er and swept away all the material gatti-
cred to resist them. Then the Tag-tai
grew angry, and ppid another visit to
| the breach. But there was no worship
on this occasion; no incense, no offer
Jugs. NqrROn took their y. zee and ihe
Va. &, stA Gun 10 ai''y yg,.9d The cod Tor as
II fsn yod 50 and "a, sEdyoa psiSa 70 a.
1 taatien2 Yoa dua'i caro- for ihe trouble
eaused 20 SO mary ihoasagils a people,
as. Rang bang bses 4so osanoh
segs iss as sg ha, suf ! sapPase the
sorlhy siaa, ssFsss seHt Aaseo fseilRe
shat Is haa daG. kis datfl fhste eRt
I be lislie deubl, wheihef be has made
tsay impfesai0a on faea4aasn ~ aot
! tl,st hs has 80 ctfiain exispt succeed
| "a in convincing the peopie lhat hs %
not respsusible Fir the hno9 aud W con
/ f5ss 10 Z isle lspf9 las RtHfstiitgn 2
# 5s s.