The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-06-21
RANAGES OF TIGERS.
Chinese >uperstitions.

An Annoy letter to the Shanghai
Courier says
Sorie time ago, when writing to
you, gave you a brief account of the
depridations of the tigers to the west
of Annoy. Since then, news bas arrived
Of their having appeared in the noun
tains that lie about 80 miles north of
this. From al accounts they appear
to be committing great havoc, ana to
have become the terror of the region
they inhabit. In the couse of three or
four months they have killed 20 per
sons, and OF course an indefinite num-
Der of pigs, etc. A certain temple,
which is situated away IN a lonely spot
among these hills, has been rendered
tenantless and uninhabitdble by them.
A short time since it was occupied by
three perscns-a priest, laboring man
whom he had engaged to assist
him in tilling a few fields belonging to
the temple, and the mother of the lat
ter. One evening, in returning from
the fields; they were set upon by the
tigers. and the whole of them killed.
Such terror has taken possession of
the country people that they dare not
go out early i'll the morning, or after a
certain hour i'll the afternoon. The
farmers, each morning, are accustomed
to assemble together, and, after the
beating Of gJngs and firing Of guns,
they feel they may go IN safety to their
fields. Various consultations have been
held among the wise heads, both as to
the cause of the irruption of these
unwelcome visitors, and the means by
which they might lie repressed. The re
suit, as Is often the case in such dellb-
eratiOnS, has not been very satlsfac-
tory 1t was at first believed that
these animals would, of course, be
under the control of the god of the
Earth and the spirits of the noun
tains. The elders of the people &C
cordingly selected a spot in full view
of all the prominent hills around, and
there offered sacrifices to these in
visible nothings, at the same time i'm
ploring them to lay stringent inlunc-
tions on the tigers that they should
| behave themselves in a more becoming
manner for the future. The tigers
replied to this challenge by the very
next day devouring another man,
and by repeating the same
process whenever chance gave
them an opportunity. After an
other consultation among those who
were supposed to know all about such
matters, it was decided that these ami
| ma's were not, in reality, tigers after
| all, but certain powerful demons that,
for the time beng, had assumed the
| form of tigers, in order the more effect
| ually to carry out their feelings of
| hatred to man. 1t WAS, therefore, de
cided to apply to the Imperial Tauist
priest, who IL regarded as the very
| high priest and Pope of the Tauist per-
suasioD, and who is believed to be able
to control the spirits, and to have in
| failible specifics for bringing them to
submission. The wise heads advised
| that Il messenger should be
sent to him for yellow pa
per charms to be posted in conve-
| lent places on the hills, which would
have the effect OF driving the tigers out
of that ncighborhood The less know
| ing, and such as were not initiated into
| the mysteries of spiritlife, took 4
mere practical view, and suggested
that this plan would not only be very
! expensive, but also risky; as there was
no certainty that The charms of the
imperial wizard would be effective. II
was proposed, instead, that a foreigner
from Annoy should he invited to come
up and kill tie tigers. This proposal
was evidently a popular one, for a
deputation was at once sent to Annoy,
who somehow or other found their way
to my place. They had very sorrow
tul tale to tell, and they begged me to
assist them IN the object for which
they had come to Annoy.