Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-10
Chinese Superstition.

SOME time ago, when writing to you, l
gave you brief account Of the depreda-
tons of the tigers to the west of Annoy.
Since then news has arrived Of their hav-
ing appeared in the mountains that lie
about fifty miles north of this. From all
accounts they appear to be committing
great havoc, and to have become the ter
ror Of the region they inhabit. In the
course of three or four months they have
killed twenty persons, and, Of course, an
indefinite number of pigs etc. A certain
temple, which is situated away in lonely
spot among these hills, has been rendered
tenantless and uninhabitable by them. A
short time since it was occupied by three
PERSONA priest, laboring man whom
he had engaged to assist him in tilling a
few fields belonging to the temple, and the
mother of the latter. One evening, in re-
turning 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 in the morning, or after a
certain hour in the afternoon. The farm
ers, each morning, are accustomed to as
semble together, and, after beating Of
gongs and firing Of guns, they feel that
they may go in safety to their fields. Va
rious consultations have been held among
the wise heads, both as to the cause Of the
Eruption of these unwelcome visitors and
the means by which they might be re-
pressed. The result, as is often the case
in such deliberations, has not been very
Satisfactory 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 mountains The elders of
| the people accordingly selected spot in
| full view Of all the prominenthillsa around
| and there offered sacrifice to these invisi
BILE nothings, at the same time implorin,
them to lay stringent iniunctions on tn
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
another consultation among those who
were supposed to know all about such
Matters it was decided that these animals
were not, in reality, tigers after all, but
| certain powerful demons that, for the time
being, had assumed the form of tigers, in
order the more effectually to carry out
their feelings of hatred to man. 1t was,
therefore, decided to apply to the Imperial
Tauist priest, who is regarded as the very
high priest and Pope of the Tauist persua-
sion, and who is believed to be able to
control the spirits, and to have infallible
specifics for bringing them to submission.
The wise heads advised that messenger
should be sent to him for yellow paper
charms, to be posted in convenient places
on the hills, which should have the effect
of driving the tigers altogether out of that
neighborhood. The less knowing, and
such as were not initiated into the mys.
teries of spirit life, took more practical
view of the matter, and suggested that tins
plan would not only be expensive, but also
risky; as there was no certainty that the
charms of the imperial wizard would be
successful. 1t was proposed, instead, that
a foreigner from Annoy should be invited
to come up and kill the tigers. This pro-
posal was evidently popular one; for a
deputation was at once sent to Annoy, who
somehow or other found their way to my
place. They had very sorrowful tale to
tell, and they begged me to assist them in
the object for which they had come to
Amoy.-Anaoy Letter to Shanghai Courier.