The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1873-07-10
Chinese Superstition.

SOME time ago, when writing to you, I
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
persons-a priest, a laboring man whom
he had engaged to assist him in tilling a
few fields belonging to the emple, 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 morni1 g, or after
certain hour in the afternoon. The farm
ers, each morning, are accrl stoned to as
semble together, and, aft er 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 unwelco1a ne 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 seld cted spot in
full view of all the promin&nthill around
and there offered sacrifice to these invisi
BILE nothings, at the same time implorin,
them to lay stringent injuhctions on tn
tigers that they should beh ave themselves
The tigers replied to this challenge by the
very next day deyouring an other man, and
by repeating the same process whenever
chance gave them an oppo rtunity. After
another consultation among those who
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. It 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 vert not initiated into the mys-
teries of spirit life, took a more practical
view of the matter, and suggested that this
plan would not only be expensive, but also
risky; as there was no certainty that the
charms of the imperial W lizard would be
successful. 1t was propos ed, instead, that
a foreigner from Annoy should be invited
to come up and kill the tigers. This pro-
posal was evidently popular one; for
deputation was at once sent to Annoy, who
somehow or other found their way to my
place. They had very sprrowful tale to
tell, and they begged me TO assist them in
the object for which they had come to
Amoy-Amoy Letter to Shanghai Courier.