The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-06-27
SuperstitiOns In China.
WILD ANIMALS AND WILDER IDEAS.

Some time ago, when writing to you, 1
gave you brief account of the depredations
of the tigers to the west of Annoy. Since
then..news has arrived of their having appear
ed in the mountains that lie about fifty miles
north of this. From all accounts they ap-
pear to have been committing great havoc,
and to have become the terror 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 a
lonely spot among these hills, has been rem
dered 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 tillng a few
fields belonging to the temple, and the moth
er of the latter. One evening, in returning
from the fields, they were set upon by the IT,
gers and the whole of them killed. Such ter
ror has taken possession of the country peo-
pie that they dare not go out early in the
morning, or after certain hour in the after
noon. The farmers, each morning, are ac-
customed to assemble together, and, after
beating of gongs anu firing of guns, they feel
they may go in safety to their fields, Vari-
GUS consultations have been held among the
wise heads, both as to the cause of the ir-
ruptiOn of these unwelcome visitors and the
means by which they might be repressed.
The result, as is often tho case in such delib-
erations, has not yet 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 noun
tains. The elders of the people accordingly
selected spot In full view of all the promi-
nent hills around, and there offered sacrifice
to these invisible nothings, at the same time
implOring them to lay stringent injunctons
ON the tigers that they should behave them
selves in more becoming manner for the fu-
ture. 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 opportrnity. After an
other 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 demons
that, for the time being, had assumed the form
OF tigers, in order the more effectually to ear
ry out their feelings of hatred to man. I.
was, therefore, decided to apply to the Impe-
perial, Tauist priest, who is regarded as the
very high priest and pope of the Taust per-
suasion, and who is believed to be able to
control the spirits, and to have infallible spe-
cifics 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 would have the effect of driving the
tigers altogether out of that neighborhood.
The less knowing, and such as were not ini-
tiated into the mysteries of spirit life, took
more practical view of the matter, and sug-
gested that this plan would not only be ex-
pensive, but also risky; as there was no GER
tainty that the charms OF the imperial wizard
would be successful. 1t was proposed, in
stead, that foreigner at Annoy should be in
vited to come up and kill the tigers. This
proposal 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 OBJ
ject for which they had come to Annoy.