Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-10-18
SCENE IN CHINA.
Interesting Description of a Chinese r q
uXiOUs Procession.

Description of a Chinese Re-.
AS1Ous Procession.
In It's many turnings the path again
led the visitor to the near neighborhood
Of the river. More music Of the same
kind, but somewhat more solemn and
sonorous, was audible upon the right.
from behind clump of trees and
bamboos, In which a snug homestead
lay empowered, emerged a long process
sion. In front came the musicians.
then several men carrying slaves, then
a gayly dressed object on a triumphal
chair, and then a body of men and 9
very few women, all of whom together
moving along the narrow
path IN single tile-made up a goodlv
show. Upon the triumphal chair was
seated in gorgeous robes of scarlet
WIN a tlnsel crown and jewels, di-
v!inlty of wood with a pink complex
Ion, long black beard, and Aryan fea-
lures. Inc chair was borne high on
the necks Of four stalwart coolies: and
by it's side, steadying it as it swayed to
and fro In its passage along the narrow
way, walked with difficulty, owing to
the narrowness of the path, grave
citizen OF the highest class. Lictors,
bearing stout slaves, formed a body
guard. All--bearers, lictors, musicians
wore peculiar head-dress, a kind of
tall fower-pot-shaped hat, with a brim
not unlike those seen in illustrations of
life of our English Puritans. As the
procession passed in front of the home
steads, the inmates came out and ex-
ploded whole strings of crackers. In
front of many houses small affairs were
placed, on which were burning slender
scarlet tapers, and little sheaves of in
cense sticks placed in censers of brass
or earthenware. Children were brought
out by their mothers, and taught to
render Obeisance-to chin chin, as the
expression in the "Pidgin" dialect is
to the image as it was carried by. The
blasts of music grew louder and louder,
gongs were sounded, more crackers
were exploded, and the procession
turned off to wind about among the
fields. Strange and grotesque as it all
was, it still reminded the spectator of
the periodical outings of st. Spiridione
to bless the vineyards of the olive
groves of Corfu. Its meaning was thus
explained in "Pidgin" by bystander
who had a slight knowledge of that
wonderful dialect. Thrice year the
divinity is carried forth in solemn pro-
cession, that sickness may be warded
off from the country. A collection of
totnauG lying in one spot, rather closer
together than was usual, formed quite
a hillock on the amending plain.
Thither the procession wendell its way,
and on the summit of the eminence, in
front of table beneath an awning, the
image was deposited. An attend
ant fred off four barrels of
a quaint petard, volleys of
crackers were exploded, and
a fire was lighted on the ground before
the image. A Bone, with completely
shaven head, then advanced, recited a
long prayer, and scattered bowlfuls of
cooked rice on all sides. Piles of Chin
csc ofertory money, made of gold and
silver paper, were offered up and
burned in the fire. The Bone rang
bell and said more prayers; the image
was lifted up in its chair, and the pro-
cession moved onward on its way. A
small temple stood not far off. In its
main hall the divirities were being re-
called with a sumptuous banquet.
Three long tables covered with viands
-sweetmeats, fruits, vegetables and
the inevitable roasted pig-were
stretched athwart the pavement of the
hall. At the upper end of each were
placed three images, both male and fe-
male, all bedizzened with tawdry fine
ry of tinsel and inferior silk. Here
was veritable kctisterniuna, on small
provincial scale, it is true, but perhaps
not an inexact reproduction of the great
Epatlats,s Jouis, held ages ago in the Ro-
man Capitol. Crowds of peasants were
standing outside, looking on. In the
court in front were piled strange-look-
ing Instruments Of music flies, drums,
trumpets of prodigious length, and gui-
tars made of snake-skin.- Fortnightly
Re1ie7y