The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-06-28
In q Tauist Temple.

Passing along the streets lin Chinal, we.
heard sounds on the right which were
semi-musical, and through narrow open
ing we saw candles burning, and turned
aside to see what it might mean. Broth
er Allen, who is an invaluable oicerooe,
soon saw that it was in Tauist temple.
and that the ceremonies going on were
for the release of a soul from purgatory-
for the Tauists, as we'll as the Buddhists
and Romanists, have their purgatory,
which yields good revenue. In the
hands of skillful priests, there is no bet
ter paying institution. Upon little in
quiry, we learned that the man for whose
benefit these ceremonies were performed
had been dead about six months; that his
children had employed the priests to get
him out OF purgatory; that he had been
out for three days, but that after his re-
lease from the lower regions, it required
further lift to get him up through the
intervening spaces into paradise. This
was what they were at now. The temple
was gorgeously decorated with images,
tablets, and gilt hangngs. One priest
stood In an inner recess, and two others,
with servitor, were out in the larger
space in front, the whole being confined
to rather small area, the temple not be-
ing large one. Off in one side were
some three others, one beating on sort
OF bell, another on metallic plate, which
gave rather a short, dull sound, and the
third playing on flute. Occasionally a
few sentences were intoned responsibility.
The robes of the priests were very gor-
geous; that of the one who seemed to be
playing the chief part was of bright red
ground, with blue border, three or four
inches wide, around the bottom of it,,
which extended down to the feet, and
faced down the front, on each side, with
white. On the red ground at the center
of the back, or little above the center,
was the gilt figure of pagoda, and scat
tered protusely over it were gilt spangles
and dragons. He and another priest
were generally elsa. rts with each other,
and often changed places with each 9TH
er, as if they were dancing; indeed they
came together quite actively at times.
One of them held in his hand piece of
wood, about six inches long, and an inch
and a half square, hung about with pieces
of paper covered with writing, on which
his eyes were intently fixed His cis-a-
Uis retired after a time, smoked his pipe
for few moments, and then seated him.
self with flute, and helped the music.
The principal actor continued gazing ON
his strips of paper, AMI posturing about
on piece of coarse cloth, which had a
few mysterious characters on it, in GER
tain relation to which he seemed to place
himself at every change of position, now
and then bowling himself quite down to
the earth, and touching his paper-cov-
cred wand with his forehead; and so the
performance was still going on when we
left.
During the whole scene, spectators
came and went at pleasure, some even
passing between the officiating priests,
while children romped around unchecked.
One man, who stood within four feet of
the chief priest, gave Brother Allen the
history of the case in very loud voice,
while some of the priests looked around
curiously at the foreigners. l should
have been filled with disgust at the non
sense of the whole affair il it had not
been for the horror l felt, that the great
enemy of God and man should have ac-
quired such control of countless millions
If our race, and that 10y means even of
their religious instincts. How readily
they spend their money under his inspi-
rations, and how eagerly they accept the
-iliest theatricals by which he, through
his priests, pretends to manage their eter-
nal destinies. What slave, of superstition
they are and from this fearful bondage
nothing can ever free them but the gospel
Of the grace of God.-Bishop Mdrria.
HUNTING BIRDS OF PARADIsE.-The-