The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-08-29
Funeral Of a CaInese Empress.
lsan Francisco Chroniels.l

death of the widow of the Emper.
or Hsien Feng.
Ever since the Empress died
her remains have been deposited
in a mortuary chapel, situated in
the grounds of the palace.
AT its summit beautiful sum.
mer house is built, and its slopes
are decorated with trees and
shrubs of various descriptions.
For seven months the body of
the Empress reposed on the hill.
Every day delegations of high man.
darins visited the shrine to offer
sacrifices and prayers, while u le-
gion of Buddhist lamas aud Tauist
priests lived in little huts around
the gardens, whose duty it was to
offer prayers for repose of the
soul of her Majesty. The Kwan
Teh Tien, for such is the name of
the mortuary chapel, was sacredly
guarded from mortal ken.
Two weeks previous to the date
fixed for the funeral the roads
leading to the imperial tombs-
which are styled lung ngan tien
lit abiding resting hall Of the
dragon)-were under a process of
renovation.
After the roadway was repaired
traffic on the portion renovated
was entirely suspended. AS il is
an essential feature in a Chinese
imperial funeral that the coffin
must be carried steadily and with.
out the least swaying, for some
twenty days previous 10 the obse.
quies the men who were destined
to bear the corpse were drilled
under the eye of officials to pro
hciency. Two Immense beams
painted yellow, supported a lofty
canopy and stand, where the coffin
was to rest. Upon this stand the
presiding official was seated. hold
ing cup of water in his hands
The desired point was achieved
when the bearers could step TO
gether and not spill a drop.
On the appointed morning, a
early dawn, the procession lief
the palace and proceeded on iii
way through the Hou Men, O
back gate. The catafalquc wa
carried from the shrine to outsid
the gate by l2S bearers. In a yel
low canvass tent, situated on tn
I plateau outside the city. the coill
was deposited by the bearers
there to await the arrival of th
boy Emperor and the Wester
} Empress. There were some IL
! 600 soldiers of tie imperial bod
guard as an escort and guard ft
5 his Majesty and the Empress, VIII
} arrived at 8 a. m. to pay their lai
| farewell to the dead ruler. Du
ing the passage of the processiu
along the street the ends of I'll
lanes abutting on the main tho
0ughfares were screened by blr
cloth, and every house and sho
was tightly closed. Any on
caught gazing at the imperial co
: tege was arrested aud severel
punished. The Emperor and En-
press, after performing a numbs
, of prostrations and offering
bations to the departed soul, r,
turned to the palace. In order
give rest to the bearers Of th
enormous catafalque, there wei
no less than 1000 men detailed
act as relays.
The procession then moved
; the following order: First cam
a number of musicians vii drum
trumpets, cymbals and flutes, bt
playing no music, these instr
: ments being only sounded at var
: ous points and intervals. Mex
three imperial carts, the bodit
and wheels painted q rich yellow
with canopies of a straw colore
D satin, the tops surmOunted b
> gilded ornaments, and drawn i
/, two white horses with gilded tral
ings. Then came a hundred whit
ponies, with red trappings, led b
spearmen. Next appeared thre
e sedan chairs covered with yello
= silk, two carried by eight men
. scarlet robes, while the third wa
richly decorated with gilded orni
ments aud was horne by sixtee
9 men. These chairs were the one
used by the late Empress. Follos
ing in order came a number ,
high mandarins and princes 0
horseback, attendants carryin
| large fans OF different colors. fiag
of white, yellow, black and blu
silks. with the five-clawed drago
!. emblazoned upon them. aud other
a carrying huge umbrellas. The
s appeared the ponderous cat
a fslque, with twenty mandarins Q
foot in front of it. This huge biz
= was draped in yellow satin, and
J shape resembled an ordinai
/ stage. Under a canopy covere
8 with silk, upon which a drago
. was embroidered In gold threa'
: the coffin reposed. The roof
= the canopy bad large gilt ba
4