, 1891-03-31
A GRAVEYARD DANCE.
GHoSTLY CEREMONY WITNESSED r.
A JAPANESE CEMETERY.

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Buying Grounds Richly and Luzuri-
ousIy Decorated with GarIauds and
Tempting yiaudS.
DR.. G.. II. Cotton SaIter. who for many
years was United States consul in Japan
and afterward entered the Chinese gov
eminent service. gazed thoughtfuIIy Into
the glowing enbers in the CRATE and
after a short pause told the following
tale:
The many stories published about
Indian ghost dances and h Messiah
craze remind me Of one of the most re-
markRble incidents 1 have ever witnessed
during my long career in the Orient,
and I am sure there are but few Amer
cans or Europeans who have had the
opportunity 10 see the sights Of which l
an going 20 tell
The native religion Of the japanese is,
as you know, Buddhism, and there is no
creed which is as full Of superstition.
some of the ancient beliefs Of the Bud
dhists are calculated 10 Brighten the faith
full and wildly portray the horrible pun.
Ishmgut that awaits the sinful man after
he clos iis earthly career, while others,
with rharuing simplicity, show that the
grearear aim Of the HiudOO religion IS
the release from existence.
The |.rrlue Of the transmigration Of
soul hope for a better fate in n
futa Gre the principal foundations
upon Ha buddhism rests. Nagasak,
VIII r- ] resided for many years, was
famed for the splendid festivals in honor
OF Euu4ah, or Gautama, the founder Of
the religion. Owing 20 the work Of
mis- uHgries and the consequent spread
of Christianity IN Japan, many Of the
religious fetes are no longer publicly OBJ
served. and the one Of which / am about
10 speak had its last grand celebration in
1886, just before l left Nagasaki
DECORATED GRAvEYARDs.
II is called the Matsidri and was held
during the last week in August or the
first week in September, continuing four
days. These days We're set aside for the
reception Of the spirits Of the dead, who.
according to a legendary belief, return
once n year to their old homes. For
many weeks previous 10 the festival
preparations had been in progress. The
houses Of the believers had all been care
fully swept, cleaned and polished. and
the home affairs. which are to be found
in every native house, had been redeco-
rated and r~efurnished. The interior Of
all the buildings had been profusely
adorned with flowers, the streets had
been repaired and the whole city was
clothed in holiday attire,
On the morning Of the first day the
dead were received with much ceremony
in the graveyard. which is in a beautiful
grove. Each mound was profusely dec
GRATED with lighted lanterns and gar
lands Of many colored paper globes hung
from tree to tree. On the top Of every
grave food Of the daintiest kind was
spread in a tempting manner and in guam
titles sufficient to appease the appetites
of an army Of the huugriest kind Of
ghosts. On mats spread about the
graves sat all the living descendants Of
the person who had been buried in hat
particular spot. Not a single tomb was
neglected. II in the course Of years the
family Of any one OF the silent sleepers
had completely died out his grave had
been embellished and supplied by stran-
gers.
The spirits were supposed TO arrivennd
depart by water from the sea, mud for
four days and nights the living commune
with their deAd and were with them in
spirit, Tho souls Of the departed We're
supposed 70 hover around the tombs like
substantial visible beings. and they were
treated with every attention due TO sacred
and distinguished visitors from the other
world.
The night of the second day was de
voted to a grand terpsichorean entertain
ment or spirit dance, and the graveyard
was transformed for once into a ball
room, where ghostly dancers were sup
posed to hold revelry.
a SPLENDID sIGHT.
The scenes mHde a strong and ever
lasting impression on me. The night
was perfect, the moon wa at its full and
the air was fragrant with the perfumes
of thousands Of flowers. Myriads of
lights were Pickering on the hillsides
which surround the city. and the cOlored
lanterns swayed gently to and fro, keep
ing time TO the chimes Of the silvery
bells in the temple tower, which fur
nished the music for the mystic enter
tainment. Around an artificial lake in
the center of the graveyard the people
knelt in silent devotion, worshipiug on
the shrine of BuddhH, whose emblem,
the lotus flower, rose from the middle of
the lake.
Every one Of the four days and nights
brought new surprises and ceremonies.
many of the latter being held in the
temple, the doors of which were closed
and guarded against the entrance of
infdels. On the last uight-or the night
of nights. as it was cHlled-a grand pro-
cession finished the festival. The people
marched in parade to escort their spirit
visitors to the water front, where they
were TO depart.
Boatmen carried on their shoulders a
gigantic craft built Of wood and straw,
in which the dead were supposed TO be
seated, and which was TO convey them
back TO spirit land and to Ohuta. the
great father beyond the sen. This boat.
which is called Fukuy, was a master
piece of japanese carpentry. 1t was
ninety feet long and had a stately mast
with a huge sail which bore in native
characters the inscription, "Naidiuama-
widi," a word which is symbolic of
Gautama's greatness.
This boat, artistically and richly deco
rated, was launched with much cere-
mony after the last spirit had been EN-
hrtced and, ~fgurutively speaking, had
taken his seat on board. IL was then
pushed out into the sea, and drifting
away was finally carried out Of sight by
the tide. And so ended the last festival
Of Matsidri ever held publicly in Ma
gasAki, and the most splendid religious
celebration l ever witnessed.-San Fran
cisco Chronicle.
RI r.u-- t. L. - -. H..