The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-11-16
SCI! Correspondence.l

HosGKoSG, Sept. 1S.-Hearing one
day Of Chinese country festival in the
neighborhoOd Of Kowloon, which is Just
opposite TO Hongzong, i got up a party
Of friends, crossed the harbor, and
within an hour was in the scene of the
festivities. My Chinese servants were
well acquainted in the place-in fact,
were cousins or nephews or something
or other Of the leading family of the
town. It was a stroke of rare good for
tune, as it insured Us a cordial welcome
and offered opportunities to see and hear
that are never presented TO strangers,
much less Europeans.
A Question of Generosity.
The festival was given by all the fam
lies in the village. Each had subscribed
what it could afford and had paid the
money over TO the village elders, who
formed sort of executive committee.
Not alone this, but they had written 70
well TO do kinsmen in Hongkong, Can
ton and elsewhere, who had duly and
generously responded. It is sort of a
duty for everybody to 'chip in upon
these occasions. The element of pride
also enters, for the name Of every giyer
and the amount of his gift are inscribed
upon large placards, which are posted
up where all may see and read them. 4
mean man is not only condemned, but
is treated with n rudeness and incivility
that would spoil the patience of saint.
In the morning the people turned out
gayly dressed and looking their best. On
this day the women are allowed to go
out ON foot and enjoy themselves in the
~ It-hGrn tho IF tho
they stay within doors or travel in closed
sedan chairs. They make full use of
their privilege. The pretty girl walks,
talks and poses, so as to exhibit her
charms; the frivolous or firtatious fe-
male devotes her eyes TO the young men
and smiles and stares, winks and ogles
most prepostcrously; the heiress wears
her jewels as conspicuously as possible
and draws her costly skirts about her
whenever a poorer member of her sex
comes near; the gossip entertains null
titude with insinuatiOn, Islander and
scandal, while the scold finds ample
scope for her dreaded and notorious
tongue
They Take the joss Along.
About noon is a procession. 1t starts
IN front of the domicile of the leading
man of the village, wanders, now fast
and now slow, through all the thorough
fares of the place and winds up ut Il
temple or josshouse, which has been
cleaned, repaired and decorated for the
occasion. Like all Chinese professions,
1t Is so grotesque as TO be funny. There
IL usually Joss" or idol to start with.
This is a small figure no larger than
girls doll, but so bediZened and be-
whiskered as TO seem miniature cut
throat or pirate. He Is fastened securely
10 the seat of 4 strong sedan chair or
throne on poles, so that no matter what
may happen to the carriers he will not
suffer the indignity of pitching forward
and falling into the mud. This is the
most terrible luck that can happen to
an idol If il occur and he is not to
blame. something awful will befall the
people Of this community. On the con-
trary, if he, the idol, or the deity he
represents has been misbehaving, 1t Is
very just and appropriate punishment
Josses who allow their worshipers to
get sick or do not send good harvests or
prevent fishermen making good hauls
with their nets are frequently chastised
by taking them out of their comfortable
temples and putting tE,n in the mud
or in muddy water. The process Is cruel,
but the joss is said always TO turn over
a new leaf and become a good deity
thereafter. To go on with the process
sion, the chair or throne of the idol Is
carried by 4, g, or 2 porters. Around
IL are other men, who carry the UNI
brella of the joss, the long red boards
Oh which are inscribed his name AID
titles, the weapons with which he Is 10
be defended against enemies, the flags
and banners which strike terror into
the hearts of his foe, and there, of course,
Is the perpetual band Of music. 1t COZ
sists of q gong, u tom-tom, Il drum, a
clarinet and cymbals. Sometimes there
are two and even three clarinets, and
sometimes they add a trumpet and even
a horn. The first combination Is bad
enough. Il causes you TO gnash your
teeth and desire TO shoot somebody.
But the last Is something frightful.
Would BEND Rock.
After the second bar you close your
ears with your fingers and escape. Aft
CT hearing il once was firmly convinc-
ed that when the Hebrew priests and
Levites made the walls of Jericho fall
down with the sound Of their martial
music tHeN sAllIlE hAISu soAhc PSA4pe'
tetic Chinese orchestra that happened
TO be in the neighborhood. Then there
are men and children in the parade,
some dressed IN ordinary costume and
others in cheap, fiimsy DISCUSSES Pretti-
est of all are lite boys attired as warriors
riding ON tiny ponies and donkeys and
little boys and girls made up TO repre-
sent angels on floats and platforms COW
cred with flowers The procession breaks
up at the temple, because ut that hour
the public banquet generally opens. 1t
forms again IN the evening and goes
over the same route, only now it Is far
more attractive. Torches, fiambeaux,
lanterns and traEsparencies are massed
II confusion for the entire line of
march. Every second some enthusiast
in the raraCe or on the sidewalk ignites