The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-09
CHINESE sUPERSIITIoss.
B!ue Devils with wsr-Ipgs ut See .sd Bsa
or Benenee.t Tigers Ashore.

During the recent visit to washing ton OF Dr.
Edward s. Bedoe. the famous raconteur OF the
Philadelphia Cloves Club and late Consul to
Annoy. he RECALLED his friends with many
strange tales OF Chinese beliefs
Some years ago." said he. the steamer
Nam-C Chow sailed from Singapore In the Straits
for Annoy. She carried several hundred Chi
nese as passengers. On the second day out
the Captain from his position on the bridge saw
great commotlon among his Chinese pas
sengers forward and sent the mate to find out
the cause Of the disturbance which arose
seemingly without reason and grew with each
moment The mate shortly returned from his
mission with look OF mingled porple1ty and
amusement on his bronzed and weathef-
beaten face.
Captain said he. this IL the FUNNIEST lot
OF heather l have struck yet. Blow me II I
can make them out Tho beggars have a yarn
and they all stick to It like q lot OF sea lawyers
lying undor oath. They say that lust before
the rumpus began what they call a blue
devil" camo down on deck right out OF the
smoke from the stacks and walked up 10 them.
The whole b'in' Of EN- declare they saw him
and that he said the steamer was going to be
wrecked and nearly all on board lost He said.
so they give II, that there 10 lust one honest
Chinaman on board. and that for his sake he
came to give them warning. They say that
whom the blue devil" got through with his
pnlaver he gave an awful grimace. walked
backward into the smoke. and disappeared.
And now they are as crazy as March hares,
and every mothers son OF EN- in blue funk
with fear that the Nam-Chow will 60 to Dayy
Jones's locker In the next hour
The Captain was visibly annoyed, but he
said little. He had sailed too long In Chinese
waters to be thrown of his balance by any
queer freak on the part OF a lot OF Chinese
deck passengers. but his Scotch blood was too
full OF belief in second sight not to give him a
feeling OF relief when the harbor OF Annoy was
coached in safety Within a week the cargo
was discharged and the vessel was ready for
her return trip to Singapore. But though the
Nam Chow usually took several hundred Chi
nese deck passengers. not one was booked or
could be induced to 90. The native cooks and
waters bad also deserted the ship. leaving
their wages with the purser. The story OF
he GS,, blue devil t had got around and not
lor love or money, The Captain was in a guam
dsty' but shrsTdiy set to work 70 md way
In "a few hours he had every Chinese priest in
Annoy down on the steamer, beating tom toms.
labaloo to scare OIL the blue devil and exercise
his evil influence. When this was done to the
the vessel safe. and inside the next twenty.
Tour hours the missing members OF the crew
psaranes. and the Nam.Show Ss sailed i W VI
iorty-sight hours the, propeller shalt broke.
II was at night.and OF the four hundred odd
souls aboard only thirty Ave were saved.
The Chinese" continued DR.. Bsdloe. are
The dogs IN the streets may contain the spirits
OF ones Departed ancestors. and they treat all
once went with party on a tiger hunt
s several days, Journey into the interior We
inquiry at a village il there were any tigers in
the neighborhooi. The hend magistrate, .
positive Sf PsIms as Ssre in ws2 .
n IN !, many many years. We had been Informed
so proceeded further into the eountrr. We
had proceeded but few miles before a runneH
message from the magistrate. lie begged ous
most humble pardon. but would the iIustrious
TO return at once. lie had been mistaken IL
saving there were no tigers IN the neighbor.
aSS most was one and was ysTy 6sa
parture 1t had entered the village seized q
young young woman %.p. and made on with her into the
hunt up the tiger and kill HIM
We returned got on the track Of the tiger
killing him after about four hours OF cautious
hunting. We then returned TO the village.
the tiger and bringing In the hide. The old
magistrate could not Abase himselfenouRh for
the most ne saa e'
us good meal OF curried chicken. bamb
sprouts fish and some excellent tea, and as
We ate told us the following story:
One cannot be too careful about animals"
said he. They may be very good animals.
them. Think how sad il wouia be il one should
ki!i relative, thipkiHg i was = tiger: This
US any harm, only taxing goat or a dog once
In a while, and We thought him a good tiger
sung Tssa We had bitter experience in this
village once which shows tho truth OF what
! say our village had been guarded
warning Of his bis nrst Visit thy by st5ppine Outside
the village and roaring. 70 give US time to
Then no came In lelsuTely. looked around.
and, selling a goat. made on. We know
sts%pf to drive him away. Once sG or p t%es
week he would come and get goat or a dog.
had gone; He generally came In the daytime.
while tad tigers usual come at night
HaSs s Ss SSr sSSa RsSr no
come In. staying outsLds and roaring feATfullY.
We knew that sOPesthing Vas wrong. and We
TuSbinR 81 a fearful flood in the river. and We
had barely time TO escape into the hills before
Then We knew that our good tiger had come to
warn MS. and recognized that he held the soul
o! "a great philanthropist who had died only =
few days before the tiger made his fret AD-
peArAnce. This was NOT tho only Instance Of
1 MAN. such. lie cane Gaek when our VILLAGE
was rebuilt and We wers Vsry glad to give him
the few goats and dogs he TOOK, .,,
We heard nothing OF him for two weeks Thea
some OF The yitagers who had started on
journey through the mountain pass you can
see yondeT. came back with the news that the
tiger was IN the pass roaring night and day,
aud that no had driven them back ana would
not let them 20 through. " o believed there
Was some good reason for this 20 We drove
some goats Up into the PASS so that the tiger
mi Kht have something 10 eat aud then waited
ne return TsS over tw3 months 9ei9 ore
hAunts near the village. and not ill thea did
NO learn his purpose 10 staying 50 long In the
pass. the cholera bad teen raging in the
next valley. and our tiger had gone 10 the pass
to keen the cholera demon from coming into
our village and 20 keep our villagers from
going into the other yallsy aud catching the
81 ssass. You will now understand our grief