The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-04-18
CHINESE SUPER.Tl1I0NS.
BLUE DEVILS WITH WARNINGS AT
SEA AND BAD OR BENEFIC-
ENT TIGERS ASHORE.

of DIR. Edward >. BedIOe, Jne ldLh9uS
raconteur of the Philadelphia Glover
Club and late consul to Annoy, he regal
ed his friends with many strange tales OF
Oh; nese beliefs.
''Some years ago." said he, 1.-THE
steamer Nam-Chow sailed from Singa-
pore in the straits for Annoy. She car
ried several hundred Chinese as passen'
gers. On the second day out the cap
tain, from his position on the bridge,
saw great commotion among his
Chinese passengers forward and sent
the nate 10 lind out the cause of the
disturbance, which arose seemingly
without reason, and grew with each
moment. The mate shortly returned
from his mission with a look of mingled
perplexity and amusement on his hronz-
ed and weather-beaten face.
Captain" said he, 'this is the rum
mlest lot of brethren have struck yet.
Blow me if can make them out. The
beggars have yarn and they all stick to
it like a lot of sea lawyers lying under
oath. They say that just before the
rumpus began what they called "blue
devil' came down on deck right out of
the smoke from the stacks and walked
up to them. The whole b'ilin' of 'em
declared they saw him and that he said
that the steamer was going to be wreck
ed and nearly all on board lost. He
said, so they gave it, that there is just
one honest Chinaman on board, and that
for his sake he came to give the warning
They say that when the "blue devil
got through with his palaver he gave an
awful grimmace, walked backward into
the smoke, aud disappeared. And now
they are as crazy as March hares, and
every mothers son of 'em's in blue funk
with fear that the Nam Chow will go to
Dayy Jones' 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 off his
balance by any queer freaks on the part
of lot of Chinese deck passengers, but
his Scotch blood was to full of belief in
second sight not to give him feeling of
relief When the harbor of Annoy was
reached in safety. Within 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 Chinese deck passen
gers, not one was booked or could be in
duced to go. The native cooks and
walters had also deserted the ship, leav-
ing their wages with the purser. The
story of the "blue devil'' had got around,
and not Chinaman would put his foot
on the steamer for love or money. The
captain was in aquandary, but shrewdly
set to work to find way out He con-
suited the local authorities, and in few
hours he had every Chinese priest in
Annoy down on the steamer beating
tom-toms, burning joss sticks, and rails
ing a general hullabaloo to scare off the
DluS uONlI duu CA0lCloO lilo OflA I'LL ANANS'
When this had been done to the salts
faction of the priests they pronounced
the vessel STE, and inside of twenty
four hours the missing members of the
ere and the normal passenger list put
in an appearance, aud the Nam Chow
sailed. Within forty-eight hours the
shaft broke, pounded hole in
the bottom of the steamer--it was at
highland of the four hundred odd
souls aboard only thirty-five were saved.
"The Chinese" continued DR.. Bedloe,
Stare great believers in the transmigra-
ton of souls. The dogs in the street
may contain the spirits of ones departed
ancestors, and they treat all animals
with the greatest circumspection.
'I once went with party on a tiger
hunt of several days journey into the in
terror We arrived at last into the tiger
country, and made inquiry at village if
there were any tigers in the neighbor-
hood. The head magistrate, shrewd
old Monaghan, declared in the most
positive terms that there were none, nor
had there been, he affirmed, in many
years. We had been Informed other
wise, but could learn nothing, and SO
proceeded further into tbs country. We
had proceeded but few miles before a
runner clme from the village W uai
Just left with message from the ntgls-
trate. lie begged our most humble
pardon, but would the ilIustriou> aud
most benevolent gentlemen be So kind ~
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