The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-07-22

were p,afr. and every priest carried in his
hand folding fan. which he Used fire.
ouentfy through the service We counted
so OF them. and there were many more
TIE nigh priest kneit In front OF a read
ing desk Before the altar and rluiterec
a prayer. switching his horse-tail wand
70 and fro al intervals, while the ofner
celebrants took their places In long rows
at either side OF the altar. facing each
other am sQuarting upon their heels IN
front Of low lacquer tables covered with
boxes I noticed that the tables CORE
sponded IN color with the robes OF the
priests There was a strong odor OF In
ceuse as the high priest led chanted
service from a parchment roll spread out
sefore him and a muscular monk over in
a corner heat a suspended drum about
the size and shape OF whisky barrel
with an instrument that looked like
baseball bat Whenever he struck the
drum the priests chanted the sacred for
rnuIa OF Nicherfn: Manu- milo oho renge
kyo. which literally means. GLORY to the
book that brought salvation, tie blossom
Of religion
The high priest then arose from his
reading desk and followed by the AGO.
lytes bearing something on iacquered
trays that were concealed under embrotd-
cred covers. took his place az the other
end OF the aisle under an immense rec
umbrella His attendants threw over his
shoulders a scarlet robe. and hen. as he
touched a gong, all OF the priests lifted
the covers from their little lacquer tables
and disclosed piles of books-the sacred
gospels OF Buddha Then. under the lead
ersnip of the high priest, they commenced
TO intone the contents Of these volumes In
concert while two or three priests struck
gongs occasionally. first one and then an
other, without any apparent regularity or
order, but suppose they understood their
business
Az the gong would strike. the monoto-
mons intona lions would swell in volume.
as II the sleepy ones were aroused 20 more
zeal in the tedious service Then the mus
cular monk with the baseball bat would
60 over and pound the big drum aWhile
with an energy that showed ne was IN
earnest. They told US that the terrible
racket which he made was intended TO at
tract the atten lion OF the gods, and he
did his best TO xeep them awake. Occa-
sfonally an attendant brought the high
priest tea. with he drank in swallow,
while the sing-song. sing-song OF the ser
vice went OIL II lasted for FIVE hours
continuously. We got enough or IL IN
two.
This is said to nave been one OF The
most solemn and mon. ntous ceremonies
that have ever occurred In Japan. and Is
believed to have brought Into the
Buddhist para iise the wandering Souls
of all the soldiers who fell in the war.
Another remarkable service was held IN
This same temrIe in 1889. when The same
PRIESTS chan.e6 a similar litany for the
renose OF the souls OF the sailors Of the
American rnan-of-war Oneida, which was
sunk with her officers and crew near the
mouth OF Yeddo bay In 1870. The bones
Of many Of the lost were afterward re-
covered by wreckers and buried In the
grounds that surround the temple at Ike
CANA A. the service five years ago the
American admiral and his STAFF attended.
with 100 sailors from the fleet. Including
one from the solitary boats crew that
escaped the disaster.