The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-09-18
UNIQUE FESTIVAL.
Feast Of Lanterns on a Sacred ISL
and in Japan,


One drowey noon the town cricr
came to the door, clapped two pieces
Of wood together, aud in a long chant
boaought al people OF Miyaiima to
come to the temple for "speak- meet
ing" at two o'clock that day aud for
the i've succeeding days. to hear read
the official newa from tho army in
Corea. We sent our agent TO listen
for ne, and our orratic aud only mud
zuka returned breathloss. TO tell, in
excited Japanese English, aud iargon,
Of the victory OF the Hello. We had
intended to make O farewell Offering
to the temple TO secure an illuminn-
ton as ahtung close 10 our stay in Ar.
cadia, and here was an opportunity
In the shortest time Inudzuka was
speeding back to tho temple to beseech
the high prielt to have the thousand
oil-saucers OF the lanterns filed at once,
the illumination to begin at dusk, with
out waiting for the midnight high
tide.
The priests shook their heads at
such an irregularity, such a disregard
ofancient custom on short notice.
"But this is an American matsuri, aud
in honor Of the Hello How can
you say you have any custom for such
an illumination. Aud when did you
ever illuminate at any tide for bat
tie won in Corea?" Aud the high
priest said, "Surely, SURELY Yes. for
Beikoku [Americal and the Hello we
can do it.. And the circle of eagle
eyed, excited priests sprang delight
edly to begin preparations
Our joyous sendo was at the temple
steps with the sampan as usual before
the sunset hour, and he had not
pushed off until he let us know that
the village was agog at the double
news of victory and the honorable il
Elimination. We could see the lay
brothers all along shore filling the
Oil-saucers, laying wicks, and pasting
fresh papers on the tall stone lamps
and when we sculled back, long after
sunset, lights had begun to twinkle
under the temple caves. A lantern
came forth and went bobbing along
the water-line, stopped moment, and
a second light shone forth, then a
third and fourth, and so on along
shore, as the lamplighter went his
way.
Soon the whole curving bay from
headland to headland was outlined in
living lights that cleaned double and
wavered in long reflections toward us (;
and the temple was a great setpiece of
fireworks, each shrine sun-goddess's
glowing cave, with the y-ieweled
pyramids of votive candles. The
spectacle lasted in full splendor for
more than an hour, the villagers
Aocking along shore, trooping through
the temple galleries, and drifting about
in boats to watch the splendid spec
tacle. Then lights dropped out here
ana there, and the glow of the rising
moon made the armament pale; but
even when the shore-line was lost in
darkness, Itsukushima's inner shrine
by the sea was still aglow with votive
lights
The next morning the village Off
GERS called "to thank your spirit" in
celebrating Japan's victories; the high
priest sent sacred gift-papers filed
with rice, and asked for the honorable
names in full, that they might be
written among the temples contribu-
tors; and W hen he went to the village
every one bowed and made pretty
speeches about the American matsuri.
Weeks later a Toxic artist wrote in
his quaint idiom that he had heard OF
my "favorably presenting a grea'
deal of money to the temple, praying
for the war, aud lighted the THOUSAND
lamps of Miyaiima for the war.
seen it in our Japan newspapers.
Surely never did one obtain so mucl
pleasure and glory by an expenditure
OF four yen two dollars in United
States gold.
The tiller OF the Mayhower is still