The herald., 1896-11-02
HOW THE DEVIL WAS BURNED
Strange Ceremonial at an EARLY Hour
Of the Morniag
Few But Celestials Present at the In
cineration Which Closed the Fes-
tival Of Great Du Gong Ok.

Very few Caucasians were present al
l:30 yesterday morning in Chinatown
when the final ceremony of the burning
of the devils took place in Niger alley.
The Mongolians purposely put off the
hour Of incineration until everybody had
grown tired of waiting and had gone
home, and the first gray streaks of dawn
showed in the east before it was over.
It was II o'clock midnight when prep
arations for the final ceremony began.
The shed at the north end Of the alley
was quickly transformed from bare
and dark barn to stage brilliant with
silken hangings and banners. Three ta-
bles placed together formed an altar
upon which were placed offerings or
food and drink flanked by hundreds of
smoking candles and punks. Upon the
stage the musicians took their places at
the rear, the priests in red silk gowns in
front.
To the wailing of shrill fiageolet or
pipe the priests cnanted a monotonous
refrain, which proceeding was kept up
hour after hour with short intermis-
sions. All along both sides of the street
from the stage down to the dragon arch
piles of paper had been heaped up and
stuck in the ground were thousands OF
punk sticks and little red candles. AT
each heap squatted Chinaman, who
continually replenished the burned out
punks. Facing the stage. but at the
lower end of the street, was the hldeous
glutton devil, Com Joi, and by his side
was the judge and his attendant police
men.
Toy Sin, the white-robed devil of good
luck, was not there, as he had been stol-
en- and torn to pieces earlier in the even
ing by a gang of enthusiastic coolies,
who each wanted some portion OF his
dress for good luck and that they might
have their wishes granted and prosper.
The big devils that stood on either side
Of the main entrance and the woolly
horse and guard, Ma No, still remained
in theit places, to be burned later on
Some forty or fifty large tin basins OF
food stood on the ground near and in
front of Com Joi and were thrown in
the flames as he burned up to feed him
on his way back to heaven or hell. In
the pans were all kinds of 0ainties. roast
chicken, fruit. nuts. cakes and what not,
all for the devil of gluttony. Near by
were stacked a lot of oblong bund.es Oh
varicolored tissue paper, supposed to
represent bales of cloth, to be burned
that the devils should have plenty of
Bundles of silver paper represented
money, so they could pay their way in
good style.
In the center of the space formed by
the hanking piles of paper burned three
large piles of faggots which lighted up
the scene brilliantly, together with the
sputtering flames of the candles. Right
in front of Com Joi on the ground was
q miniature wooden washtub and cou-
ple of towels fixed so that he could take
a bath. Away up at the other end OF the
line was an opium pipe and layout for
the devils to regale themselves with.
After the priests had concluded tne1r
chanting. an order was given and sud-
denly each attendant celestial lighted
his pile of paper which blazed up Drill
iantly Then Com Joi and the other
devils were thrown on one of the bon
fires and went up in smoke in an instant.
Into the flames were cast the food. cloth
ing, money, washtub, pipe and all, put
before the tub or pipe had had time 10
catch fire a concerted rush was made by
the Chinese in an endeavor to secure
these coveted relics which would brinS
good luck for three years to the lucky
man. Every one also made grab Tor
a piece of the food ard hastily swallow
ed it, thus protecting themselves from
sickness or death for the same period OF
time.
This concluded the nights ceremonies,
and the rest of the devils were burned
later in the morning with similar rites.