The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-11-13
BURNED FOR BUDDH
CHASTITY HUMAN SACRIFICES IN
WESTERN CHINA.

BY Chance Finds Himself In q Caver
in Which the Deviitry is Wont to b
PractIsed and, Himself Unobserve'
Witnesses the Revolving Abominatio
Six Victims to the Slaughter.
New York Nov. 12.-The Herald says
From the remote ha bitation of the Chit
| Buddhists in the far western interior Q
China have from time to time come tale
Of the horrible religious ceremonies sad
| to be performed in a sacred cave, tn
chief feature Of which was the sacrific
Of human victims by burning. William
Jameson Reid, OF Boston, the explorer
is the first white man 10 nave seen on
of these blr5arous ceremonies with hi
own eyes. His account OF the ghastl!
! spectacle he witnessed in the sacrificia
| cave is graphic and thrilling.
| Two thousand miles from the Chimes.
| coast of the Pacific Ocean, immersed il
| the very heart OF the vast central table
land Of ASIA, lies the province of Kokt
| Nor, a region of foarbarous wilderness:
mant girdle to jealousy guard from in
trusiOn. But twice in the history OF al
time has dts uncouth surface been trod
den by the foot Of white man. 1t is from
these untamed wilds that we have re.
turned, after an arduous progress across
the bleak SUBMITS of the Peling Noun
tains.
From our station at Gharlkau, on the
Sifanese headwaters of the Kinsha XII
ang, tributary of the Yangtse Kiang,
we had been engaged in thorough ex-
pioration of this unknown country OF
Western China. The most difficult and
yenturesome task had been reserved un-
til the last-tne penetrat ton through the
fastness of the Peling Mountains to the
Chite city Of Tzuchan.
With the icy coldness Of almost an
Arctic winter settling in over the great
noun tain regions, and the chilling blasts
hurting across the Mongolian Ple3teau,
the expedition seemed almost out of the
question. The fact, however, that a Wis
It to this city of mystery had been one
Of the main reasons inducing us TO pene-
trate the heart of Asia could not he ov-
erl0oked, and we are anxious to verify
the statements Of previous travellers
concerning the human sacrifices which
were said to take place in this strong
hold of religious fanaticism, the home
ed Chite Buddhists.
Fully weighing the dangers that must
beset such an arduous Undertaking as
Gus, we set forth. attired as Tourgouth
peasants, with an escort of four of our
most trusty Kiangsu sampan men, leav-
ing the remainedr Of our expeditionary
force at the station at Gnarlkau until
we should return.
For fortnight we padded and poled
against the adverse currents and treach-
erous whirlpools and rapids of the Kim
sha Kiang The final and most difficult
stage was the half weeks journey across
the sterile mountain plateau, and an
undectected entrance into the Chite city.
We reached our destination about dusk
A barbaris religious festival was in pro
press in the city, but one of our guides
led US to the cave wehence we could
over look the plain on which the city
Next morning the festival was still in
progress and We were about 10 venture
out when we saw a long procession Id
vancing in our direction. The whole
population capable of moving seemed to
have formed themselves into a long pro-
and, beating drums and TOM
toms, and led by priests, mad forsaken
the towns limits and were coming up
the steep surface of the hilly slope in our
direction Onward still they came, the
priests chanting in dolorous ululations,
while the following mass gave vocal
vent to their feelings, until the din was
simply indescri bable. If We had enter
tained hopes THAT they were bound else
Where we We're doomed to disappoint-
ment, for they were now scarcely forty
feet away and approaching the entrance.
We had just time to escape and clam
Der up the steep ascent to our place OF
w1en the leaders of the
procession entered the narrow orfflce
and halted while torches were being lit
to guide their passage through the gath
ering gloom. Following them pressed
forward the unkempt crew arear, until
the whole open space was filled to the
point Of suffocation-
For half an hour the ear torturing
strife of discord waxed louder at every
moment, until q thousand devils in hu-
man form fitted beneath the sepulchal
glare Of flickering torches like a weird
and supernatural picture Of another
world. A frenzied enthusiast would leap
into the air, frotlsing at the mouth, car
-ied away by the frenzy OF the moment;
himself with knife, grasp
ing the CORY strip Of flesh and grinding
K under his heel or taunting a neighbor
INTO the spirit OF emulation by Haunting
before his eyes the CHASTITY relic.
Suddenly from out thine compact mass
'ose howl OF mingled anguish and fury.
At the further end Of the amphitheatre
was a sort Of raised platform. upon
which a solitary individual was mount
ng, evidently one OF the chief priests. |
Having made the ascent he stretched |
,orth his hand Instantly there was 81
ence. The torches enabled US TO see the |
priest, who had mounted the platform. |
1e was a tall gaunt individual. Over |
.opping a thin. guant visage. and hang |
us over his shoulders and down mis- |
,ack below The middle, in witclMke locks |
ell a covering OF sun scorched hair, in /
-hck, greasy masses. His eyes were |
'urning bright AL his right side was |
naked and OF the brown parchment coli |
" OF his face. and quite as meagre; II |
vas covered with the rents Of knife |
Wounds, from which the blood trickled. |
\ garment Of the couTsest cloth covered |
Ms body below the waist. Five Others |
ooking at him followed him to the plat |
orrn- The same desthlike stiffness per- |
-ade5 the ave stricken multitude.
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