The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-10
A QUEER CURI0.
An Idol From BuTmah for
Which Mems Blood Has
Been Split.

Philadelphia, July 1o.-In the collection
of Oriental idols belonging TO James II.
Richardson, of this city. Is one with
curious history. Cass at Shwebo, In up
per Burmah, in the early decades or the
18th century. IL was exported to Havre'
In French Tonquin. For perhaps ~ years.
according TO native accounts, II stooo
unnoticed at the temple Kuan-fin' DUR
ing the destruction of that edihce oy nre
In which most of the idols were lost, II
was saved by a priest. and as the temple
was not Immediately rebuilt, renamed
in his possession for several years Dur
ing sectarian troubles the priest fed 10
the coast. taking with him the Idol Al
a small village he found an isolated band
OF Buddhists. who hailed with JOY the
advent of a priest and the image was
installed in a tiny temple on the shores
OF the Gulf of Tonquin. From the time
of the priests arrival the little COM,
munity seemed TO prosper, ana wonder
full cures of dread diseases were ascribed
to the influence of the little idol
In the year lI6o the French bark LES
perance lay In the Gulf of Tonquin.
Some of her crew having been given
shore leave, discovered the little shrine.
and In the twilight of the interior. mis-
taking the semi-precious stones and tiny
metal mirrors set In the 'cincture which
garlanded the calm Drows OF the god
for Jewels of price, plotted to ravtsh the
shrine and steal the image. Late that
night a boat set out from LEsperance,
and under cover of darkness the con-
spirators gained the shore. The temple
was reached without incident. and one
Jean Pitou. the boatswain, walked bold
ly to the front of the apparently deserted
temple and followed by the rest OF the
men plucked the bronze from its pedes-
tal He then dropped II into the open
mouth of bag held in readiness by the
ships boy. While the robbers were
quietly chuckling among themselves at
their success. something leaped forth
from the gloom, and Pitou. with Sob
bing cry, fell, stabbed TO the heart In
stantly the little temple was alive with
men, who grappled with the sailors. One
of the latter whipped the sack from the
hands of the boy and ran for his life
The ships boy was quickly dispatched.
and his shrill cries rang through the
night Two others Of the party remained
one Of these, I'm his confusion, ran di-
rectfy away from the beach and appar-
entity escaped. while the last OF the party
was stabbed In the abdomen.
Two men had been left In charge Of
the beached boat, and as the hunted
sailor, still incumbered with his bag;
came leaping down the the 'sSi beach, p,ursaiea pursued
and now thoroughly aroused natives.
frenzied at the indignity offered their
divinity, the sailors In the boat fired, but
without effect The fugitive threw the
bag into the boat and, putting his shoul-
der to the bow, pushed her or into the
water The men In her sprang TO their
oars and pulled clear clear a Just as 3, I'm migm.y te
most In pursuit Glove the last OF the un-
fortunate men from crown TO chin: Tne
others I'm the boat reached the ship IN
safety, and just as dawn was breaking
the sailor who had run into the woods
swan back to the ship. recounting how
the crew had been butchered.
Those on board were horror-struck, and
ignorant, superstitious marines, they
thought the idol had been the cause OF all
their misfortunes, and would nave thrown
IL overheard had not the captain, Marie
Robert Montfaucon. confiscated II. When
he reached Havre ne found from dealer
in gems that the stones with which II
had been garnished were OF little value
He sold II to an English collector of
curios, from whom IL descended To Its last
owner. who presented 1t to Mr.. Richards
son.
about twenty inches In diameter, partly
hollow, and weighing perhaps thirty
pounds. IL represents the parsonage
known to Western thought as the Buda
Sakya-Muni. IL sits with crossed legs I'm
the Mundra Vajr-Palana, or the pose
I'm which images of the Buddha are most
frequently represented. The tilak, or
mark in the centre OF the forehead so
common I'm Japanese Buddhas, IL want
ing, and the figure sits upon plain pc
destal instead of upon the lotus flower OF
the Japanese Sakya. The coronal about
the brows, as has been said. is set with
stones, but half of II was broken away
when II was thrown into the boat. The
ewes are OF white enamel, with black
pupils, and present this peculiarity. that
hen viewed from distance of several
PAGES they appear TO look away from the
observer, but when seen from yards
distance they look directly into the eyes
with an expression at once calm and
god like, sinister and cruel, mocking and
l.