The sun., 1900-08-12

| TO distribute a pamphlet published by the
| Society for the Propagation OF General and
| Christian knowledge among the Chinese under
| the title of -Sbantung Poverty: Causes ana
Remedy" This simply famed the fanaticism
| Of their opponents who vowed TO give the lie
to the Christians by great miracle.
What the miracle was 10 be the Boxers them
selves probably did not know. judging IRON
| the piles Of wood gathered In the place where
the miracle was to be performed. II seems
that they intended to produce the well-known
fire trick; for the Chinese are inventive, bur
alas! TO no practical purpose. They discovered
gunpowder thousands OF years ago. but used
It only for fireworks display. They also dis
covered certain chemical compounds which.
when a certain time has elapsed after their
! mixture, spontaneously ignite. The adopts
utilized this discovery to perform miracles
and cheat people of their savings. The COM
pound is given into the hand Of the customer.
placed In a tin plate hanging from green
reed. The sorcerer spends his time In Offering
invocations to the god of hell; when the instant
Of ignition arrives he makes mysterious ges-
tculations as II to command the invisible
spirits TO light the fire; thus demonstrating his
miraculous power. The Boxers had been using
this trick for two years In order to enroll re-
cr,iits TO their flags they have marvellously
succeeded II is also probable that owing to
the scorching heat thev expected to see one or
two diminutive spots Of floating clouds on the
sky in which they might discover the outlines
OF dragon and promise Of a speedy rain.
But whatever would have been the issue the
Boxers could never have been brought 10 con-
fusion. Endowed with a marvellous wit to ex-
plain every event 20 suit themselves they would
have succeeded In overwhelming their CUSTOM
ers with a flood of technical terms and giving
them as much delight in being fooled as the
clients OF astroloaers in New York receive.
The promised manifestation was TO take
place at the celebration OF the solemn annual
festival taotsia) beginning on May s. being
the first day Of the Chinese summer GA HAL. at
Mao Feng Shan. This sanctuary is situated
near the summit OF a mountain commanding
one of the most inspiring views on earth. On
one side magnificent series Of mountains Of
the dragon type unfold themselves In enchant-
ing curves overtopping one another with har-
monious regularity. while on the other side the
Great Wall Of China IA seen zigzasging over the
unduatins ground like an immense shoe lace
until It is lost in the dim distance A charming
glimpse of garden-studded Pekin closes the
bewitching view which inspires with enthusiasm
the otherwise apathetic soul OF Cinnamon.
The temple Is only forty miles from Pekin.
but IL enjoys a national reputation. and thou-
sands OF pilgrims gather every year around
its walls coming from the remotest parts OF
the Empire. 1t was here that the Boxers
planned to show their influence with the gods
and to demonstrate their thesis against their
Christian opponents on the subject Of Fung-
Shut. The preparations were most elabo-
rate They proceeded first to stop the bleed
ing Of Fung-Shu and patch Its wounds. They
filled up gaps cut by the foreRn-made roads
at those points where the limbs of the dragon
had been broken. Stations houses and
bridges built so as to form tortoise. the most
nefarous coniguration. were either destroyed
or disfgured by piling up stones here and there
40 as to produce the outlines Of propitious
animals. Wherever cutting showed boul-
ders protr,dng in midair or resting on the
top Of hill they were so altered as TO prevent
the surrounding country from being crushed
by an analogous spiritual weight, or were con-
verted into favorable confguratior by adding
two more heaps of stones so az TO form three
elevations, a token which means success and
promotion To the highest honors Of the State
for those who live in the neiRhborhood. Straight
lines Of railtracks and streams of water rum
ming parallel TO the railroad were also modi-
fed either by adding branches Of trees on the
sides or by pulling up the tracks and throw
ing them in a zRzag form so as to reproduce
the serpent. configuration which makes
people rich. provided there be near its head
a rock or a stone which calls up to their imaRi-
nation the idea of a serpent vomiting forth
a pearl
Having restored Fung-Shm to life. the Box
ers had to look after the dead also for those
straight lines of water had been sending damp
ness over the graves. thus causing the dead
to prevent rain or to beg those who In the
other world can do so to stop 1t and relieve
the uncomfortable dampness. The Boxers
predicted that such damphess had actually
deranged the bones Of the dead In the coftins.
and 10! when the collins were opened II WAS
found that such was the case: but the Boxers
forgot to lay a proper share Of the blame on
the rats, termites and foxes. whose nests were
found in the coffins. Where systems Of drain
age prepared by foreign engineers had laid
bare bones Of the dead, the bones received
careful burial for these dead. when unshel-
tered from rain IN the next world. suffer as
much from rain as the living when unshel.
tered In this world the heartrending lamen-
tations by which they moved the rain gods
to pity and prevented the rain were thus ST.
lenceO anu
for rain.
The pous attentions Of the Boxers were next
bestowed upon the minor rain gods. who are
also worshipped by women that desire to have
offspring. In the temples their idols are
grouped together in dark corners. while they
themselves dwell in the bracing air Of the
mountain submits or enjoy the refreshing
grottoes and the perfumed breezes Of the for
ests. Like Fung-Shui. they are quick-tempered.
sensitive and delicate. They are as easily
disturbed and offended and as prone TO forgive
and forget The ciuzen-posoning foreign
devils had nauseated them with the disgust
ing and binding smoke Of engines which OBJ
scured the sun itself Hence the Boxers came
well supplied with an unlimited stock Of in
cense sticks ttshu hiang) to purify and scent
the air. And as the rumbling and screaming
OF the flre-wheel cart railroad locomotive) had
frightened these tiny creatures away. the Boxers
came armed with tam tam drums and gongs.
producing a music which would be attractive
10 the rain gods. but highly Objectionable to
the hated foreigner. And to remove all dam
ger Of the gods getting entangled and STUN
bling into the nets Of telegraph and telephone
wires and poles which covered the country they
pulled them down within respectful distance
from the sacred mountain.
The Tho Sin or the spirits OF the earth re-
ceived also attentions from the Boxers As
they inhabit the soil and all things which are