The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-29

of scholars, of apprentices by masters, of juniors by seniors. By far the larger number of initiated were boys and girls. The frenzy was universal. Every eve in the city and country except in those few places where parents and headmen set their faces sternly against it.
 "Of two men meeting casually on the street one would say to the other: Let me give you the eXaltation.' If the party addressed were agreeable he was made to stand facing the southeast, the direction in which Kuan Yin is wor- shipped. Kuan Yin is the special deity of the ubiquitous Tsaili secret sect The feet of the novice are set each on the sign of a cross. The tips of the fore fingers and thumbs are brought togeth- CT to form a circle. The other fingers are folded backward neach other to- ward the forefinger
 Through this circle or through a glass the youth is to look a circle against each eye But the eyes were closed His hands are thus held and his eyes kept closed during the whole process. The performer goes on the side of the youth and speaks close tc his ear: 'Ta t'ien t'ien men kali Strike haven, heavens door open; strike earth, earths dor comes. If you wish to attain spirit-fist ability, only invite the teacher to come
 Tn Chinese these four lines of five sylables each hyme pleasantly. After the words are said the teacher breathes gently into the ear He goes to the other side and repeats the ceremony. From side to side he goes till at length the spell is upon the youth. He falls backward in a trance and lies on the ground.
 while thus lying, eyes still closed, he is asked what his name is. The question is to ascertain which of the numerous shen or inferior deities Of China has made the youth its medium. He replies, giving name-it may be of the god of war it may be of the spirit of the fox or stoat. The youth IS thenceforth known as the medium or incarnation of that spirit. He then stands erect and yells in an unearthiy voice, terrifying to the onlooker, 'sha sha; shao, shao;' kill, kill; burn burn. It is usually 'sha kueitze,' 'slay the for eigner.'
 At the same time he filings his arms wildly about wildly about him, striking with an unnatural force whatever comes into contact with his hands-for he is still blind. Yelling his unearthly erie sand madly finging his arms striking brick walls or mems heads, he does not seem to know exhaustion. He needs not cut hands or bleeding knuckles.
 "At length, when the bystanders be- lieve he has taxed sufficiently his pow CTS of physical endurance one goes to- ward him and with the open palm ad- ministers samrt slap on the forehead, saving. Depart This is addressing the spirit possessing the youth. Then for the first time the youth opens his eyes and is himself again. He is asked what his experiences were and answers, I do not know He is now in his or dfnary mind and continues so till the ceremony is repeated. The process Is continued until he is able to go through it all with his eyes open. Then he Is fully developed into a real Boxer.
 "At first cloth girdle Is put into his hands. which he swings about in the most extraordinary fashion. Then millet stalk follows, which he uses as and he has attained to the Boxer state, he receives a huge and sharp sword with which he performs the most won derful antics, not without danger to himself and to others. Once such sword came down upon the perform ers's nose and cut 1t open. This Is the sword with which he is to drive the for eigner into the sea, as his sacred Ire IS to consume evrything belonging to the hated foreigner.
 Some youths readily succumbed to the magical influence of the above words. others required a great deal more reptition, and yet others sue cumbed not at all.
 From all which it can be at once in- ferred that the magic which makes Boxers is an old friend in new guise. It is variously called hypotism, mes merism, spiritualism. All the fools who have through many ages been deceived @1,;, {af at,lI tn