il
images ? ” “ Sometimes kneel down to heaven, sometimes pray in heart,
sometimes go priest house (temple).”—“ Do they go to the temple of
Kwan-yin?” “ Yes.”- “ Do they go to the temple of Pih-chang?”
“ Sometimes.”—“ Do they go to the temple of Ching-hwang*?” “ No.”
—“ Do J00, Shih, and Taou believe that heaven will reward the good and
punish the bad?” “ Yes.”
To the sentence, “ At heart the doctrine of the three religions is the
same; they firmly believe that heaven will do justice by rewarding and
punishing the good and the bad,” An-yah did not assent. To the following
sentence, “ Both in this life and in the life to come there are
rewards and punishments; but there is regard to the offences of men,
whether heinous or n o t: speedy punishments are in this life ; those
that are more remote in the world to come,” An-yah replied, “ Priest
say so.”
“ God created and constantly governs all things ?” “ Englishman’s
God, yes.”—“ When God created the great progenitor of all men, he was
perfectly holy and perfectly happy ? ” “ No.”—“ The first ancestor of the
human race sinned against God, and all his descendants are naturally
depraved, inclined to evil, and averse from good.” “ Good.”—“ If men’s
hearts be not renewed, and their sins atoned for, they must after death
suffer everlasting misery in hell.” “ Priest say s o : An-yah not think
so.”—“ Do the three sects believe in metempsychosis ? ” This was not understood.—“
Do they believe that all things are appointed by heaven?”
“ Yes.”—“ Are there any atheists in Loo Choo?” “ Many.”
In Loo Choo the priesthood are as much neglected and despised as
in China, notwithstanding their being consulted as oracles by all classes.
Several of them visited me in the garden at Potsoong, and remained
while I made my magnetical observations. As these occupied a long
time, I had an opportunity of particularly remarking these unfortunate
beings, and certainly I never saw a more unintellectual and care-worn
class of men. Many persons crowded round the spot to observe what
was going forward, and the poor priests were obliged to give way to
every new comer, notivithstanding they were in their own garden.
* C liin g -hw a n g is th e g o d d e s s o f C a n to n .
' t<: I"
,7 ! ;
Iris
Their heads were shaved, similar to those of the Bodzes in China. '
I am not aware in what this practice originated, but as an observer I
could not help noticing that the same operation is performed on the
heads of criminals, or of persons who are disgraced in China ; and from
l’Abbé Grosier it appears to be considered a similar disgrace in Loo
Choo*. , .
I endeavoured to distribute amongst the inhabitants some religious
books Avhich Dr. Morrison had given me in China, but there was
a very great repugnance among tbe better part of the community to
suffer them even to be looked into, much less to being carried aivay ;
and several that were secretly taken on shore by the loiver orders were
brought back the next day. However, I succeeded in disposing of a
few copies, and Mr. Lay, I am glad to find, was equally fortunate with
some which he also obtained from the same gentleman.
It has been shown in the course of the narrative that the present
manner of disposing of the dead differs from that described by Pére
Gaubil, who says they burn the tlesh of the deceased, and preserve the
bones. It is not improbable that the custom may have changed, and
that there is no mistake in the statement, as there is no reason to doubt
the veracity of the Chinese author whom be quotes.
They pay every possible attention and respect to their departed
friends by attending strictly to their mourning, frequently visiting the
tombs, and in supplying the cups and other vessels placed there with
tea, and the lamps with oil, for a certain time after the bodies are
deposited, and by keeping the tombs exceedingly neat and clean. We
have frequently seen persons attending these lamps, and Lieutenant
Wainwright noticed an old man strewing flowers and shells upon a
newly made grave, w hich he said contained his son, and watching several
sticks of incense as they burned slow ly down to the earth in which they
were fixed. .
The trade of this island is almost entirely confined to Japan, China,
and Formosa ; ManiUa is knowm as a commercial country, and it is
recorded that a vessel has made the voyage to Malacca. In Cluna
* Description de la C hine, vol. ii. p