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A SMALL IDOL TEMPLE.
commonly called a J o s s House.
T h e g e n e ra l re lig io n o f C h in a , P ag an ism , g e n e ra te s th e g ro s se st su p e r-
s titio n a n d c r e d u lity am o n g th e u n e n lig h te n d e d p a r t o f th e p eo p le , who
a tlrib u te e v e ry ca sual o c c u rre n c e to th e in flu en c e o f some goo d o r ill
s ta r ; i f th e e v e n t fo re b o d e ev il, th e y Im m ed ia te ly r e p a ir to th e p ro p e r
id o l w ith o fferin g s, th a t th e im p e n d in g m isfo rtu n e may b e a v e rte d ; i f
g o o d , th e y also make sacrifices a n d r e tu r n th a n k s .
T h e s e sac red edifices are c om m o n ly s itu a te d n e a r th e ro a d sid e , o r
o n th e b a n k s o f canals fo r th e co n v e n ie n c e o f traveUers, k c . w h o are
o fte n o b se rv ed p ro s tr a tin g b e fo re th em ; some are e re c te d a t th e p u b lic
e x p e n c e , a n d d e d ic a te d to fo rm e r Em p e ro rs , M a n d a rin s , a n d o th e rs , for
serv ic es re n d e re d to th e ir c o u n try ; a n d some a re b u ilt b y ch a rita b le
p e rso n s , to e x te n d re lig io u s w o r sh ip am o n g th e p eo p le .
O n d a y s o f g e n e ra l re jo ic in g , as th e c om m en c em en t o f th e new y e a r,
n ew m o o n , Em p e ro r p lo u g h in g th e g ro u n d , feast o f la n te rn s , k c . these
b u ild in g s are m u c h fre q u e n te d , th e p e o p le o ffe rin g b e fo re th e little g ilt
images in h a b itin g th e fa b ric sac rifice s o f re a d y d re s s e d an im a l fo o d , fish,
ric e , a n d w in e , in p r o p o r tio n to th e i r ab ility o r in c l in a t io n ; w h ile in n
um e ra b le c r a c k e rs are fired, a n d a p ro fu s io n o f g ilt p a p e r a n d in cen se
is b u rn t b e fo re th e id o l.
S ometimes a p rie s t atten d s o n su c h occasions to re ceiv e th e se offerings
fo r th e b en e fit o f h is fr a te rn ity , th o u g h m o re fre q u e n tly th e sacrifices o f
ea ch s u p p lia n t are ta k e n to h is family a n d ea ten as a feast. T h e b u ild
in g s ill th e b a c k g ro u n d a r e th e re s id e n c e o f a M a n d a rin , k n ow n b y th e
two flag staffs a t tb e e n tra n c e : o n ' th e h ill is a m ilita ry sta tio n a n d a
m u tila te d P ag o d a , th e se b e in g g e n e ra lly e re c te d on an em in en c e.
4 4
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