one of the Budhist nunneries, where she would become at length absorbed into the divine nature of Fo. She consented to this, on condition that he would worship her, which he forthwith pretended to do. The demon (say the Chinese), speaking by the old woman's mouth, further insisted that the two daughters, who had assisted the mother in maltreating the girls, should also come and worship, which was accordingly done; and on the arrival of the woman at the place of her retirement the souls of the murdered females, having been appeased by the foregoing occurrences, left her in possession of her perfect It may be reasonably supposed that a train of circumstances like the preceding, in themselves sufficiently explicable on natural grounds, were magnified by ignorance and superstition into something preternatural.* senses. A common Chinese talisman † is the "hundred families' lock," to procure which a father goes round among his friends, and, having obtained from a hundred different parties a few of the copper coins of the country, he himself adds the balance, to purchase an ornament or appendage fashioned like a lock, which he hangs on his child's neck, for the purpose of locking him figuratively to life, and making the hundred persons concerned in his attaining old age. Another charm worn by children is a figure of the Ky-lin, a fabulous animal supposed to have appeared at the birth of Confucius, and therefore ominous of promotion and good fortune to the young. On the 5th day of the 5th moon, sprigs and cuttings of the Acorus calamus, and a plant called by the Chinese gae, are placed at the doors of houses to prevent all manner of evil from entering. The "peach charm" consists of a * Chinese Gleaner, p. 144. + Royal Asiatic Transactions, ut supra. sprig of that tree covered with blossoms, which, at the new year, is placed at doorways for the same purpose as the foregoing. The pa-kua, or eight mystical diagrams of Fo-hy, cut in stone or metal, are often worn as charms; and the bottle-gourd, a curious species of the genus cucurbitus closely resembling a bottle, is represented in ornaments as an emblem of longevity. We have before stated that the dried gourd itself, hung round the waists of children living in boats, frequently saves their lives by floating them until picked up after they have tumbled overboard. One might be led to conclude that the Chinese were generally a very happy people, could this only be inferred from the value which they set on long life. The thing may be partly explained, however, by the great reverence with which age is always treated, and by the fact that old persons commonly enjoy an unusually great share of comparative ease and exemption from toil, by the services which both opinion and law impose on their juniors. The greatest favour and distinction that the emperor can bestow on one of his ministers is the word show, "long life," written in a peculiar manner with his own hand, and supposed, no doubt, to be one of the best promoters of longevity. Persons of the lowest class, who have attained to an unusual age, have not unfrequently been distinguished by the emperor; and Kien-loong, when himself a very old man, gave a solemn feast to all his subjects, of every rank, who had passed the usual term of human life! No doubt this solid foundation of their social and political system, on the patriarchal basis, has contributed to its steady duration. ८ The written spells which the Chinese sometimes use consist of mystical compounds of various characters, or words, in which astrology is generally introduced, with VOL. II. F the eight diagrams of Fo-hy, the twenty-eight lunar mansions, the five planets, &c. Some of these spells are kept about the person, others are pasted on the walls of rooms. "Occasionally," observes Mr. Morrison," they are used as cures for sick persons, by being either written on leaves which are then infused in some liquid, or inscribed on paper, burned, and the ashes thrown into drink, which the patient has to swallow." This is not much worse, however, than the aurum potabile of the old materia medica among ourselves. For some reason or other, bats (which the Chinese call fei-shoo, "flying mice") are looked upon as good omens, and constantly depicted as an emblem of felicity on various objects of use or ornament. Even in this, perhaps, there is as much reason as in the Roman notion of learning the secret of fate from the pecking of chickens, or in that zoological list of ill omens which Horace, either in jest or earnest, imprecates against the wicked: 66 'Impios parræ recinentis omen Ducat, et prægnans canis, aut ab agro The Chinese look upon rooks as unlucky birds, whose visits prognosticate visits still more unpleasant from the mandarins. There is, however, a species of white-necked crow for which they have a high veneration, as was proved in the last embassy. A gentleman of the party had carried a gun with him, in one of those long walks which we were accustomed to take at the frequent points of sojourn. The unusual appearance of this crow, with a white cravat, led to its being for once considered as fair game, and the bird was shot. The occurrence was reported to the emperor's legate, who conducted the embassy, and from him an earnest request was conveyed to the ambassador that "But it was only "Only a crow!" no more such birds might be killed. a crow," was the natural answer. exclaimed the legate. "Of all the birds that fly it should have been spared, for it is a sacred animal." He then related a story respecting crows having once performed some essential public service, just as geese are said to have saved the Roman Capitol. This shows at least the utility of being acquainted with the most trivial superstitions of a country. But the strangest and most unaccountable of the Chinese superstitions is what they denominate Foongshuey, "wind and water," a species of geomancy, or a belief in the good or ill luck attached to particular local situations or aspects, which we had occasion to notice before, and which, among the more rational classes of the people, is admitted to be nonsensical. Before a house is built or a burial-place selected, it is necessary to consult certain professors of the occult science, who, at the price of adequate fees, proceed with much solemnity to examine. the situation. After frequently perambulating and examining the ground, and even deferring their decision for months, they will fix on some particular place. The lucky position of a grave is supposed to exercise some influence on the fortunes of a whole family; and if, after all the expense and trouble of consulting the cheats who profess the art, il fortune rather than good should attend the parties, this is of course attributed to anything except the inefficiency of the foong-shuey. This term may in general be construed by the word luck, and it has been supposed that in a country like China, where nearly all long journeys are performed by water, "good wind and water," or, in other words, good luck on a journey, has by degrees come to signify good luck in every circumstance and condition of life. It would seem scarcely possible that such fooleries as those above stated should meet with countenance or support in persons calling themselves Europeans; yet in 1821 a Portuguese of some local consideration in Macao contributed to the erection of a pagoda for improving the fortunes of the place! The following notice was exhibited, but it does not appear that the whole of the proposed scheme was ever accomplished. "The Chinese and foreign merchants have hitherto been prosperous, their wealth abounding, and the destinies of the place altogether felicitous. Of late, however, its fortunes have waxed lean, and the influence of the atmosphere been unlucky, so that the acquisition of riches has become less certain. A proposal is accordingly made to erect a pagoda and a pavilion, in order to renovate and improve the commercial fortunes of the island. The plan has fortunately met with the concurrence of the Portuguese magistrate, who has offered one hundred dollars to assist in its execution. Leang-ta-tseuen, whose skill is universally acknowledged, and everywhere attended by incontestable proofs, has visited Macao, in order to fix on a proper spot. He declares that a lofty pavilion should be erected on the sea-side, near the new village to the right of the temple of Ma-tsoo, and a high pagoda on the eastern arm of Monkey Island. He affirms that prosperity and riches will be the result-that both Chinese and strangers at Macao will share in the felicity. He has written a paper on the subject, and drawn out the plan, which has obtained the assent of the Portuguese magistrate; the permission of the Keun-min-foo (the Chinese magistrate of Macao) has also been graciously given. It is therefore resolved," &c. The Chinese have a mode of divination by certain pieces of wood, in shape the longitudinal sections of a |