THE TA0UI8T RELIGION. 333 



and tore up the tracks and stored the entire plant under sheds at 

 Shanghai. Thus it is seen that this religion stands in the way of 

 all innovations in that old country, and the first thing necessary 

 in order to introduce railroads into China is to dethrone the priests 

 and infuse a little common sense into the people. 



Since this last paragraph was written, this point has had a 

 characteristic demonstration. Through the influence of Li Hung 

 Chang, the most intelligent and progressive Chinaman, and one 

 or two other high officials, the emperor was prevailed upon to 

 grant the construction of a railroad from Hankow to Pekin. Not 

 many days had elapsed after the permit was given until the Tem- 

 ple of Heaven at Pekin was burned, and floods came in the Yel- 

 low and Yang-tse River Valleys, which were interpreted to have 

 been indications of the disapproval of the proposed innovation on 

 the part of spirits or the Taouist devil ; and the press dispatches 

 announce that the emperor has taken the timely warning and re- 

 voked his sanction of the proposed railroad. Any one having to 

 make the journey between the two objective points of the pro- 

 posed road will save time by starting on foot, or going around 

 via Shanghai by water. Otherwise he is liable to have a long 

 time to wait for the completion of the road. 



During the prevalence of the great famine in northwestern 

 China in 1874-'78 there was an unusual flood in the valley of the 

 Yang-tse-Kiang. The priests endeavored to solve the mystery of 

 this uneven distribution of rain. The censure fell upon the royal 

 household at Pekin. It is the duty of the emperor to enter the 

 Temple of Heaven twice a year and invoke the blessings of Heaven 

 upon the people. He always asks for rain among other things, 

 and the impression obtained that the emperor had hurriedly asked 

 for rain, but had not taken the pains to state where he wanted it. 

 The result was that floods came in some places, while famine from 

 drought came in other parts of the empire. This feeling was pro- 

 ducing a general spirit of revolt, when in 1878 the rains came to 

 the rescue in the drought-smitten provinces. 



At this time I had a conversation with a merchant at Shanghai 

 on the subject. He exhibited an independence of thought which 

 was exceptional. But it showed a tendency toward the inevitable 

 break from the tyrannical rule of ignorance and superstition 

 which must eventually come to awaken an age of reason. And 

 when it comes, the Taouist high priest must fold his tent and 

 silently march away. 



The merchant said, " Chinaman, he all time chin, chin " (mean- 

 ing that they resort to prayers and other priestly methods in time 

 of calamity), "while Melican man, he build more stout walls to 

 keep water back." 



Thus had one man concluded that substantial sea-walls and 



