1827. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 195 



placed, which I conjectured to be for the purpose of chap. 

 deciding questions, in the manner practised by the ^ 

 Foo sect in China, by being tossed in the air, or rat- May, 

 tied in a bamboo case until one falls to the ground 

 with its mark uppermost ; when it is referred to a 

 number in the book of the priest, and an answer is 

 given accordingly. The natives were very unwilling 

 to allow me to approach this figure, and pulled me 

 back when I stepped into a small stone area in front 

 of it, for the purpose of examining these pieces of 

 wood. In China there are fasts in honour of this 

 goddess, and no doubt there are the same in Loo 

 Choo. 



The following answers to several questions which I 

 put to the natives of Loo Choo will fully explain the 

 religion of the people. 



" How many religions are there in Loo Choo ?" 

 "Three." — "What are these religions?" " Joo, Shih, 

 Taou. Shih is the same as Foo." — "Are there many 

 persons of the religion of Joo ?" " Plenty." — " Foo ?" 

 " No good."—" Taou ?" " Few."—" Does the sect Joo 

 worship images ?" " Sometimes kneel down to hea- 

 ven, sometimes pray in heart, sometimes go priest 

 house (temple)." — " Do they go to the temple of 

 Kwanyin?" "Yes." — "Do they go to the temple of 

 Pih-chang ?" " Sometimes." — " Do they go to the 

 temple of Ching-hwang?"* "No." — " Do Joo, Shih, 

 and Taou believe that heaven will reward the good 

 aud punish the bad ?" "Yes." 



To the sentence, "At heart the doctrine of the 



three religions is the same ; and it is firmly believed 



that heaven will do justice by rewarding the good and 



punishing the bad," An-yah did not assent. To the 



* Ching-hwang is the goddess oi' Canton. 



o2 



