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peculiar kind of water snake is seen the 

 people say it is the dragon. 



This belief in the dragons seems to have 

 a strong hold upon the mind of the 

 Chinese. Even at Shanghai, in the pre- 

 sence of the highest conditions of western 

 civilization, the dragon festival is strictly 

 observed, and at the appointed period the 

 river and creek are covered with boats filled 

 with the votaries of the belief. 



It is attested by the observation of many 

 residents in China that when one has 

 committed a crime or is plotting to do so a 

 thunder-storm will sometimes frighten him 

 into a confession of the intended act, and 

 the confession is made under the belief that 

 it will tend to avert the wrath of the god of 

 thunder. If one is struck down by lighten- 

 ing the Chinese say that it is a punishment 

 for some crime secretly committed. The 

 god of thunder has his temple also and 

 worshippers at its shrine, and often the 

 worshippers will abstain from eating animal 

 food for a certain number of days in loyal 

 obedience to their god. 



Among the strange things that impress a 

 student of Chinese life is that the most 



