Spurting Notes in the Far East. 191 



in the great typhoon of '73, over 50,000 Chinese perished by 

 water. Xo doubt many of those composing this frightful total 

 might have been saved : had it not been so strictly against the 

 Chinese superstition to rescue any animal (human or otherwise) 

 from a watery grave : and so rigorously do they adhere to this 

 principal that a son will watch his own father sinking, and will 

 not stretch out even a hand to help him being afraid of evil 

 spirits, sent to haunt him by the " water devil," for endeavouring 

 to rob him of his prey. ( Ftn-shui ! ) 



I have also been told of another interpretation for this unique 

 and cold blooded behaviour en the part of the Chinese race, and 

 it certainly has a much more plausible ring about it. It is that 

 should anyone pull a drowning person out of the water, and that 

 person should eventually die from the effects of his immersion ; he 

 (the rescuer) shall pay for the burial of the deceased, and inherit 

 his sins. This for John, is not half good enough ! // coute trop 

 cher ! so to save all risk, he turns his head aside, 'and leaves the 

 hapless victim of the " aquatic devil," to his own unenviable 

 fate. 



And here let me give a vivid example in connection with this 

 unchristian-'.ike conduct, in which a friend of mine, Lieut. D of 

 H.M.S. " Egeria," played a most conspicuous part ; and as it will 

 be seen, the affair was very nearly attended by most disastrous 

 results. 



