Proclamation re the Earth-pulse. 151 



upon the Military Expectant, Chu-ko, declared that if this 

 ground be opened, the enclosure of Ue (Chung-king) would 

 lose its life-breath ; and it was consequently forbidden to touch 

 it. It is evident that Ngo hsiang-chin is a place of the 

 weightiest import, and must in nowise be injured : hence this 

 prohibition has continued in force from of old without change." 



But now one Tung has acquired this ground by purchase, and, 

 giving ear to the deceitful words of stonemasons, has quarried 

 this stone for the sake of inordinate gain. This has been going 

 on for some ten years, until the pulses of the place are being 

 sundered almost past remedy. And now, graduate and mili- 

 tary, merchants and traders, are steadily going down. So is the 

 business of the Tai-ping and Chaotien gates, which open on to 

 the two busiest quarters, growing duller and colder. Searching 

 into the cause, we find it clearly due to the wounding of the 

 ground pulse ; and, if a plan be not at once devised for repairing 

 it, what answer shall graduates, military merchants, and traders 

 receive.? These several gentry see this plainly, and wiE not 

 stand by idle. They have therefore called together the scholars, 

 officials, traders, and merchants to consider the matter, and they 

 have unanimously agreed to contribute the needful funds and 

 to buy up Ngo hsiang-ching, and make of it a public ground, to 

 be called the Pei shan tang, or " Cultivate virtue hall," and so 

 nourish the Feng-shui. The aforesaid Tung having given his 

 willing consent, the deeds have been drawn up, the price agreed 

 on has been paid, and the transfer is accomplished. 



Lest now in the lapse of time the matter should fall into 

 oblivion and the determination now arrived at be set aside and 

 not survive to distant times, which is a matter of weighty 

 import to this city, such as we dare not ourselves decide, we 

 have presented a petition to the Prefect and to the magistrate, 

 and now present the matter to the higher authorities for 

 decision, requesting them to issue a prohibitory edict to the 

 following effect, and to have it engraved on stone, that — "On 

 the ground between Futu koan and Chiao men tung, improve- 

 ments, whether public or private, are henceforward prohibited 

 by proclamation, that it will not be permitted to disturb the 

 ground ; and the range of the ground extending up from Fu-tu 

 Koan down to Chiao men tung is closely bound up with the 



