84 A CHAPTER OF FOLKLORE 



his elbows with clasped hands still holding' the bunch of 

 incense sticks, he then began to move his arms at first slowly, 

 then rapidly, up and down, his head at the same time 

 moving more and more rapidly from side to side; while 

 making these movements he uttered two or three sounds 

 which may be compared to the "yap" of a small dog. 

 Throwing away the incense sticks, he rested for a moment, 

 then swung his arms alternately from side to side, striking 

 his breast with a loud thud each time ; all this to the accom- 

 paniment of snorts, "barks," and low roars like those of a 

 wild beast. 



Becoming apparently more excited, he began to stamp, 

 at first with one foot, then with both; then to jump up and 

 down, then round in a circle, then appeared to faint or lean 

 powerless in the arms of an attendant. While jumping both 

 feet left the ground and struck it again simultaneously. 

 After passes made over him by the t'ung-t'ou the jumping 

 was resumed, to be followed by another "faint." Altogether- 

 he "fainted" four times, on the last two occasions apparently 

 requiring to be aroused by burning yellow paper in close 

 proximity to his feet. After recovering from the fourth 

 "faint" he jumped two or three times round the room, his 

 arms assuming the attitude often seen in the figures of door 

 gods at Chinese temple gates ; the right arm uplifted, the 

 left bent in front of the breast. He was then led to sit on 

 a stool; from this time on he assumed the attitude and 

 movements believed by the Chinese to be characteristic of 

 a deity, while his voice was that of a Chinese stage hero. 

 He first of all said: "The God is here! what do you wish 

 to ask?" A bundle of incense sticks was given to him by a 

 Chinese who was also witnessing the ceremonies, bowing as 

 he stepped forward; the latter afterwards mentioned that 

 strictly speaking he should have offered the incense sticks 

 on his knees. 



A number of questions were then put by those present : 

 such as, where A. was likely to be transferred; wdien B. was 

 likely to have a son; whether it would be better for C. to 

 remain at Foochow or to take up a position in the Ministry 

 of Communications at Peking; and when D. would be 

 married. The last two questions were answered; the spirit, 

 as the t'ung-tzu was now alleged to have become, declaring 

 that such matters did not concern him, but that he must 

 ask another divinity. Each time that a question was asked 

 of him he made sounds which might be described as "clucks" 

 — such as a Chinese makes when speaking to an animal, — 

 and which were intended to signify that the spirit did not 

 appreciate being worried by such trifles. During the w T hole 



