190 OFFERINGS TO THE GODS [Cuar. X. 
have something very impressive about it, and 
whilst I pitied the delusion of our host and _ his 
friends, I could not but admire their devotion. In 
a short time after this ceremony was completed a 
large quantity of tinsel paper, made up in the form 
and shape of the ingots of Sycee silver common in 
China, was heaped on the floor in front of the 
tables, the burning incense was then taken from 
the table and placed in the midst of it, and the 
whole consumed together. By and by, when the 
gods were supposed to have finished their repast, 
all the articles of food were removed from the 
tables, cut up, and consumed by people connected 
with the family. 
On another occasion, when at Ning-po, having 
been out some distance in the country, it was 
night and dark before I reached the east gate of 
the city, near which I was lodged in the house of a 
Chinese merchant. The city gates were closed, 
but two or three loud knocks soon brought the 
warder, who instantly admitted me. I was now 
in the widest and finest street in the city, which 
seemed in a blaze of light and unusually lively for 
any part of a Chinese town after nightfall. The 
sounds of music fell upon my ear, the gong, the 
drum, and the more plaintive and pleasing tones of 
several wind instruments. I was soon near enough 
to observe what was going on, and saw, at a glance, 
that it was a public offering to the gods, but far 
grander and more striking than I had before wit- 
nessed. ‘The table was spread in the open street, 
