PART II. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE LODGE AND ITS APPURTENANCES. 



The lodges of the Triadsociety form quite a camp: the lodge, properly said, is a square 

 surrounded by four walls having, at the four points, four gates. (*) These walls, as may 

 be seen on Tab. VII & VIII, are covered with the mysterious symbol of „ Union" A> and 

 with the old symbol for „ State" Q, so that, probably, these symbols mean: A united state:" 

 a state enjoying universal peace, on account of its being harmonious. 



On the top of each gate is hoisted the flag of the general who guards it; the inscription 

 on these flags is the same, differing only in the names of the generals to whom they belong: 

 the two characters near the flagstaff //Kin-lan" ( 2 ) signify the Golden orchid, which name is 

 derived from the Yih-king, or Book of changes, where it is said: jij i§ ^ "^ lj£ 



^. ^fjj l||j Sympathetic words smell Wee the Cloranthis. The book Glorious things of the 

 reign of Siuen-vm ( 3 ) tells us that when Tai-hung-ching ( 4 ) had got a new friend, he noted his 

 name down in a book; burning incense and praying to his ancestors — which book he had 

 named //The book of the golden orchid," ( 5 ) meaning the book of friendship or fraternity. The 

 expression Ê^L -^ ^ f}fj| ,/Covenant of the golden orchid," means nothing else but 

 the swearing fraternal friendship together: so the book „Tales of the age" ( 6 ) says of three friends 

 who were united by fraternal bonds of friendship: //Shan-kung, Hi and Yuen had made the 

 covenant of the golden orchid." ( 7 ) 



(') The engraving on Tab. VII, represents the West-gate (to the left) and the East-gate (to the right). Tab, 



VIII represents the North-gate (to the left) and South-gate (to the right). 



(2) >Jy l||j Chloranthus inconspicuus. (Swartz.) 



( 3 ) *M $t H ♦ 



o M *& IE 



( 5 ) & -II NF 



( 6 ) -Ht m 



