24 



On an altar is placed the tablet of. which we have given an engraving on Tab. IX, fig. 1. 

 In the upper triangle are the characters ;^§ jf$ ^C l_l_| //The lengthening sun shines 



on the great mountains;" and the characters J^ l|| -^ ^0 |isj //Three generations 

 united together in peace." 



On the second panel is written the words: //The faithful incense goes before." ( l ) 



On the third panel is written, in the middle, the name Li-chu-hung, ( 2 ) and on both sides 

 the words: //In peace united together, the pledged myriads make it their signal." ( 3 ) 



Then follows a panel with the character Chü, ( 4 ) meaning Shin-chü ( 5 ) // the Lord of the spirit" — 

 the place where it is supposed that the spirit of the departed dwells. 



On the fifth panel are written nine characters which, we believe, ought to be read in this 

 order: Lung hien puh ching, pien puh khai hung kwan. ( 6 ) //If no veritable dragon appears, 

 the Hungpasses will not be opened." Meaning, probably, that the Hungpasses will only be 

 opened to a veritable Emperor of the Dynasty of Ming. 



On the sixth panel is written the character Tsung ( 7 ) — All. 



On the right side are the characters: Wood, establish, hishel, world — (t/te dynasty of) Tsing 

 ought to be exterminated; ( 8 ) and on the left side the characters: Over myriads of miles toe are har- 



t 1 ) & # % l e " The faitbful brethern - l 2 ) ^ ^ 



< > * & ^ n fö ïi % ie ( 4 > ± 



( 5 ) m 3Ë ( 6 ) fl iS ^ IE n ^ s 



w m ( 8 ) * ± + ts: m » * 



At the beginning of the dynasty of Ming there was a man named Liu-peh-wan, I ||?jj ^| ^ ) 



general of the emperor Hung-wu nMb jgM (1368 of our era). When Hung-wu became Emperor, Liu- 

 peh-wan took his dismission and, having made a voyage through the whole empire, turned monk. 

 This Liu-peh-wan passed for a learned diviner. One day somebody asked him what would be the des- 

 tiny of the dynasty which would follow that of Ming. He answered: //The secrets of the gods ought 



not to be divulged." (f[I] féS ^» ^f S 2fe) 



He took, however, a pencil and drew a man with a cuirass and a man dressed in a short coat, 

 fighting tpgether, and explained his drawing by the following words: — ' pp J^ — ' jflQ ~fe 



„One cuirassed warrior and oiie shortcoat: both men perish on the green turf. Wood, establish, bus- 

 hel, world, Heavens-under know." He added: „this is the prophecy regarding the dynasty." 

 Nobody, at the time, understood the meaning of this obscure saying; it is explained, however, thus: 

 The cuirassed man means the Tartars, who wear cuirasses ; the shortcoats are the British, who wear short- 

 coats. They will destroy each other, and then China will begin a new era of glory. 

 The last line of the prophecy is a concealed meaning of the lenght of reign of the emperors of the Tar- 

 tar dynasty, as : 



