CHINESE SECE3BT SOCIETIES. 83 



large as a peck measure, and his hair and whiskers were red. — In 

 his hands, Ban-lung" carried a pair of dragon maces, and his- 

 strength was equal to that of 10,000 ordinary men, — he was 

 irresistible. On the day in question, he was sitting at leisure 

 on the mountain, and beholding a body of men and horses 

 passing, he discerned amongst them, the banner of the Buddhist 

 priests ; being at a loss to make out the meaning ot the procession, 

 he descended to ask the reason of such an assemblage. On ap- 

 proaching the Army, Ban-lung became moved by a spirit of 

 justice and righteousness, and was forced to cry out; "Oh 

 Princes, if you do not undertake the fulfilment of Heaven's de- 

 crees, and redress all the injustice that has been perpetrated 

 against you, }'ou are no true men. If you will not reject your 

 young brother, I would follow in your train, and with you, 

 rectify all the injustice under which you have suffered so long ; 

 I scarcely dare hope that you will deign to accept my poor as- 

 sistance/' The brethren seeing Ban-lung to be a man of such 

 powers, were rejoiced to enlist him, and at once agreed to ap- 

 point him as Generalissimo, and obey him as their " Toa-Ko," 

 or elder brother. Ban-lung accepted the post without hesita- 

 tion, and conducted the Army to the " Phoenix Mountain/' 

 where they pitched their camp. Ban-lung then went forward, 

 and led the brethren against the u Chheng" army; the metallic 

 drums of either army were beaten loudly, and the soldiers closed 

 with each other; great was the slaughter on both sides, and 

 after several engagements, the " Chheng" army was utterly de- 

 feated. Having gained the victory, our army returned joyfully 

 to their camp, but the proverb says, " the planning of an affair 

 is with men, but the carrying of it out is with Heaven/'f The 

 Toa-ko, Ban-lung, again took out the army to battle, and before 

 three encounters were over, his horse stumbling on the rocky 

 ground, he fell, and uttering a single groan, died. The whole 

 army, on seeing that Ban-lung had perished, exerted their utmost 

 strength, and cutting their way through the enemy, carried 

 away his body, and arriving at their camp, buried their general 

 in peace. Truly this was a lamentable affair! 



The Grand Master, Kin-lam, alone was aware by his powers 

 of divination, that Ban-lung must perish about the middle of 

 the 8th moon, and that it is impossible for a human being to 

 escape his destiny ; so going in front of the arm}', he exhorted 

 them saying ; 



" It is impossible to elude the great account, and Ban-lung 

 was fated to perish in this manner ; our brethren must not give- 

 way to grief; it is next to impossible to restore the dead, the 



