Chap. I. 



CHINESE SUPERSTITION. 



5 



results were not worth the trouble I took. The 

 hairs, such as I picked up, and such as were shown 

 me by the Chinese, had certainly been produced 

 above the earth and not below it. In some in- 

 stances they might readily be traced to horses, 

 dogs, and cats, while in others they were evidently 

 of vegetable origin. The north-eastern part of 

 China produces a very valuable tree known by the 

 name of the hemp-palm, from the quantity of 

 fibrous bracts it produces on the stem just under 

 its blossoms. Many of these fibres were shown to 

 me by the Chinese as a portion of the hairs in 

 question ; and when I pointed out the source from 

 which such had come, and which it was impossible 

 to dispute, my friends laughed, and with true 

 Chinese politeness acknowledged I was right, and 

 yet I have no doubt they still held their former 

 opinions concerning the origin of such hairs. The 

 whole matter simply resolves itself into this, — if 

 the hairs pointed out to me were the true ones, 

 then such things may be gathered not only after 

 earthquakes but at any other time. But if, after 

 all, these were not the real things, and if some 

 vegetable (I shall not say animal) production was 

 formed, owing to the peculiar condition of the 

 atmosphere and from other causes, I can only say 

 that such production did not come under my 

 observation.* 



* During a recent visit to tlie north-west provinces of India, wliere 

 earthquakes are not unfrequent, I could find no traditions sncli as that 

 I have. alluded to. 



