FESTIVALS. 



30.-, 



The maxe* are honored hy offerings of dressed 

 tin ats ? (for it is requisite to notice thai raw meats are 

 never fqund among the Chinese ohlations to I heir 

 respected objects of worship,) preserves and fruits 

 &c. Incense is burned and Yin-choa and Kiu choa 

 are consumed. These two last are thin slips of paper 

 having a putch of gold or silver, or quicksilver leaf 

 in the middle. They are intended to represent mo- 

 ney, and in this instance they seem to have got the 

 *f u t of Europeans, whose notes are, it is to he appre- 

 hended, not cashable in Pluto's domains, eta u at a dis- 

 count* Tliis paper money which is not worth a fur- 

 tiling in this present wnrld, is intended to furnish the 

 manes who are wandering in the Chinese hades, 

 with ample means for subsisting. The Chinese be- 

 lieve that in the Yang checoo Yass, or country of 

 soul>, gold and silver coin can b< converted into 

 paper-money of this description, and afterwards en- 

 chanlcd hack to its pr mer nature. 



How near do these Chinese fancies approach to 

 those of the ancients of the west ! 



sa-woa, rut; third month. 



Oil the twenty-third day of this month, the Chi- 

 nese propitiate and worship Afa-choo, who is a fe- 

 male divinity, and the protecting samtess of sailors. 



Dressed pigs, poultry and other food are placed be- 

 foi$ her shrine, and close to it expensive theatricals 

 are exhibited, accompanied by excellent fireworks. 

 The theatrical exhibitions are here made under a 

 temporary house which is open to the populace in 

 front ; who, as they pay nothing at the time for the 

 amusement, are not supplied with any shelter from 

 the weather. The women with their ehildreu sit in 

 groups and circles, or in palankeens ; and the men 

 crowd about the space m front of the stage. One of 



the best of their fireworks is a box from two to three 



M 2 



