FESTIVALS. 3£*7 



•wnei of the bout which hret reaches this post seizes 

 the prize. Sailing is not allowable in these races. 



Several years ago, wheal Ihe commander of one of his 

 Majesty's frigates challenged all that Penan- cou hi 

 bring against his ship's boats, the Chinese entered, 

 amongst others, their gilded snake-l»oat, Leoong 

 Choon, for the contest. It was a narrow canoe pulled 

 by about fifty men. It darted from the starting-post 

 with a shuttle-like velocity, and would, had the water 

 been smooth, have left every other boat far astern; but 

 no sootier did it encounter the abrupt ripple of the 

 harbour than it filled and sank, and the rowers, few 

 of whom could swim, looked in the water, with their 

 bare pates and tails, like so many tad-poles. Fortu- 

 nately the stern boat* came and picked them up. 



On the 13th day of this month, there is a festival 

 held in honor of Quantce, who was a king, the Chi- 

 nese say, of the west. He is a great favorite, and his 

 portrait may be fouud in most of the houses of the 

 Chinese. 



IA-HOA, THE SIXTH MONTH. 



Qttati-yin-nyeowt a deified female, is propitiated on 

 the nineteeuth day of this month. Women are nume- 

 rous at the celebration ofthi* festival, & they offer gold 

 and silver papers, preserved fruits, and sweat meats at 

 her shrine. The flesh of animals is not offered to her. 

 The processions on this occasion are very gay, and all 

 the palankeen carriages are in request. The male 

 worshippers of this beatified spirit, when their venera- 

 tion for her is sincere, wear round, flaliish, and slightly 

 conical caps made of rattans and other materials, and 

 having flowing crests.of horse hair dyed red. The dress 

 for the body is. a long white robe, the same as that of 

 c remony. Indeed, the whole of the dress described 

 js properly the dress of ceremony. The deputation 

 of Chinese wore it when they waited to congratulate 



