CHINESE SUPERSTITION.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4288, 28 April 1879, Page 3

CHINESE SUPERSTITION.

The life of a Chinaman is a constant warfare against malign influencesy and perhaps he thai learns by experience the beet means of dealing with evil spirits. A reporter of the "San Franciieo Chronicle" has lately made a study of the precautions in this respect, taken by the Chinese reiidenta of that city. He has discovered 'that the two colors red asd yellow are in themselree the most efficacious guards against demoniacal ■■, Marking the punctuation of a book with red ink; will keep evil spirits from the reader; and as a protection for children against demons it is a good plan to stitch reel cloth in their pockets, and braid their undeveloped pigtails with red eilk. Nothing tends more to confuse Sends than rnj'yrig the ashes of burned yellow- paper with: tea or hot coffee before drinking these infusions. Ancient coins or the small end of an old iron ploughshare placed under beds will often scare away spirits. Iron nails extracted from old coffins are also not amiss for this purpose if carried in the cocket, or they may be beaten into a nag and worn on the finger until the age of sixteen years, alter which age persons are or ought to hare beoome less liable to the eril practices of Thus far the defensive policy prevails; but there are also provisions whereby an offensive warfare may carried on. When a man lies sick in bed, if he will but lay about him lustily with a hempen whip, and soundly belabour the bed and bedstead, the evil spirits will be glad to make a speedy exit. A picture of a fijing tiger maker them extremely uncomfortable. They also dislike a lion grasping ft sword; but two lions coming down a hill with a sun and moon between them ft much better. A cat made of lime and burned clay, looking at eonse apparently distant object, has a dispiriting effect on goblinft, but a piaster lion causes them to tear their shadowy hair. Old fish-nets cut into strips and worn about the waist are good also> fiends attacking the wearer become entargled in them and suffer disorganisation in getting dub again. The shell of a gourd may with advantage be suspended at the bed of children who have not had the emall-pox, becauee the god of measles, who is a Chinese diviniryj will empty the small-pox into theshells, if plaofed con* venient to bis hand. Still, better is it to place an ugly mask on a child's face as a preventive of small-pox, as the fiends consider it useless to waste imall-pax upon a homely person. A mirror serves admirably to keep the devil away; for, seeing, hie-own he invariably runs off in a fright and hides in a deep cavern until he recovers from the shock. , . .'"'." i