THE CHINESE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1148, 29 November 1873, Page 20

THE CHINESE.

STXGULAR SUPERSTITION".

The circumstances attending the death of a Chinese addicted to opium smoking were detailed at a Coroner's enquiry lield at the Ship Inn on Monday evening. The subject of the inquest was Mow Tai, a merchant and partner in the firm, of Sun War On, He was last seen alive about 11 o'clock on Saturday night, and was found a corpse in his bed at 8 o'clock on the following morning. On a table near to where he was lying was a basin in which, he had been making ' drink of opium, with which he is supposed to have poisoned himself. Deceased had been suffering for some time previous from dyspepsia, and was attended by Dr Alexander having almost lost his eye-sight. The verdict of the jury was that " deceased had poisoned himself by drinking opium whilst in a temporary state of insanity." We understand that a curious request was preferred to the Police by certain of the deceased's countrymen. They asked that they might be allowed to watch the body for seven days, as they allege that the cause of death being opium, they may succeed in restoring their friend to life within thatperiod. This practice of watching the bodies of persons killed by opium, they say, prevails in China, but whether they know of instances of successful restoration to life, we have not heard. The authorities, we understand, did not object to the Chinamen carrying out this curious custom. About five o'clock on the Tuesday evening a Chinaman entered the room of Sub- Inspector Mallard, at the Police Station, in hot haste, with the tidings that his fellow-countryman had come back to life. Partially through curiosity, but more to satisfy the wish of his informant, the Sub- Inspector accompanied him to the establishment of Sun War On, in Princes street, where he viewed the body. It had not been disturbed, with the exception of the head, which was wrapped in a wet towel, and rested on the edge of a small tub of cold water, in which an end of the towel hung, and over his stomach was another wet cloth. Several Chinese standing round the bed assured the Sub-Inspector that their comTade lived ; but the Sub-Inspector, though confident that such was not the case, did not think it worth while to dispute the correctness of their statement.

ASSAULT BY A CHINAMAN".

A savage assault was perpetrated on Sunday afternoon by one Chinaman upon another. They were both patients in the Hospital, and occupied adjoining beds. The younger one was able to speak a few words of English, and used to interpret the other's wants ; but somehow they did not agree, but -were rather hostile to each other. Just after dinner on that day, the elder got in a rage at his mate, and seizing a dish that was handy, gave him an ugly knock on the forehead, laying bare the bone, and then seizing him by the throat, attempted to strangle him. It so happened that the wardsman had left the room, and the patients were mostly unable to cope with such a, fierce case ; but two of them managed to draw the enraged Celestial off, and keep him from again renewing the attack. Assistance "was soon at hand, and the infuriated man secured and removed from the room to a more proper place. Dr Yates attended to the wounded man, and stitched up the gash in his forehead. Ah Sing, the Chinaman who perpe, trated the outrage, was on Monday taken into the custody of the police, and after being examined by two medical men, -who pronounced him insane, was removed to the Lunatic Asylum. He is a new arrival, and has been a patient in the Hospital ever since he came to the Province.

The Gardeners' Chronicle has received a huge fungus, found growing parasitically upon the pitch pine joists of the Bank of England in Threadneedle street. The entire growth was so large that when packed in a box for transit, it was as much as two strong men could carry.