CHINESE EXORCISM.

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5775, 19 September 1893, Page 4

CHINESE EXORCISM.

HUNTING THE DEVIL OUT OF BALLABAT. About 200 Chinese assembled at the camp m Golden Point, Ballarat, Sunday morning, August 27th, for the purpose of expelling the Evil One, who, it was believed, had taken up his quarters m the oamp some weeks before. The work of searching for his satanio majesty was commenced shortly after midnight. Wing Hop had command of the celestial forces, who wore armed with bamboos, axe handles, pokers and other death dealing weapons. It was understood that tho spirit was secreted m abut near the Joss House, and Wing Hop, having formed his almond eyed warriors into - companies, delivered a stirring address front the top of a tar barrel. According to an interpreter, the battle cry was "No surrender," and it was explained by the speaker that the Mongolian element had experienced very bad luok during the year owing to the presence of the fiend within the camp boundaries. It was further pointed out that from some " unearthly " reason several fan tan banks, like more than one European finanoial institution, had collapsed, reducing the keepers to conditions of abject poverty, and that the only hops of overcoming the crisis was to bombard the stronghold of the evil spirit, and put to flight the mystic occupant. The remarks of the excited speaker were received with a unanimous chorus, which to European ears sounded like " Yahoo !" Last year "Old Nick," aB the police termed Satan, made his escape by jumping down the shaft of the ad* jacent Llanberris mine, but this year the Mongolians look upon the spirit as a " dead bird," because a special company of sharp* shooters had been placed around the shaft of the mine named, and unerring marksmen had been told off for duty at various points around the oamp. Prior to the beating of the tom-tom for the flank movement, the Chinese refreshed the inner man by partaking of a sumptuous repast, whioh included the numerous delicacies to which the celestial race are partial. Whether tbe tables, whioh were laid before a huge bonfire, were set off by feathered pets which recently disappeared from the heneries of neighbouring European housewives was not staled ; but the police who did duty at the ceremony, under tbe command of Sergeant Loverton, were watchful lest they might have been able to identify " missing property." When the oil to arms had been sounded the advanoed guard made a descont on an unoccupied hut, out of whioh bounded several grimalkins, which nightly ronder the camp hideous with their noise. After a fruitless search for tbe Evil One the hovel was completely demolished with the bamboos, and the battalion deployed to the right of tho Joss House, where it was reported the spirit was hiding m a cabbage garden. In " doubling " over tbe hill several m the battalion oame to grief through falling down a bluff, an(* a plentiful Bupply of wax candles was exhausted before the unfortunate celestials were rescued from the quagmire m & half drowsed condition. On the chase being resumed, Satan, it was announced, was hiding m a dog kennel. A hollow square was then formed, and guided by the wand of the high priest, who wu attired m a loose scarlet robe, the forces rushed the dog house, whioh was smashed into fragments with the sticks and pokers carried by the contingent. In their anxiety to be " m it at the death," a number of Mon golians fell on top of one another— played m short, an involuntary game of what school boys know as " sacks on the mill." Daring the melke the evil spirit escaped, but was met by a reconnoitring party and expelled from the camp with the assistance of a " forlorn hope " organised m case of emergency. It was generally believed by the Chinese that his gatanio msjeaty received a " gruelling " m the encounter, and that if be again reappeared m the oamp it will be due to tbe falling away from " reotitude " of the residents of the place. Mr Harry Furniss, the Punch caricaturist, says he gets abusive letters from the wives of his subjeots. Some ask him not to caricature their husbands at all. One asked him, if he would persist m doing so, to put him m a more fashionable coat. Another asked him to make her husband better looking. A third addressed a most plaintive letter to him, saying that since some of the younger members of her family had contrived to see his pictures, they had became positively rude to their papa 1