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NOTES AND QUERIES
be given half the roast pig, to be equally distributed among them. All expenses for wine, food, tea, tobacco and incidental items are to be paid for and recorded by the manager-for-the-year. However, food for men and horses of a newly arrived person [san-tsun-loi yan] is to be paid for by the new arrival, while those of the degree-holders who come for the feast are to be paid for out of common funds. [We have not heard the term yau-p'oon used in interviews and it is not in the dictionary, but its meaning seems quite obvious from the context. He is clearly not an official, but someone held to be in some position of power who had to be received at the temple. He is also not a degree-holder, the regulations for the reception of whom are specified in the next two clauses. An official functionary at the county yamen "underling" as he has come to be known in the secondary literature
an
would seem to fit the description. This interpretation also explains why this person's men and horses would not be fed at common expense if he was new in the post. It was common practice for a local official, on his appointment, to issue a notice to the effect that his staff should not be feasted or presented with lavish gifts. Whether or not these men and horses were in fact fed, this clause displays the spirit shown in such notices.]
14.
On the occasion of a newly qualified provincial or metropolitan graduate [] passing by the Governor's Temple and paying respect to Governor-General Chau and Governor Wong, a roast pig is to be prepared, and the sum of 10 silver dollars is to be awarded, in addition to 4 silver dollars for his men and horses. The feast on that day is to be arranged in the manner stated in the previous clause. [We were told in interviews in Lung Yeuk Tau that it was the custom for a new graduate to worship at ancestral halls bearing his surname, whether or not they were directly related to his own lineage. The custom was to present to each ancestral hall a wooden board bearing his newly won title, and in return, he would be presented sums of money. This custom accounts for the many boards found in ancestral halls that, despite the common surnames, were dedicated to people outside the lineage. It is quite conceivable that the custom extended to worship at the Po Tak Temple.]
15. On the occasion of an imperial student by special selection [ • # • £ • §] › ✯ passing by the Governor's