1850.
Journal of Occurrences.
11t
the 20th of the 1st moon, to the Examination Hall, and there put on mourn- ing, offered sacrifices, and performed the rites usual on such occasions. The common people have not received orders to mourn, but expect soon to see the public announcement, until which there will be no general manifestation of sorrow. The signs of official mourning are to wear coarse white dresses, remove all signs of rank, as the button, peacock's feather, fringe, &c., sign the seal in blue ink, go without shaving the head, use ash colored cards, suspend all music, and beating of gongs or drums, firing of cannon, crying of lictors, and contract no matrimonial engagements for twenty-seven days. The commencement of this mourning dates from the day of death, so that it will not be more than sixty days' duration in Canton. The imperial pro- clamation is as follows:
On the 11th of the 12th month (January 23d) the Board of Rites memorialized the Throne as follows: "At noon of this day, the officers of state assembled." They further memorialized, “That they had put on mourning, that for a hundred days they should not shave the head, and should wear dark robes and vests.' The master of ceremonies also memorialized, requesting his Majesty at noon to enter and see the golden coffin; the emperor next day went at 6ƒ o'clock r. m., and sacrificed to her tablet.
On the 24th January, the Supreme Will was received: "We have attended her Majesty, since we received the throne, and have nurtured her twenty-nine years; we had seen that in her declining days she had every comfort, and that she had passed the age of eighty, for which our heart was happy and calm, and we encouraged ourselves that she would happily add one year to another, until she enjoyed the felicity of seeing a century. Lately, the 19th inst. she took an airing in the garden and returned to her palace; we daily went to inquire respecting her health, and then unexpectedly became aware that our beloved relative was not in usual vigor. We thought that if she was nursed a few days with care, she would then recover her health; but contrary to all our anticipa- tions, her ailments daily increased in strength, and on the 24th at 3 o'clock P. M. she drove the fairy chariot and went the long journey. Our grief broke out in loud lamentations, for we were greatly afflicted. We humbly brought to mind, that since the Holy Empress Filial-Pure-Bright (i. e. H. I. M 's own mother) left this to take the upward journey, we have been deeply indebted to Her Imperial Majesty Tá-hing, for her abounding kindness and overshadowing favor. We have been made happy while attending to her behests, as men are rejoiced by the sun which prolongs their lives; but now never can we again look upon her affectionate countenance; our grief can not be easily relieved.
"We received her last orders that mourning should be worn only twenty- seven days; but we can not be satisfied with this, and therefore, as is right, we ourselves shall put on this filial garb for a hundred days, twenty-seven of which we shall mourn our loss in deep mourning. As to her requisition, that since we were nearly seventy years old, we ought not to give way to deep grief, for the cases of government are heavy, we can not presume to disobey it, and must con- strain ourselves to repress these feelings. This day, the princes and high offi- cers again assembled and forced themselves to beseech us to restrain our grief; and also memorialized us to respectfully follow the excellent rules of our Im- perial ancestor Kienlung, which we thereupon felt necessitated to do. Let daily libations be poured out before her in the palace of Contentment.
"In all that appertains to the full ritual of mourning, we hereby order Mien- yü and Traitsiuen, princes of the imperial clan, Kíying, a cabinet minister, and Wanking, president of the Board of Civil Office, carefully to manage and pre- pare them. For all that propriety requires on this occasion, let thein examine the old rituals, and deliberate upon the various points, reporting to us by memo- rial as occasion requires. Let these orders be published throughout the empire for general information. Respect this."