685651-1879-Religious-Festival-Man-mo-Temple- — Page 1

Colonial Secretary's Office,

Hongkong, 7th February, 1879.

52

No. 29.

tion.

THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 12т¤ FEBRUARY, 1879.

GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION.

The following is published for general informa-

By Command,

C. MAY,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

號九艹第報憲

知

之禀辭批語一

幷抄印俾衆週

督輔

督憲大人臺前恩准施行

己

一千八百七十九

年二月初七日示

督憲札爺將已

To Ilis Honour

(Translation.)

THE ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.

The humble petition of the Committee ap- pointed by the Five Districts for the management of the Man-md Temple, viz., the owners of the Ch‘eung-shing, Thung-hi, Thai-fung-shun, On-t‘ai, and Mau-ün shops, with reference to a united service for the dead to be held on behalf of the whole of Hongkong in celebration of the birthday of the gods of literature and war;

SHEWETH:

That your Petitioners have had transmitted to them from former times certain rules which hitherto have been observed every year, viz., to erect on the steps in front of the temple a matshed, covered with cloth and extending to the gutter, and further to set up opposite the temple, on the slope, a bamboo screen, in order to post up there the list of subscribers, to open the religious cere- monies on the 2nd day of the 2nd moon (22nd February), and to continue them till the night of the seventh day (27th February), exhibiting daily lanterns and groups of statuettes with music and silk festoons, to scatter paper money for the release from purgatory of all who died on land or sea, thirty members of the Committee proceed-2 ing during that night to Mount Davis to burn paper clothes for the benefit of the dead where- upon the service for the dead will be concluded;

That your Petitioners now appeal to your Honour with the humble prayer that you will be pleased to grant permission to your Petitioners to act accordingly, so that both spirits and men may mutually rejoice, and anticipating your Honour's goodness, in condescending to yield to the wishes of the people, your Petitioners feel extremely obliged;

That your Petitioners will be deeply grateful, and pray your Honour to forward this petition and lay it before His Excellency the Governor.

And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will

ever pray...

In the Ki-mau year, the first moon (January 1879).

[Here follow 31 stamps of different shops.]

卯行

年

正

月

理輔政使司

具禀文武廟五環值理

縻爲曉諭事

現奉.

初服

結蓋

恩切赴 輔政司大人臺前乞求轉詳 衣後完醮兹赴臺階伏祈准給衆等遵依奉行俾得 神人共慶仰見俯順與情之德感無旣矣站 R 啟壇起至初七夜止連日張燈結綵鼓樂朝旛水陸超幽放焰是夜有理三十餘人往摩星嶺 歷承售章遞歲循行卽在廟前石級搭蓋布帳至街渠邊止叉在對面基磡搭的竹笛張榜用於華二月 昌盛號 同記號 泰豐順 安泰號 茂源號等爲闔港聯誠建醮恭祝 文昌帝君寶誕事切衆等

日

禀

Minute by the Acting Colonial Secretary.

發批司政

Forwarded to the Honourable the Surveyor

日月九

General for report.

C. MAY,

批卅

Acting Colonial Secretary.

九年正

百七十

政 核陳明

一千八

核仰工

兹將原

仰卽察

工務司

禀批發

31st January, 1879.