Page
Šeptem ber 7, 1907.]
CHINESE JOSS PIDJIN.
FRIGHTENING AWAY THE CHOLERA DEMONS.
The Singapore Free Press of August, 28 reports :-A unique and most interesting core. mony took place at the ricksha coolie depots in Ophir Road, off Queen Street, yesterday after. DOOD. A number of cases of cholers have occurred in these depots lately, and several cases in the immediate vicinity. The coolies and towkays organised a graud festival for the purpose of frightoning away from Singapore the cholera demous. About $5, 00 were collect. ed among the towkays and coolies, and for the past ten days, or so, quaint ceremonies have been carried ou. On turee nights, proca sions paraded the various streets. The coolies were busy in the meantime building four model jaoks to carry away the cholera fiends,
The celebrations were brought to a close yesterday afternoon amidst much excitement, aud iu view of several hundreds of Chinese.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The men demons raised pandemonium with their yells of "ough," bimboo horns and banging of drums and clashing of cymbals. The spectators joined in the noise. The Chief Sanitary Inspector was present and seemed to be assisting in the devil hnoting. Hexpressed his desire of help. ing in anything that would drive away the cholera.
These exhortatious continued till six o'c'ock and a fourth and much smaller vessel then made its appearance. It was
apperntly a tender 1 the bigger cruft. The chief monk seized the small boat and carried it into the. ¦ depot. The idea was to take the devils out to the flet, but this apparently did not meet with their approval. The little vosse! tossed and rocked, round the room, but the devils would not come out to the bigger ships. One priest endeavoured to coux the tiny ship out by means of bright papars on the end of a pole, while another priest tried to drive it out with a drawn sword. They spraug back when the boat turned on them The excitement was The claus participating in the clearing out of great, and the "oughs" were deafening. Several the devils were the Hockchews, Hockchas and Limes the boat got as far as the outranc“, the Hengwabs. The ghost ships were made of but returned again and careered wildly round bamboo and paper and were really works of art. the room. After fully twenty minutes of They were cleverly made of various coloured pitching and tossing the boat was driven and paper, and in shape were exactly like Chinese coaxed out. It careered round the fleet and junks. Two of the craft were about fifteen then dashed back to the depot again. Even- feet in length and one, the smartest of the tually, the devils ware persuaded to leave the lot, was over twenty feet long and broad in depot and the tender made fire stormy trips | proportion. The final ceremony commenced to and from the big junk amidst the wildest at four o'clock. The three vessels were drawu; excitement. The devils were represented by into the roadway, the two smaller ones were black, red, blue, green and yellow effigies au i carried and the large one was drawn on wheels. they were all put on board at last. The touder The sails, made of yellow paper, were then
then took up a position at the head of the hoisted. The leading vessel had as a figure-procession and after manoeuvering about wildly head, a dragon with a flaming wide
for some time started off in the direction of mouth. On tables placed near the ships were
Rochore Canal Road. The other vessels and candles, roast ducks, fowls, pigs, goats, fruit the procession followed it with a rush, and and cakes. Numerous sheets of sacrificial paper a huge roar went up from the assembled hua- were burned and hundreds of crackers and dreds. After a short inad, yelling rush, a stop was bombs were let off. About two score ricksha made at a lauding stage at the Rochor river. coolies were dressed as demons with grotesquely lundreds of bombs and crackers were let off painted faces. Some of their faces were red, and the gougs and drums were banged mally. blue, black, green and yellow, and were streaked The man dressed as demons tore off their devil with white. They were armed with spears and clothes and washed their faces. The bed mouk spiked clubs and many had horns fastened on to waved his sword in the direction of the river their heads. They were a fierce looking lot and and exhorted the devils to depart. Tum flest formed a bodyguard for the fleet. One gigantic were theu sat on fire one by one. The tender Chinaman carried a huge wooden sword and was burned first auil the biggest ship last. apparently represented an executioner. Several flames roared and crackled and barue fiercely monks in gay robes were chanting prayers and the ceremoney was at au end,
Our repre round the "Joss," inside the principal depot,¦ seutative, who was watching very carefully, did the accompaniment of Chines music. not see the animals and birds taken out of the Every few minutes they uttered long drawn out big junk before she was set alight and believes "oughs" in which they were joined by the that they were burned to death. The towksys, demoniacal bodyguard, while numerous other however, assured him that they were removed Chinese blew bamboo-horus. It was a weird before fire was put to the vesssis. Perhaps, spectacle.
they are afraid of enquiries by the police.
to
open
i
!
Leaning on one of the "joss" tables in the roadway, was a stalwart coole who appeared to be in a trance. He was in a state of frenzy and rolled his eyes till only the whites were visible. It was explained that he was possessed of a spirit a god had entered into him. He gesticuled wildy and was believed to be communing with the spirits of the departed. Any one whose ! friends or relations bad died could converse with them through him. He was certaiuly not shamming. To the writer he appeared to be mad, but a medical gentleman present said, in his opinion, the man was in a trance. He wout on unceasingly and untiringly.
The vessels were loaded up with paper money, candles, crackers, fruit and rice. In the largest junk were placed a white pup, a grey kitteu, a cock, a duck and a couple of white pigeons. The monks then assembled in front of the largest ship and chanted prayers, while the bodyguard knelt down in the road. The head monk picked up a sharp steel sword and fought a duel with an unseen spirit. He worked him- self into a state of frenzy, and the crowd of on- lookers stepped back in awe. The monk then picked up a cock, and holding it in his left hand and the sword in his right danced about and gesticulated wildly. After some minutes ho put the weapon down and pricked the cock's į comb with a finger nail. A drop of blood was taken and was mixed with Chinese red ink. The fowl was then put under a joss table and after more incantations had been droned, the high priest mounted on a stool and dabbed the figure head and other parts of the boat with the mix- "ture. He then returned to the Joss table and · exhorted the demons to depart in the vessels,
COMMERCIAL,
TEA.
The
OPIUM.
149
HONGKONG, September 5th.
Quotations are:-Allowance net to 1 catty. Malwa New
Malwa Old
Malwa Older
.$780 tó
per picul.
$840 to
do.
....$830 to
do.
Malwa Very Old ..$900 Persian Fine Quality ..$700 Persian Extra Fine ...$750
to
do.
to
do.
to
do.
to
per chest.
$810
to
do.
$805
Lo
do.
$800
to
d.
Patna New Patina Old Benares New Benares Old
COAL.
Messrs. Wheelock & Co.'s Report, dated August 29th, 1907, has the following:-Japan.-This market has been pretty active during the past fortnight and a fair amount has been settled with native dealers, as stucks are still rather short in Shanghai. In Japan stocks are getting so low that they are trying to re-purchase some of their sales to this port. Cardiff.-Is at a stand- still, very little stock left and prices very firm. Sydney, Wollongong. Nothing new since last fortnight.
Messrs. Hughes and Hough, in their Coal Report of 5th September, state that 18 steamers are expected at Hongkong with a total of 58,000 tons of coal. Since Aug. 25th, 11 steamers have arrived with a total of 38,700 tons of coal.
A small sale of Australian is reported ou private torins. Small business doing in Japanese at $7.25 to $7.75 per ton. Other kinds neglected. Quotations:-~
Cardiff.. Australian
$14.00 to 15.00 ex-ship, nominat. $11.50 to $12.00 ex-ship, nominal. Yubari Lump.......812.00 nominal Miki Lump
$10.00 nominal. Moji Lump. $6.50 to $8,50 ux-ship, stondy Moji Unscreened$6.50 to $7.50 ex-ship, stondy. Akaike tump...$7.75 to $8.00) steady. Labuan Lump $8.00 nominal.
RAW COTTON.
Hoxukogu, fith September-Fair business put throught. Stock about 1,400 bales.
Bombay...
$17.00 to $20.00 per pel.
Bengal (New), Rangoon
and Dacea
20.00 to 22,50 Shanghai and Japanese 25.00 to 26.00 Tungehow and Ningpo... 25.00 to 20.00
Reported sales, 400 hales.
YARN.
1
1
Mr. P. Eduljee, in his Report dated Hong- kong, 6th September, 1907, states:- The mid- summer festival his interfered with business
which has been further checked by the steadiness in exchange. The volume of business douc during the interval consequently has been small and confined to actual and urgent requirements. Prices show a depreciation of 50 cents to $2 per bale-No. 10% suffering the most-but are again steady at the close. Arrivals during the interval are large and our stocks are heavily augmented. Bombay continues strong, most of the mills having booked sufficient orders from Manchester and the Levant to keep them runing for several months. The market closes quiet. Sales of the
Haskow, 28th August, 1907.--Busmess reportesi | interval aggregate 2,274 hales, arrivals amount since the 14th inst., is as under :—
Settlements Shipments to Shanghai
on Native aegomit
1907.
thests,
1905
mil
BOOG.
-Chests.
2.990
3,691
The following are Statisties at date compared with the corresponding circular of last season, viz.. 29th August, 1904.
1417. Chests.
JIMMS.
-Chests. 872,470
HANKOW TEA. Settlements
... 177,578 Shipments to Shanghai on Native accomut Stock
Arrivals ...
KIUKIANG TEA. Settlements
21,766
507.244
1907. 4-Chests. ...181,316
Shipments to Shangbai
on Native account
...
nil 15,383
...196,609
Stock
**
Arrivals ...
27.815 17.700
+47,083
1906.
4-Chests. 158,018
4,985 8.194
171,197
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to 13,595, unsold stocks estimated at 41,000 and seld but uncleared goods in second hands about 27,000 bales. Local Manufacture :-Continues quiet. At the tenth annual general meeting of shareholders held this week, the Directors of the local Mill have declared a dividend of 5 per cent. on last year's working. Japanese Yaru":-Sales reported are 100 bales No, 10s at $118 to $122, and 250 bales No. 20s at $126 to $126). Raw Cotton :-Despite the fluctuations on the other side the market for the raw material continues inanimate, and the business of the fortnight comprises the sale of 215 bales superfino Bengals at from $19 to 20) and of 95 bales Chinese at $231. Stocks estimated at 1.875 bales Indian and 100 bales China kinds. Quotations are Bengals $16 to $20 and China $22 to $24). Exchange on India, after showing some fluctuations, closes steady to-day at Rs. 168 for T/T and Rs. 166; for Post. On Shanghai 73 aud Japan 1081. The undernoted business in imported and local spinnings is reported from Shanghai during the fortnight ended the 31th ultimo, viz:----Indian :---- Market dull with a decline of one Tael in price. Total sales about 2,750 bales with an estimated stock of 123,000 balos. Japanese:-Continues in request and about 2,000 bales have changed hands on the basis of T'ls. 83; to 89¶ for No. 16 and 'Jls. 89} to 94} for No. 20%, Local --Nothing doing,
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