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The China Review, Or, Notes and Queries on the Far East

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The China Review, Or, Notes and Queries on the Far East Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/chinareviewornot4318unse WHITMAN COLLEGE LIBRARY CHINA REVIEW OK, NOTES AND QUERIES ON THE FAR EAST. PUBLISHED EVERY TWO MONTHS. Edited by JNT. JB. DENNYS, iui.d., f.R.G.S, M.E.A.S. Sx. NTOVEMBER aYNTD DECEMBER, ISYo ECOTSTG-ICOlSra: “ CHINA MAIL" OFFICE, No. 2, WYNDHAM STKEET. AGENTS. SHANGHAI; KELLY «fe Co. LONDON: TRUBNEIl & Co., 57 & 59, LUDGATE HILL. Price:— $6.50 per Annum. /T ' g if- ... _ via,"'; iSSSZ~- Enured at Stationers' Hall. w — TO CONTRIBUTORS. Contributions to the China Review are invited upon the following subjects, in special relation to China and Eastern Asia : Architecture and Lithic Remains. Inscriptions, ancient. Aboriginal Races. Languages. Archaeology. Literature. Arts and Handicrafts. Legends. Astronomy (native ideas of). Machines (native). Bibliography. Manners and Customs. Biography. Mythology. Botany. Medicine. Chronology. Natural History. Costumes. Numismatics. Engineering Works. Philology. Ethnography. Religions, their Tenets, Rites and Cere- Ethnology. monies. Folklore. Sports and Pastimes. Genealogies of notable families. Reviews of Works relating to the East. Geography. Translations of Native Works, novels, History, General and Local. plays, tire. Husbandry. Weapons of War and of the Chase. To these may be added Tracings of Inscriptions, or Drawings requiring publication to elucidate the text, and other contributions to our better knowledge of China, and the countries Eastward of the Straits. The Editor desires it to be understood that the writers of signed articles are alone responsible for the opinions therein expressed. 1ST O W READ Y. CH‘0 HOK KAI A HANDBOOK OF THE CANTON VERNACULAR OF THE CHINESE LANCUACE; Being a Series of Introductory Lessons, for Domestic and Business Burposes. By N. B. DENNYS, ph.d. irf The attention of the Mercantile Community is specially drawn to this worh, winch affords a comparatively easy method for acquiring a loam ledge of the Chinese Colloquial used . in llonghong and Canton—the importance of which, in all business and domestic transactions, is daily becoming more manifest. *„* The Handbook has been approved as a text-book for the examinations in Chinese by the Government Examination Board of Hongkong. ! The connection of the present Editor with the China Review ceases with this Number, and it will in future be con- ducted by the Proprietor, with very competent assistance on the part of resident Sinologues. In severing his connection with a periodical, which, he trusts he may say, has achieved a creditable reputation in the literary circles of Hongkong and China, the retiring Editor would bespeak for its future conductors the same cordial support as has hitherto been accorded to it. —. ... .. CONTENTS OF No. 3 Page. The Folk-lore of China, ( Continuedfrom page 84) • 9 .. 139 The Chinese Vernaculars, By C. F. Preston , # .. 152 Trip to the City of Leen Chan, C. F. PRESTON .. 160 Legend of the Building of Peking, G, C. Stent . 168 Chinese Explorations of the Indian Ocean Bir- ring the Fifteenth Century, ( Continued from Vol. III., page 67) W. F. Mayers • • .. 173 An Introduction to A Retrospect of Forty Years of Foreign Intercourse with China, . G. Nye .. 191 Short Notices of New Boohs and LiteraryTntellR gence, . .. 200 Notes and Queries on Eastern Matters : Chinese Jessamine, H. F. H, . • .. 203 Torture in British and Chinese Prisons, .. 203 Fusang, .. 204 Bells, H. A. B. , .. 204 Red as a Festive Colour, Ethnologist . .. 205 The Natural History of China, Naturalist . .. 205 Books Wanted, Exchanges, &c., . oo . .. 205 f THE CHINA REVIEW THE FOLK-LORE OP CHINA. ( Continuedfrom page 84 .) VI.—SUPERSTITIONS AS TO VARIOUS Europe. And a Highlander of the 42nd SUBJECTS. Regiment, in his printed memoirs, notices There are in China a large number of the same harbinger of evil as having crossed generally believed Superstitions which it is his own path on a day of personal disaster difficult to class under any of the foregoing in Spain.* It is noteworthy that the God- heads. The mysterious properties ascribed dess Freya is represented as attended by to the hare are peculiarly interesting. A hares, who act as train and light-hearers. prejudice against eating its flesh is coeval The hare moreover is reputed to be one of with Chinese history. In the Erh-ya* we the commonest disguises of a witch in all the find it stated that the people of Yo-yang Northern Countries of Europe. “ considered the hare to be a telluric genius Equally as widespread as the foregoing so that nobody dared to hunt it,” and superstition is g common belief, that drown- throughout China it has always been looked ed bodies may be discovered by throwing upon (especially the red variety) as a divine into the water certain objects which, it is animal, f Albino hares are regarded as asserted, will stop over the exact spot where omens of good, and their appearance a mark the corpse may lie. The American Indians of heavenly approval. In Dr. Eitel’s Hand- use a chip of cedar wood. In England a book of Chinese Buddhism Art. Sakchi, , we loaf of bread loaded with quicksilver is used, read, that an unselfish hare who threw it- while in Ireland similar use is made of a self into the fire, to offer its flesh as food wisp of straw, bound round with a strip of for others, was transferred hy Indra to the parchment on which some cabalistic words centre of the Moon.j: The superstition con- have been written by the parish priest. cerning hares is common to China and India. In Java, and in some parts of China, a living Nor, though it does not take precisely the goat (a sheep, I believe, will do as well) is same form, is a belief in the portentous cast into the water, and its dead body will, attributes of this animal wanting at home. as is believed, indicate the resting place of For a hare to cross a man’s path early in the drowned man. As regards running the morning is an ill omen throughout streams it is easy to account for this com- * Predictions Realised, p. 87. 166 f N. <& Q. C. & J., Vol. II., p. 69. t Folk-lore of the Northern Counties, p. X Handbook of Chinese Buddhism, p. 107. et seq. 140 THE CHINA REVIEW. mon superstition by natural facts, but the takes it may fare as badly as if he had been varied forms it assumes are interesting. veritably poisoned. The Chinese think it Another Chinese superstition relates to the unlucky to have the spout of a kettle, stand- use of salt, which is thrown into the water ing on the fire, turned outwards ; —a belief I when any one has been rescued from drown- can only match by our superstition that it ing. A few months since a correspondent forebodes ill to cross two knives on the din- wrote to a Shanghai newspaper as fol- ner table, being unable to trace the origin of lows: —“Yesterday afternoon a youngster either superstition. of the Chinese nationality fell into the water I can hardly avoid in this place a notice of! a pontoon. So his relatives set to work of the singular geomantic superstitions to fish him out, which humane act being known as Feng shui, regarding which Dr. accomplished, was followed by two old women Eitel has written so excellent a brochure. very properly pulling his ears for trying to That learned writer answers the question drown himself, and giving them trouble, “what is Feng-shui?” in the following while another old woman threw salt into the words: “ Feng- shui [the words themselves water at the spot he had fallen in. Can signify wind and water] is, as I take it, but any of your readers inform me what the salt- another name for natural science. throwing meant, and whether it is a custom It is simply the blind gropings of the Chinese on such occasions to do so?” The query mind after a system of natural science, remained unanswered. Nor has subsequent which gropings, untutored by practical ob- enquiry enabled me to throw any light upon servation of nature, and trusting almost the subject. “ It’s a local custom,” was the exclusively in the truth of alleged ancient only answer I could get. But a reference to tradition, and in the force of abstract reason- Brand gives us some very interesting facts ing, naturally left the Chinese mind com- in connection with the use of salt for the pletely in the dark.” No more accurate purposes of lustration.* Flinging salt over definition for scientific purposes could be the left shoulder to avert threatened calami- given, and to those who feel an interest in ty is a well-known custom. The Greeks the subject I cannot do better than recom- and Romans used it in their lustrations, and mend the perusal of his work. But for Jews and Pagans alike used ’it in their sacri- present purposes, in which the practical fices as a propitiation. The Romans espeei- rather than theoretical side of popular belief aUy designed it as a propitiatory offering to is necessarily dealt with, the reply must be infernal avert the vengeance of Stygian or framed somewhat differently. Feng-shui, paraUel to the Chinese Gods—an exact then, is a system of geomancy which deter- Isle of Man, a gift of salt is custom. In the mines the good or ill luck of localities as an essential element in numerous transac- regards their occupation for purposes of build- tions. The Scotch used to, and perhaps ing, cultivation, burial, etc., etc. By way of still, put salt in the first milk taken from a illustrating this interpretation the following cow after calving.
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