F IDOLS.

"Feb. 27, 1848. Today an old lady and her two sons declared themselves to
be worshipers of Jesus by presenting their idols to Bro. Pohlman. On the
evening of the last day of their last year they had burnt their ancestral
tablets. It was an interesting sight, said Bro. Pohlman, to see the old
lady, supported by one of her sons, breaking her idols and making a
voluntary and public surrender of them at the chapel.

"March 1st. When the old lady returned from the chapel on Sunday evening
she was full of zeal, and began preaching to her neighbors on the folly of
idolatry. She was so successful that another old lady living in the same
house with her has made a bonfire and burned all her idols except one.
This, being made of clay, was not combustible. This she presented to
Pohlman today. He asked her whether she gave it up willingly. She said
she rejoiced to do it. She said she had not yet destroyed her ancestral
tablets. Pohlman told her he did not wish her to do it rashly. She must
reflect on the subject, and when she became convinced that the worship of
them was a sin against God she must give them up immediately.

"March 29th. This afternoon Bro. Hickok and wife and Bro. Maclay arrived
at Amoy on their way to Foochow. They had a long passage from Hongkong,
having been out twenty-nine days." The distance from Hongkong to Amoy is
less than three hundred miles, and is made in twenty-four hours by an
ordinary coast steamer.

THE CHINESE BOAT RACE AND ITS ORIGIN.

"June 5th. Monday. To-day being the fifth day of the fifth month (Chinese),
was the festival of dragon boat-racing. Several dragon boats filled with
rowers, rather paddlers, were contesting this afternoon in the harbor. The
water was thronged with boats filled with Chinese to see the sport. Many
of these boats, and almost all the junks in the neighborhood, were decked
with green branches, also with streamers flying. The origin of this
festival is said to be as follows: In very ancient times one of the first
officers, perhaps Prime Minister of government, gave offense to the
emperor. The emperor banished him. He was so downcast on account of the
emperor's displeasure that he went and drowned himself. The emperor
afterwards repented of his act, and on inquiry after the man learned that
he had drowned himself. He sent out boats in every direction to search for
his body, and also to make offerings to his spirit. His body was not
found. But from that time t