orus, although the ear would have failed to
distinguish it. The tom-toms and wooden drums were beaten at the
pleasure of the parties in charge: nothing like time was apparent to any
but a Chinese ear.

The idol was a little gilt figure, about six inches high, with the body
of a beast and the head of a man. His peculiarity was the possession of
a supplementary eye, which, as his natural pair squinted horribly, no
doubt was very useful. His position was on a little table surrounded by
tall candles; whether they were borrowed from the Roman Catholics or the
Catholics borrowed the custom from them is a question for the student of
church history. Before the idol was placed another table with ten
elegant bowls, scarcely larger than our teacups, filled with the
choicest fruits and grains that the market afforded. Each article was
perfect of its kind. Rice, tea, the nelumbium, and agaric, a species of
fungus, were among them. Just then the country being in great want of
rain, the priests were trying the coaxing process, and tempting the god
with the best chow-chow to be had; but the next day they got out of
patience, and were to be met parading him through the dusty streets,
exposed to a fierce sun, for the purpose of giving him to understand
that the heat was quite as disagreeable as they had represented it.

Their arguments for this proceeding are extremely logical: they say that
Joss, in his cool temple, laughs at them, and is disposed to think that
they are humbugging him; therefore, if they give him two or three hours
of good skin-roasting in the sun, he will be much more likely to come to
terms, to avoid a repetition of the process. As they do this every day
until rain comes, it is of course seen in a short time, if they are
patient, that it never fails in the end.

Indeed, it is quite common to meet in all the large cities processions
of priests, followed by the rabble, who are giving 'Joss an airing.' The
eminently practical object of these mummeries argues very little genuine
respect for the deity, an inference that has often been drawn by
missionaries from other points in their treatment of their idols.

Their worship of them, such as it is, is almost universal. Every house
has its shrine and altar, and even in the porches of foreign residents
in the quarters occupied by the Chinese servants, one sometimes
(although not often) sees a little figure in a niche, with a tiny
joss-stick before it. Every junk and sampan