ating, and crackers and guns firing; the din and clatter
was continuous and deafening. An eclipse of the sun was commencing--it
was the 6th of April--"the sun was being swallowed by the Dog of
Heaven," and the noise was to compel the monster to disgorge its prey.
Five months ago the Prefect of the city had been advised of the
impending disaster, and it was known that at a certain hour he would
publicly intervene with Heaven to avert from the city the calamity of
darkness. I myself saw with my own eyes the wonderful power of this man.
The sun was darkened when I went to the Prefect's yamen. A crowd was
already gathered in the court. At the foot of the steps in the open air,
a loosely built framework of wood ten feet high was standing, displaying
on its vertex a yellow disc of paper inscribed with the characters for
"voracity."

As we waited the sun became gradually clearer, when, just as the moon
was disappearing across its edge, the Prefect in full dress, stepped
from his yamen into the court, accompanied by the city magistrate and a
dozen city fathers. Every instrument of discord was still clanging over
the city. Then all these men of weight walked solemnly three times
round the scaffold, and halted three times, while the Prefect went down
on his knees, and did obeisance with nine kotows to the rickety frame
and its disc of yellow paper. There was almost immediate answer to his
prayer. With a sigh of relief we saw the lingering remnant of darkness
disappear, and the midday sun shone full and bright. Then the Prefect
retired, his suite dividing to let him pass, and we all went home
blessing the good man whose intercession had saved the town from
darkness. For there can be little doubt, I hope, that it is due to the
action of this Prefect that the sun is shining to-day in Tongchuan. The
Chinese might well ask if any barbarian missionary could do as he did.

Eclipses in China are foretold by the Government almanac published
annually in Peking by a bureau of astrology attached to the Board of
Rites. The almanac is a Government monopoly, and any infraction of its
copyright is a penal offence. "It monopolises the management of the
superstitions of the people, in regard to the fortunate or unlucky
conjunctions of each day and hour. No one ventures to be without it,
lest he be liable to the greatest misfortunes and run the imminent
hazard of undertaking important events on blackballed days."

The Chinese almanac is much more