Sketches from Formosa.

78
SKETCHES FROM FORMOSA
up, the idea being that, if carried on the person, they
would afford protection against all kinds of mental and
bodily distress.
After giving this tawdry exhibition of himself, and
without uttering a word of comfort or advice, he quickly
descended by the other ladder, reached the ground in
what seemed a semi-fainting condition, and was led away
to obtain what one of the by-standers laughingly described
as " a good supply of reviving medicine." According
to the testimony of a friend who knew all the facts, it may
be added that, before coming out, His Reverence took
the precaution of having several plies of strong bank-
note paper pasted on the soles of his feet, and that he
netted fully one hundred and fifty
formance.
dollars from his per-
On another occasion while visiting Ka-gi, I saw an
observance I had often heard about, but one which
showed that not only ignorant country people, but even
educated gentlemen of position in China, sometimes
resort to practices which are very puerile and superstitious.
I refer to what took place when an eclipse of the
moon was seen in Ka-gi. No doubt every reader of these
Notes is aware that an eclipse, or temporary darkening
of the sun or moon, occurs in keeping with laws which
govern the movements of the heavenly bodies. Scientific
men know all about eclipses, and can even tell when they
are coming ;
but the Chinese are in a different position,
for they do not know how they are caused or when they
are coming. Indeed, they are very much afraid of
eclipses, thinking them to be sure signs of some kind of
awful calamity which is about to take place. Their
belief seems to be that an eclipse of the sun or moon is
caused by a huge dragon or dog attempting destruction
on a large scale, and that various means must be taken
to frighten the monster away, so as to prevent the orb