The marvellous credulity and superstition of the Chinese mind has been receiving a fresh illustration during the last week. The people of Wuchang and neigh bourhood are much concerned about their tails, It would seem there is great anger of that badge of their subjection to the Manchu rule suddenly disappearing by some mysterious hands, and landing the people is still greater calamities. At least, 40 one would judge from Use commotion which has been witnessed here since Friday The news spread like a panic through the city, that men's tails were being secretly cut short, and that whoever lost a part of that notable appendage would die in three days. Of course, the remedy was at hand. Accharm must be invented (o counteract the mischief, and persons wore to be seen going from door to door selling these for two cash each, The charm was prefixed by the following statement, which we have no doubt had more to do with creating the alarm than anything else, Whether it emanates from the emissaries of secret society, endeavouring to excite the people for a political purpose; or is the work of some one who sincerely believes that he is performing a virtuous act, in alarming the people of a raul danger; or whut is by far the most likely position, that it is entirely got up by unscrupulous individuals for the purpose of making gain out of their dupes, no one can really say, Anyhow, here is the statement "Throughout the provinces of Ki hwei, in every town and numbers of corrupt 1g secretly formed. Men's re being cut off, and human lives are in danger, The magistrates have already arrested one of the sect, but the instruments of torture had no effect upon him, Severely as they punished him, nothing would he divulge, till they covered that he was protected by one of charms, in the shape of plaster under rin and on the soles of his feet, which enabled him to bear any amount of torture without fear, When the plasters were removed, he could no longer endure the pain, and then had to make a conte was to the following effect: He said that he was in the employment of the bout every-on the heads of little girls were also wanted. That the hair thus cut off was tied to " tree, and in three days' time the Porous would certainly die, That the ord of the sect (the bishop) called away their souls, and by some mysterious process changed them into invisible soldiers whom he could lead forth to battle against his enemies, ete., ete.
"We wish it to be known that these men have arrived in Wu-chang, and that a counteracting charm has been prepared. We have had it copied, written out, printed and circulated for the information of every family, that all may know how to avert the danger, to preserve their lives and not be involved in this calamity."
Here follows a woodcut in the most primitive style of native art, representing a poor fellow losing part of his appendage. The man who is cutting it off with a large knife might easily be taken for " mild typo of a New Zealander, or other half-naked savage. Both figures appear to be troubled with elephant in their legs and feet; and while the victim submits to his misfortune with the utmost meekness, the operator proceeds with all the gravity of a butcher about to serve to a customer a slice of pork!
The charm is annexed to the picture, and is composed of several cabalistic letters with instructions printed down the side to how it is to be used. It is to be written on yellow paper, in vermilion colour, and with a sincere heart; then put into a bag made of red cloth, and to be carried on the person. Itis further added that this charm is copied from one used in the reign of Yung-ching, one hundred and fifty years ago, when a similar excitement prevailed.
The widespread circulation of the above fly-leaf has been followed by sume very ludicrous results, Grave men are to be seen walking along the streets with their tails hanging down over their shoulders in front. Others are tenderly carrying them in their hands, and evince considerable anxiety on the approach of a foreigner spacious-looking character, Great themselves further trouble, have their queues tied up in 9 knot on the back of their head, while nearly all the children carry the charm in a red bag at the lapel of their dress, or have it written on a piece of yellow cloth and tied into their hair. It is amusing to seo even little girls, with hardly sufficient hair to twist into " knot half-an-inch long, yet flying the red danger signal at the eud of As might have been expected, an epi-domic of this nature was nol to be cured by only one prescription. Quack doctors are too numerous there are too many of Micamber's descendants, always waiting for just such an opportunity of displaying their zeal for the public good, and at the same time of helping themselves, So we have several still more wonderful cures advertised than the above, Here is one "Just received—a genii-transmitted charm and imprecation to dispel the tail-cutting fiends, and to save the people. For those who have already lost their tails, but are not yet dead, this will save their bodies. For those who have not had them cut, it will preserve thei In the Jet them cock's comb, mixed with vermilion, and write the charm on yellow paper, then burn to ashes and drink it down. When you have vomited three needles you will be safe.
"In the case of those who have not been cut, also use the blood of a cock's comb, with vermilion; write the charm on yellow cloth, and tie it into the hair, or fix it the door, and you will be preserved in peace.
When copying the charm the following imprecation is to be repeated:—Efficacions Heaven, efficacious Earth, kill the fiends, destroy the devils. For single day let them not remain, and for ten thousand years let them not return, led be your spirit, and inhaled be your substance, as the paper and the blood are changed into water and ashes. This I have received as a command from the most exalted Lan Kiun, with all haste to save the people."
It would be a curious enquiry to ascertain how many Chinamen really believed that by swallowing the above recipe they would vomit three needles. But it is about as easy to believe this as that the charm would ward off fiendish hands, ther of men or devils; and as the latter certainly believed, probably the former is also, The agitation had hardly reached ita height before a proclamation appeared from the District Magistrate, offering reward of one hundred thousand cash for the apprehension of any person found cutting off another's tail, This was followed by a proclamation from the Military Commandant, warning all, that soldiers had been stationed a different parts of the city, and that any suspicious characters found harbouring in the opium dens or eating houses would be apprehended and severely punished. The officer in charge of the suburbs of the city also issued a similar notice, and it was evident that the official und was nota little alarmed about the matter.
We have heard a report that agents of the secret societies recently discovered in the Ngan-hwei province have made their appearance here, and are actively engaged in enrolling new members. If such be the case, this would furnish an additional motive for vigilance or the part. of the mandarins, besides the mere desire to put down the tail-cutting excitement, But we have no reason to believe that there is any truth at present in the latter report, It would be trespassing too long on your space to narrate the various native accounts of cases that are said actually to have occurred. Suffice it to mention thal among much that is untrustworthy, there ins good ground for believing that some children have actually lost part of their tails, These may have been cut off by persons interested in keeping up the demand for the charms; or they may have disappeared at the hands of mischievous boys bent only on play; or @ case may have been got up by designing scoundrels in the hope of obtaining the hundred thousand cash reward. Several persons have been taken before the mandarins, and, notably, @ Buddhist priest, whose only answer to every question was La-mo O-me-to-fuh La-ino U-me-to-fub The excitement is now dying out, and like the genii powder and other agitations, it will soon be remembered, without any alarm, as a thing of the past.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.