Annual Progress to the Sacred Island Begun: Scenes on the Head Perils of Disembarkation From Our Own Taichow, Che, Mar. 13.
The Pootoo Spring Festival ha: again been marked by 1 good deal of Buddhist enthusiasm.—Whether the members this year have been fas large as in fernier years I cannot to say. An officer of one steamer engaged in taking pilgrims to the Island who has for several years been engaged in this trade, believes the numbers are smaller new than they were a few years ago, Whether that is so or not a very large crowd found its way thither and visited the 60 temples. The famous island, on which Bud-diiist temples were built as early 350 A.D. is only three and a-half miles long and I believe not quite so broad, There are at least 60 monasteries about 2,000 priests on Pootoo. One Chinese told me there were 100 monasteries.
He probably included the temples and other religious buildings. The number of priests is kept up by the purchase of boys, who are trained to take the place of priests who die or leave the island. Their education consists chiefly in leaening to read and memori 1 Bud-diiist literature. Tradition says that the Goddess of Mercy once visited the island. She certainly appears to be its patron goddess.
Ye Navigation Committee It is interesting to-day to compare the superior steamer accom modation to what was provided say 20 years age. Such a steamer 2s the Chusan is in quite a dif ere class to the old style of boats. The officers, too, are quite up-to dete 'This particular steamer even searchlight, and most of the boats const of electric light equipment. Trenember' the old days when the best light we could get, untesa we Jteok.our own, was a smoky paraffin lamp, and anything but a clean cabin! "The boat too was run committee of naviga in the midst of great excitement we ran on to an island, one after-neon. Fortunately we only struck sand, and after much swirring we transiged to get safely off. T wondered then and have done so ever singe whether the mistake was made by a majority or minority of this navigation committee. The' captain for some time after apfed to be so flustered and exied that T felt it wisest not to consult him on the point. Although the steamer accommodation is so much better than of old, the wetbods of disembarking" the Filgrims ix still a perilous business if the sea is at all choppy. I stood end watched the process last. week. The sailing boats which plied between land and vessel rolled danger ously at the vessel's gangway Many atime I thought the occu: Pants of @ boat who were trying ta get on board the steamer would all have been thrown into the sea.
Cne- man would certainly have Standing on the side of the boat he got hold of a chain supporting one side of the gangand too far leaning in a footing on the little boat. As the little boat dipped he was unable to keep his footing. A sailor seeing his plight vashed down the three or four steps Jand with one hand grasping a chain, with the other hand and arm prac" tically lifted him bodily on to the "A Dangerous Sort of Business"
It was a prompt plucky action and undoubtedly saved the, man's life. The sight of this and several somewhat similar incidents kept me aged te the spot. 1 said to Chinese paraphrase. as T could recall, "By Jove! That was a near shave!" "Yes," he said, "this is very dangerous sort of business. Some -of the women amused me very much notwithstanding a certein feeling of alarm. One, for instance, having Leen safely help. led into a pitching, rolling little boat end being shouted at to sit down, remained standing as best she could, jand watched the very hazardous pro-coos of getting one of her old friends from the steamer into the boat, Sailors on the gangway kept a hhold.of her to prevent hor slipping into the sca. As soon as the beat reeked up near enough the boatmen in the little boat stretched out. wands to help her in, when down the nose of the boat would go, to Jcome up a second after, and smash jugainst the bottom of the steps. At one time four sailors had hold of her, two on the steamer and two jon the boat. For a few seconds one seemed inclined to let her £0. Fortunately the two boatmen let }xo, or there must have been a tragedy. Presently the boatman at the stern brought his boat once more alongside the steps. For a moment the little boat was comparatively still found herself 4 very anxious few minutes for the old pilgrim. A foreign lady friend would have been anxious too and possibly many of them a bit alarmec. Not so the Chinese lady friend! She laughed and staggered about so much that once or twice she all but fell overboard, It was only when she found her {friend safely at her side that she sat quietly down, and looked on unmoved at the perilous adventures of lather would-be passengers, For an hour or more scenes were being! enacted under my nose which would have made the fortune of a "picture show." Now and again tragedies de occur. At times the sea is 30 rough that the pilgrims have to wait, fon board or on the shore.
Year after year the same scenes Jere enacted. "As I gazed at it all 1 could not help thinking of the excellent article that appeared the forth-China Daily News" a st time ago on the revival of Buddhis jin China. T believe there is " ati ing of the old bones.
The Rev. and Mrs. Them:
The Rev. and Mrs, T. Thomas expecting to leave here in a few lays for Shanghai, on the way Home on furlough.' They will be greatly missed both by the Chinese and the few foreigners who }will be left here. For seven yenrs they have devoted themselves with unremitting energy to the welfare of the people in this part of the country, and have been unsparing ality to Chinese and foreigners alike. Yesterday a large thering assembled at the Mon-tined C.M.S. Hospital to say fare ell to this missionary family, and nade a presentation to Mr." and Mrs. Thomas. Mr. Thomas has dene good work on the local Famine Relief Committee. At a recent meeting of this Committee, at which the chief city magistrate' presided, a large photograph was presented to him,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.