Offerings on land are usually cash, paper "money," paper clothing and household utensils made of coloured paper. On the water, the offerings are much the same with the exception that the offering panied by a chain of Ianter known as "lily lantern When the important day arrives, worshippers let off crackers and Paper bombs and the ear is filled with the sound of beating of drums and clash of cymbalo, It must be pointed out that the ceremony is purely a religious one, an old established practice and custom in China, and the observations are not, as many are apt to believe, to appeal to the heaven to suppress plague and to assist the mand of man in coping with cholera and other summer illnesses. Instead of driving away the spirits, the people showing a kind feeling by inviting them to their homes and hearts and supplying them with daily necessities for use in the next world, The Festival of the Water Spirits in another sign of affection on the part of the water population for those who either pi water or whose remail trusted to the seas, without being cared for by rel dants, In addition to the "neces sities" referred to above, the boatmen will offer to' the dead.
The ceremony is simple. Seafarers or those who live on the water visit the shores or the river banks with candles, which they light, wine and paper' clothing. ete. ' with which they make sacrificial offerings.
Apropos of the subscriptions offered, the Cantonese will contribute towards the funds of the San Yuan Kung Temple in Wuchang Road and the Shanghai natives will offer their money to their own temples in various parts of the Settlement.
The Cantonese observe their ceremonies some a couple of days before the Shanghai people. The] Shanghai_people hold their services of the 15th of the 7th moon, No doubt, the Cantonese, as usual, will celebrate on a more sumptuous scale than the Shanghai natives.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.