The spectacle of a British court solemnly adjourning into the open Jwhile two parties in a civil action settle their dispute by blooding the head of a cock must appear incon-Jgruous to anyone familiar with the majesty of the law and the complicated machinery of its working. The method, however, has much to recommend it. From the point of view of the magistrate, it saves him from sifting conflicting evidence; Jwhile from the point of view of the litigants, it settles their dispute Jat the price' of the cock, which Jwould be considerably less than a lawyer's fee. Since doubtless only the comb of the cock was blooded jin the instance in Singapore which is the inspiration of this article, ithe bird remained the property of whichever litigant. had produced it land he would be able, when its Jcourse was run, to use it in the ithe white cock plays another important part. Its blood is used to dot the "spirit tablet" wherein the spirit of the dear departed takes shelter in the family's ancestral halls. Partly for these reasons the white cock has come to be regarded an essential bird for exorcists.
According to "one old Chinese writer, "If a white cock be fed during three years, it is fit to be employed by' disembodied souls to serve them:
Furthermore the blood from its Jcomb can be used to pour vitality into the body of a person hovering between life and death, either taken in pill form or applied on the outside.
Many of these superstitions are now out of date, however, in cities where Chinese have rubbed shoulders with Europeans and have adapted themselves to their customs, such as they have in Singapore. It, therefore, seems more [probable that in the instance quoted less imposing surroundings of the {the significance of the oath lay in inner table. In case the reader its relation to the ceremonial of idid not notice the instance referred Jone of the secret societies which to, it is reproduced here. stil exist there in spite of the Singapore, July 9.
JGovernment's ban. The fact that During the hearing of a civil suit {these societies are illegal in the between two Chinese, the defendant [Straits and in the Netherlands East challenged the plaintiff to maintain Indies has caused many of their his claim by cutting a cock's head. records to fall into the hands of Plaintiff refused to take the oath the authorities from time to time himself but, in turn, offered to with-during raids, and these records give draw the suit and also to pay $10 jo much better picture of their acto defendant if the latter would tivities than it is possible to get swear by cutting a cock's head that he did not receive the articles con-elsewhere. They show that in the cerning which the action was taken, societies -afftiated to the Hung Defendant took the required oath [League which was once so power-fu the presence of the Magistrate ful in South China the white cock outside the Court House. plays a most vital part in the cere-Plaintiff then withdraw his claim many of swearing brotherhood and and paid $10 as promised—Reuter. secrecy. To understand why this, should be so, it may be best to give British magistrates in different fa brief summary of the ritual his-parts of the world have, of course, story of these societies—that is to had to take part in much stranger say the history which is taught to Jceremonies than the one described. initiates. [This one is noteworthy in that it Idid not take place in a distant This traditional history—probably Jungle or savage-inhabited island, Jquite different from the real his-but in a centre of civilization like itory—dates the Hung societies back JSingapore. Some years ago the to the time of the Emperor Kang same method of taking the oath /Hsi (1662 to 1722 A.D). At that iwas practised in Hongkong, but it time, so the legend states, there was ]was there performed in a' temple in invasion of China from the to which the court would transfer Jnorth-west. None of the imperial its sitting. Even in Shanghai there Jgenerals daring to oppose the in-Jare some who can recall its being vaders, the emperor called for practised in the Mixed (now the volunteers. Among them was the District) Court. Those same per-Jabbot of the Shin Long Monastery Jsons also recall that the ceremony Jnear Foochow whose monks, to the Iwas much more effective in produc-Jnumber of 128, were especially jing action on the judgment than are proficient in the military arts, The Jsome of the modern decisions de-abbot, by dint of invoking the livered from the native bench. It spirits, scored a great success Joften happened that when a suitor Jagainst the invaders and was res-feared that his case was going Jponsible for their eventually being Jagainst him or realized that his Jdriven out of the country. The opponent was sticking as strongly spirits rained stones and sand upon to his version as the first suitor the advancing hordes. They blew Iwas to his, then he would propose Jupon them with mighty winds, and, this trial by oath. Sometimes the in short, behaved in such an admirable and well trained manner Joath would be taken simply by {that the invaders were thrown into Jmeans of burning yellow papers Jon which were written various Jchaos and fell easy victims to the monkish soldiers. In reward for invocations. But more frequently the method used was the beheading his signal services the emperor bes-jot a white cock, which ceremony towed great privileges upon the ]was performed with considerable jobbet and his monastery, which jawe and with the participants in privileges, incidentally, were the Jobvious terror of its implications. jeause of 'a lot of local jealously round Foochow. When Kang Hsi }was succeeded by his son Yuni In China the white cock is re-Cheng, accusations were laid Jgarded as the "Bird of the Sun" against the monastery that the Jand is generally associated with Jabbot was oppressing the country-funeral rites. If a corpse has been side and plotting to overthrow the kept unburied for-a length of time, Jemperor. In view of the abbot's it is not unusual for a white cock former achievements the emperor to be placed on the top of the }was considerably alarmed and gave catafalque, some say in order to secret orders that the monks should Jentice the spirit of the deceased be wiped out.
Joack to the house it has deserted, ]while others say that it is to streng-A gift of poisoned wine was pre-then the soul which has become pared and a number of hidden Jenfeebled while the burial has troops escorted it to the monas-been so long delayed. A somewhat tery. The attackers were assisted similar emblem is the white crane jin their evil plan by one of the Joften seen in funerals—in fact more monks who turned traitor, To cut Joften than the cock in this part of Jo long story short, the plot was the country. The cock in this insuccessful. Only five monks escap-stance may also full another Jed. They went through a strange purpose, the driving away of evil jand terrifying series of adventures spirits. "Being the "Bird of the before they finally reached safety. [Sun" it daily announces the sun's In the course of them they acquir-rising and its voice drives aw: ray Jed a magic sword of peachwood and the demons who have been goi white censer on which was in-about their nefarious business in scribed "Overthrow the Ching and the darkness. In this manner the restore the Ming." They were sav-cock has collected unto himself Jed from their pursuers by the sud-reputation of being a terror to evil spirits at all times, and since these they were cornered beside a river pul re iden appearance of a bpat when spirits are notoriously keen on at-bank, and at one time clouds des-tending funerals, the bird on the conded and formed a bridge of catafalque is a kind of safeguard planks from where they had been for all concerned. In funeral rites!surrounded across a stretch of ocean. Needless to say the planks disappeared before the soldiers sent jatter the monks could reach them.
These were but a few of their ad~ ventures.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.