Another version of this story, a version formerly common in the interior, is that there exists a "tien kao" or heavenly dog which eats the moon, thereby causing the eclipse. Natives in former times would set off, firecrackers and beat gongs to frighten away the supernatural beast which they thought might do such a thorough job of consuming the moon that it would never shed its light n. Officials,- although familiar with the reasons for the eclipse, were always careful to ce-operate with the people in these doings by the firing of the city cannon, as they did not wish to appear unsympathetic with the beliefs of the populace, and it would appear, judging from the noise of exploding firecrackers which filled the city last night, that there are not a few superstitious people who still fear that unless they do their duty the heavenly dog will yet eat up the moon,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.