mentioned in books published about A. D. 300. It is said, that they took their rise from standards and banners waving loosely in the

air.

Some notice of the other national amusements will not be out of place here. The Chinese have fewer holidays than perhaps any other people; yet they have a number of festivals, which are enjoyed with a keen relish. The chief of these is the Feast of the New Year, which occurs on the first day of the first moon (about the middle of February), a species of Saturnalia, when the whole empire abandons itself to a frenzy of merriment. All labour is intermitted for several days; public business is suspended for forty days, that the prescribed ceremonials may be duly observed with appropriate solemnity and etiquette; servants are dressed out in all the finery at their command; visits of ceremony and presents are interchanged among friends; the rites of religion are conducted with unusual pomp ; and, in short, gaiety and pleasure are the reigning divinities.

On this day persons proceed from the temple with a lighted candle, with the superstitious impression that, if they succeed in reaching their homes without extinguishing the light, they will be prosperous during the, year. They are, however, apparently regardless of any inauspicious omen, and will return to the temple, again and again, to relight their candles, and, as it were, to compel the fates to terminate their labours by a more successful attempt.

The Feast of Lanterns, which occurs soon after this, is a general illumination throughout the empire. The object seems to be to afford an occasion for the display of ingenuity and taste in the construction and mechanism of an infinite variety of lanterns. It is computed that, upon this occasion, there are not less than 200,000,000 blazing at the same time in different parts of the empire. The brilliancy of this beautiful festival cannot be adequately conveyed to the mind or fancy of a reader, even by the most glowing powers of description.

A gay scene presents itself in the second moon (February) at Leihchun Term. There is made, at the expense of government, a clay image of a man to represent the divinity of Spring, called Tae-suy, (in allusion to the year of the Cycle,) and a buffalo of the same material. On the day preceding the term, the Che-foo (district magistrate) of every

F

These tables
These living

provincial city, goes out in state to "meet Spring," when he offers sacrifice, and makes prostrations to these two figures. There are, dressed out by all the inhabitants of the different streets, a number of children, who are placed on tables, or represented sitting on trees. are carried on men's shoulders, who parade the streets. figures, (Chun-sih) are gaily adorned with flowers, and every one vies with another to dress them more handsomely and fancifully. On the day following, the same officer comes out as the Priest of Spring, in which capacity he is the greatest man in the province, and would receive obeisance from the viceroy in case of meeting him. He takes a whip in his hand, and strikes the buffalo two or three times in token of commencing the labors of agriculture. The populace then stone the buffalo till they break it in picces, from which they expect an abundant year.

These decorated tables, upwards of seventy in number, with the living figures upon them, are carried to the various public offices, to return thanks for the silver medals which have been given them.

There are several agricultural festivals; an annual trial of skill in boatracing; a festival in honour of the dead; and a sort of general thanksgiving, a holiday highly enjoyed, which takes place in September, at the commencement of the business year.

On the fifth day of the fifth moon the Dragon Boat performs its annual feats upon the river in the vicinity of Canton. It is a very long and narrow vessel, the prow being formed somewhat in the style of the fabled monster as depicted by the Chinese. Propelled by fifty or sixty men, it centre of the boat stands a large

moves with great rapidity. In the drum, in shape, like half a hogshead, and covered with a hide stretched across the top. This is beaten by three men, who strike simultaneously, to increase the sound. Near the drum stands a man, apparently a posture-maker, making frightful grimaces, who, in concert with other men in the fore part of the boat, flourish continually their flag-halberts, and brandish their weapons, in order to frighten the dragon, who is supposed to be lurking in ambush about the river.

Gaming prevails among the lower orders, but so much infamy attaches to gamblers, that the more respectable classes of the people are free from this taint. They have a saying, that "gambling is allied to robbery."

The vendors of fruit sometimes gamble with purchasers in the following manner :-A boy wishes a half-dozen oranges. The fruit and half the price demanded for it are laid down together. Recourse is then had to the dice-box. If the urchin throws the highest number, he pockets his money again, and gets the fruit for nothing; if the seller, he in like manner sweeps the stakes, and the disappointed gamester may whistle for oranges, or try his fortune elsewhere. Quails are trained for fighting, and also a species of cricket. Two of these insects are placed in a bowl together, and irritated by a straw, when they attack each other with great violence, though the combat does not usually end in the death of either, but in the retreat of one. Hundreds of dollars are staked on the result of these miniature conflicts, and large sums are often paid for victorious warriors. The gamesters fight them for cakes, but in their slang dialect, each cake is understood to mean a certain sum of money. They have another game of chance also, a kind of raffle, in which many stake a small part of the value of something, in consideration of a chance to gain it by guessing its weight, he who guesses nearest is entitled to it. The butchers often raffle a pound of meat in this way.

Dice, cards, and dominoes, are all favorite amusements. Their cards are small pieces of pasteboard, about three inches long, and an inch broad, with red and black characters on the faces.

The Chinese chess differs in board, men, and moves, from that of India, and cannot in any way be identified with it, except as being a game of skill, and not of chance.

As promoters of mirth and conviviality at their merry meetings, they have the two following auxiliaries. One of these amusements consists in each one guessing at the number of fingers suddenly held up between himself and his opponent, and the penalty of the loser is each time to drink a cup of wine. In still calm evenings, during the continuance of the Chinese festivals, the shouts of the common people engaged at this exciting sport are sometimes so boisterous as to drown all other sounds.

The other festive sport is a handsome bouquet of flowers, to be circulated rapidly from hand to hand among the guests, while a roll is beaten on a kettle-drum, con spirito, in an adjoining room. Whoever