Page 90 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

CHINESE PORCELAIN.
58
Dutch cheese made of milk of the domesticated buffalo. They
also use candy made out of molasses in which hemp seed has
been mixed, some of the root of the lotus, vermicelli, several
dishes of meat, fowl, and fish, seven bowls of ten
pea-soup, cups
of wine, and three on a table. On the
cups of tea, arranged
table also is a rice measure with a half filled
placed flaring top,
with rice. On the outside is a Chinese of the
representation
seven stars which make the dipper. In it, at each of the four
corners, is placed some utensil, viz. a case containing a set of
a foot measure, a of shears, and a small
money-scales, pair
metallic mirror. Besides these, ten are
chopsticks arranged
around the sides of the measure in a
perpendicular position.
It also contains one stick of incense, two candles, an
oil-lamp,
and a small wooden the of the
image, being representative
child for whose benefit the is P. 109 :
ceremony performed."
"
When one is sick, and medicine seems to do no some-
good,
times his relatives and friends, of ten different families, endea-
vour to benefit him by becoming a kind of ' security ' for him.
Each family contributes one hundred cash, which is paid into
the hands of a member of his a
family. They purchase quantity
of eatables, as pork, fish, fowl, eggs, fruit, wine, cakes, etc., and
provide a feast for these ten friends in a temple. These articles
are, however, first presented before the idol worshipped there,
as an in order to obtain the aid of the in
offering, god restoring
the sick man to health. The names of these ten persons,
written on a piece of paper, are also burned before the idol as
a fancied security for him. Besides, several, priests are em-
ployed to recite their formulas, and perform certain other
ceremonies for the benefit of the sick man. After the con-
clusion of these the articles are
preliminaries, provided arranged
on tables for and the ten friends, the and other
eating, priests,
guests, sit down to the feast. When the representative of the
family returns home, he carries a certain wooden vessel, hold-
ing about a peck, being four-sided, and larger at the top than
at the bottom, containing some rice, ten chopsticks, which are
in an
placed upright position around the sides of the measure,
also one pair of shears, one foot-measure, one metallic mirror,
and one money-balance or scales. These four articles are
placed in the centre of the four sides. In the centre of the
measure is a in front of which, or on the sides
burning lamp,