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THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. IV.]

Saturday, December 20, 1817. [No. 13.

We herein conclude our selections from the first Number of the Indo-Chinese Gleaner.

JEWS IN CHINA.

It has long been the opinion of some learned men that part of the Ten Tribes had found their way into China, and settled in the province of Ho-nan. The following extract from the notes of the Rev. R. MORRISON's journey to Peking, are submitted to the consideration of the reader.

"[While in the interior] October 10th, had a conversation with a Mahomedan Gentleman, who informed me that at Kas-fung Foo, in the province of Ho-nan, there are a few families denominated the Teaou-kin-keaou, or the Sect that plucks out the sinew from all the meat which they eat. They have a Le-pae-sze, or House of Worship; and observe the eighth day as a sabbath."

The fact of the existence of a few insulated families in the very heart of the Chinese Empire, observing religious ceremonies that bear some resemblance to those observed by the Jews, and that seem so widely different from any of the Chinese ceremonies of worship, is a very interesting one, and highly deserving of further investigation.

What is their formula of Worship?-What their number?-If Jews, when did they enter China; and by what way? If not Jews, to what other race, or Sect, do they belong? These are questions which deserve attentive consideration.

SIR,

EXECUTION OF CRIMINALS IN CHINA.

To the Editor of the Indo-Chinese Gleaner.

On the 2d inst. there were twenty-four men beheaded at the place of execution, situated out-side of the southern gate of this city. And on the 6th, eighteen more underwent the same capital punishment.

Executions, comprising numbers as large as these, are very frequent in this place, and excite little or no attention. The Government does not give publicity to the causes of the capital punishment of so many malefactors; the daily-paper coldly mentions that they were beheaded, and that the execution had been announeed to His Excellency the Viceroy. There are no confessions, no dying speeches, no account of the behaviour of the unhappy victims of the offended laws, at the last awful scene; no Minister of religion attends to urge them to repentance, in the hope of Divine Mercy; though human laws cannot forgive.

The posture of execution is singular. They are obliged to kneel with their faces towards the residence of the Emperor, and, Bending forward in the attitude of submission and thanksgiving,

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194

Execution of criminals in China.

have the head severed from the body by a skilful blow with a sword.

Some men, from their sufferings in prison, which is generally so loathsome and horrible a place, that it is called Te-Yuh," Hell," and from fear, cannot support themselves in the position required. Others go out of this life, threatening vengeance to their prosecutors in the life to come; i. e. when, in their apprehension, they shall have passed through the Metempsychosis and returned again to live as before in this world.

CANTON, CHINA,
March 9, 1817.

Yours, &c.

AMICUS.

On perusing the above, various reflections will offer themselves to various minds. What different feelings would so awful a spectacle have excited in any Free and Christian Country, from those excited by it in China! Paganism, even the most refined, is not in its nature adapted to cherish the nobler feelings of the human heart. A genuine commiseration towards guilty sufferers and cordial forgiveness of undeserved punishment, are the productions of CHRISTIANITY, and of it alone. It has been generally thought, considering the vast population of China (which has, however, been lately discovered to be one third less than was formerly supposed) that very few criminal executions take place in the course of a year. But this, it would seem, is a mistake: more than one thousand criminals suffer death annually, in the Province of Canton alone! A learned Chinese says, that on an average, a hundred are put to death by the law in the Province, every month!

OF THE TEA SECT.

Translated from the Peking Gazette.

This Sect is called in Chinese Tsing-cha mun keaou, i. e. the pure tea Sect. The name probably arose from the circumstance of their making offerings to the gods of fine tea. The following paper contains an account of the examination and punishment of one of the heads of the Sect; and also the only account of its principles and practices which we have yet seen.

TRANSLATION.

Peking the 21st year of Keaking, 5 Moon, 27 day, (June 1816.)

"Tsing-chang, of the Imperial blood, and general, in command of the city Shing, together with Yung Tsoo, holding the office of She-lang, kneel down and report.-Profoundly honouring the 1mperial mandate to assemble and rigorously investigate, and determine on punishments proper to be inflicted, we respectfully present this document, praying that it may please His Majesty to examine it.

We have examined the case of the criminal Wang-yung-tae,

* We, Noo-tsae, i. e. slaves-all persons of the Tartar race in China, even the highest, are obliged to use this degrading epithet when speaking of themselves. Those of the Chinese race when speaking of themselves use chin, which is a more respectable epithet.

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that is Wang-san-koo, the leader of the Sect, and also the case of Wung-chu-urh, Wang-king-tseang, and Wang-tso-peh, to be banished on his account. We immediately took the sum of their testimony, and in a former statement reported it. At the same time, we commanded Wang-king-yu the Tung-che of Sin-min-tun, to proceed quickly to the district of Ee, and, with Foh-sáng-o, the military Commandant of the Town, to investigate with rigour and secrecy, whether Wang-yung-tae had delivered his doctrines and made proselytes there or not. We also ordered them to call Chow-hing and Kwoh-chaou lung, the masters of the Inn in which Wang-yung-tae resided, together with Heang and Paou, superiors of the people, to appear and give evidence.--Shortly after this the officers whom we thus ordered, reported, saying, "we have secretly searched and found out that Wang-yung-tae fled from the border, and came to the country of Ee, where after remaining for six days he was taken up.-We still more minutely examined and found that the said criminal had not, after his return to Ee, either delivered doctrines or made disciples.-This is a true investigation."

In the present year, the fourth Moon, the twenty third day, while engaged in judging of this affair, an official document was sent to us from one of the Imperial Counsellors, noticing that he had received the Sovereign decree, stating His Majesty's pleasure, which was to this effect." We have seen the statements of Tsingchang and his constituents, reporting their examination of a criminal called Wang-yung-tae, the principal leader of a corrupt Sect in San-chow, and reporting also the sum of the evidence obtained in the examination of three other criminals, his accessories. Moreover, in course of examination they had discovered that there were yet remaining in the province of Hoo-peh, two criminals, disciples of Wang-yung-tue.

We have already sent down an intimation of our will to Mahwi-yu, requiring him and his constituents to take and examine with rigour these persons.

As it appears from the examination of the criminal Wang-yungsae, by Tsing-chang and others, that he has really made proselytes in Hoo-peh, the testimony of the three others agreeing thereto :

It appears also that the said criminal on returning from Hoo-pehto Sheh-fuh kow, heard that the unauthorized Sectaries were bringing to trial, was afraid, and fled to Ee, and other places where he concealed himself only for a few days; and moreover that he did not deliver his doctrines in Ee. Also, that Wang-chu-urh and the other two criminals have not themselves been guilty of practising the rules of the Sect or of making disciples, [but they are involv ed in consequence of being related to him.]

Wang-yung-tae is ordered to be executed, and his body to be cut into small pieces. Wang-chu-urh and the other two are ordered to be dealt with as the law directs in cases where persons are involved by the crimes of others. Take this Edict and make it known. Kespect this.

196

Punishment of religious sectaries in China.

In obedience to the Imperial Mandate, it was immediately forwarded to us Teh-kih-tsin-tae the governor of Ee, sent forward to us Chow-hing and the other masters of the Inn. We again assembled in Court, called, and strictly examined them. From the examination it appeared, that this Wang yung-tae--otherwise called Wang-san-koo, belongs to the Village Shih-fuh-kow, in the district of Lan, in the province of Cheh-lee, and is the descendant of Wang-taou-sang; but that he removed to the Village Guan-kealow in the district of Loo lung.

That his ancestors had delivered down the dogmas of the Sect, called Tsing cha-mun.

That on the first, and fifteenth of every Moon, the votaries of this Sect burn incense; make offerings of fine tea; bow down and worship the Heavens, the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the Fire, the Water, and their (deceased) parents. They also worship Fuh ; and the Founder of their own Sect.

In receiving proselytes, they use Choh-hwae (i. e. bam-boochop-sticks) and with them touch the eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, of those that join their Sect, commanding them to observe the Three revertings and the Five precepts. They lyingly and presumptuously affirm that the first pregenitor of the Clan of Wang resides in Heaven.

The world is governed by three Fuhs in rotation. The reign of Yen-tang-Fuh, (otherwise called O me to Fuh) is past.-Shehkea Fuh now reigns, and the reign of Me lih Fuh is yet to come. These sectaries affirm that Me lih Fuh will descend and be born in their Family; and carry all that enter the Sect, after death, into the regions of the WEST, to the Palace of Immortal Seën, where they will be safe from the dangers of war, of water, and of fire.

Because of these sayings they deceive the simple people, tempt them to enter the Sect, and cheat them out of their money. Those who join them are all called "YAY."§ That the criminal had two brothers, now dead, who formerely promoted the Sect in Hoo-peh and in Shen-see. That in the 6th Moon of the 15th year of Kea king, the criminal being poor and finding it difficult to live, went to Han-kow in the province of Hoo-peh, where he resided for a time, telling the people the advantages of entering the Sect; hoping to gain proselytes and cheat them out of their money. Accordingly See-chaou-kwi, Fang-wanping and others, of that place, honoured him as their leader, expecting to receive the doctrines of his ancestors. Every person that joined him gave money, of the current coin, from several times ten to upwards of ten thousand Wan." ||

Three revertings-are three conditions to be observed by those whe join the Sect.

Five precepts-whether these are the five observed by the Sect of Fuh or not, we have not been able yet to learn.-The five precepts of the Sect of Fuh, will appear in a future number.

Yay is an epithet of honour and respect, such as "Sir, Master, &c."
Wan is a small copper coin, 800 of which go for a Spanish dollar.

Establishment of a Hindoo College at Calcutta. 197

After enumerating various circumstances relative to the apprehension of Wang-yung-tae, the report concludes by stating that in obedience to the Imperial order, he was to be cut in small pieces, and his head publicly exposed on a pole, as a warning to the people. That his nephew Wang-chu-urh should be delivered over to the Mahomedans as a slave in their city. His other two relatives, Wang-king-tseang, and Wang-tso-peh, were to be delivered over to the Viceroy of Cheh-lee to be banished wherever he should deem proper The other members of his family were to become slaves to Government, and his property to be confiscated.

THE VIDYALAYA,

Or Hindoo College, at Calcutta.

AMONG the extraodinary events of the present times, which indicate the rapid advance of mankind toward that grand era of Truth and Love, for which Christians sedulously labour and devoutly pray, the institution of a College at Calcutta, by the natives themselves, is one of the most singular. The Institution is remarkable, as being the first which has been formed for English instruction, PROJECTED, SUPERINTENDED, and SUPPORTED, by the Natives themselves. Surely every serious observer of the conduct of Divine Providence must view this new institution with amazement. The School is proceeding in its course silently, but effectually. I am afraid to say all that I feel on the occasion; as my expectations are, perhaps, too sanguine. Let us stand still and see the salvation of God!

The primary object of this Institution is, the tuition of the sons of respectable Hindoos, in the English and Indian languages, and in the literature and science of Europe and Asia.

T'he College shall include a School and an Academy. The former is to be established immediately; the latter as soon as may be practicable.

In the School shall be taught English and Bengalee Reading, Writing, Grammar, and Arithmetic, by the improved method of n struction. The Persian language may also be taught in the school, until the Academy be established, as far as shall be found

convenient.

In the Academy, beside the study of such languages as cannot be so conveniently taught in the School, instruction shall be given in History, Geography, Chronology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Chemistry, and other Sciences.

The Managers will determine at what an age students shall be admitted to the school and Academy. The English languages shall not be taught to boys under eight years of age, without the permission of the Mannagers in each particular instance.

Boys who are distinguished in the School for proficiency and good conduct shall receive further instruction in the Academy, free of charge.

[Lond. Miss. Chron.

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