ed in what they were doing, that they took no
notice whatever of my observation of them. At each grave they spread a
mat, and arranged the food. Then some one that I took for the nearest
friend clasped his hands, and bowed in a sober, reverent way over the
grave; then poured one of the little cups of rice wine out on the sand.
It reminded me of the offerings I saw made to the spirit of the dead
Indian child, at Port Townsend. Then two dead men were brought out to
be buried, while we stood there; and the instant they were covered with
the sand, the Chinamen called to each other, "fy, fy!" (quick,
quick!),--to light the fire, as if it were to guide them on the way, as
the Indians think. They threw into the air a great many little papers. I
asked if those were letters to the dead Chinamen, and they said,
"Yes,"--but I am not sure if they understood me.

It produced such a strange effect, in this wild, desert-looking place,
to see all these curious movements, and the fires and the feasts on the
graves, that I felt utterly lost. It was as if I had stepped, for a few
moments, into another world.

The Chinamen are so very saving, never wasting any thing, and they have
to work so hard for all their money, and pay such high duty on the
things they import from home, that they would not incur all this expense
unless they felt sure that it answered some end. It is a matter for
endless pondering what they really believe about it. They are satisfied
with a very poor, little, frugal meal for themselves; but on this
occasion every thing was done in the greatest style. At one place was a
whole pig, roasted and varnished; and every grave had a fat, roasted
chicken, with its head on, and dressed and ornamented in the most
fanciful manner. The red paper which they use for visiting-cards at the
New Year, and seem to be very choice of then, they sacrificed in the
most lavish way at this time. They fired off a great many crackers to
keep off bad spirits.

Most of the graves were only little sand-mounds for temporary use, until
the occupants should be carried back to China; but one was a great
semi-circular vault, so grand and substantial-looking that it suggested
the Egyptian Catacombs. Over one division of the graveyard, I saw a
notice which I could partly read, saying that no woman or child could be
buried there.

The Chinese are so out of favor here now, that the State Government is
trying to limit the number that shall be allowed to c