Chinese Oaths.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 222, 10 February 1874, Page 7

Chinese Oaths.

Various forms for swearing the Chinese from, time to time have been adopted in "Courts of Justice, so as to force them to give truthful evidence. Mr Stratford, E.M., Arrowtown, the other day made a Chinese Undo his tail, kneel on the ground and blow out the orthodox match. Even this ceremony, if it was not the object of the witness to tell the truth, as it was in this case, would not be binding on a Chinaman's conscience. Writing from a long knowledge of this race, both in Victoria and this Colony, we can -affirm that the Chinese generally do not feel the weight of any oath so administered as 'binding upon them. There is a good deal in •cutting off the cock's head, but then it requires also the lighting of a Joss stick in the'open air. The other oath is an allusion to the ocean that has been crossed, and a reference, or rather an invocation to the Evil One to take them when they are returning home or •die, if they swear falsely.. A great many will refuse to take both these two, especially the latter one, which they feel terribly binding. In a murder case these are the oaths to administer, and in the Sophia Law's murder case in Melbourne, many years ago, they •caused an important Chinese witness to declare his first evidence to be untrue; and who then gave evidence that supplied the missing link, which had baffled the skill of the keen minds analyzing the circumstances that attended the committal of the deed. These forms are hardly adapted for mining cases, but there can be no doubt of the fact that in many instances the mere form of swearing 'Chinamen does not elicit any mora truthful •evidence from them than would be obtained by their simple declaration to tell the truth. — Wahaiip Mail.