Possessed of a Devil.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 382, 6 July 1889, Page 4

Possessed of a Devil.

The 'Chinese Times' translates the following curious story from the ' Kwang Pao ' :—: — A certain Mrs Pau, resident at Canton, was last year suddenly taken possession of by a demon. Her speech was most strange and incoherent, and, the mention of devils and spirits was constant on her lips. Left to herself, however, her strange behaviour began after a while to amend, and, fina'iy, she seemed to return to her sound mind again. This year the demon has returned to her, and she is practising all manners of queer antics ; though illiterate, she reads with the greatest facility, and though ignorant of the first rudiments of mu&ic, she handles the lute with precision and sings with perfect harmony. Aside from herrniraculous behaviour, she did nofcappear to be much the worse for being inhabited by a demon, though her festures present a pallid and emaciated appearance. With the view oi restoring her to sanity, her people engaged the services of an aged and famous priest, who posssssed tho art of exorcising" spirits. When the demoniacal woman saw the priest, she exclaimed, 'What have I to do with thee? Art thou come to destroy me with thy art V The priest then wrote three charms, and having reduced them to ashes put tnem in a bowl of water, and gave it to the woaian to drink. Having drank this draught, the woman soon began to exclaim incessantly, ' I am now in tho power of the priest " What am Itodo V Seeing her pitiful condition, her people again sought the services of the priest to liberate her from the power ; but he, with a mean, avaricious heart, demanded an exorbitant bum, which being beyond the means of her kindred, her malady is still unremoved.

The following is the Customs return of in ward and oulward bound vessels, other than coasters, which have entered and left the port of Auckland for the quarter ended June 30 : — Arrivals : Sailing vessels 32, aggregate tonnage 8,579 ; steamers 32, tonnage, 30,746 : total, 64 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 39,325. Departures : Sailing vessels 33, aggregate tonnage 8,879 : steamers 32, tonnage 31,125 : total, 65 vessels, with an aggregate tonnage of 40,002. The returns ot Customs revenue for the month of June are practically complete, only that of the port of Tauranga, which is inconsiderable, being yet to come in. The amount collected is £98,415, as against £79,402 in June, 1888, and £110,062 last month. The chief ports contributed in the following proportions :— -Auckland, £19,349; Wellington, £19,576; Lyttelton and Christchurch, £19,016 ; Dunedin, £22,568. The beer duty returns for the month come to £3,398, the Auckland office collecting £675; Wellington, £366; Christchurch, £731 ; and Dunedin, £829. The total for last month was £4,147, and for June, 1888, £4,185. Lady riend : " What is the hardest thing connected with your editorial duties, Mr Lumpley?" Editor : " The hardest thing is to.leave the impression that I am out of own on the first of the month,"