THE SALVATION ARMY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2711, 13 September 1894, Page 2

THE SALVATION ARMY.

The anniversary of the establishment ‘ of the Salvation Army in. Temuka; «m celebrated last Tuesday evening in the picturesque and novel fashion peculiar, to that modern institution. The inevitable tea occupied the early part of ihe evening. It was held in the Volunteer Hall, and was Isrgely attended, about, 200 being present. There were three tables, which were presided over by Mesdames Mattingly and Qoodwillie, and Misses Anderson, Valiance, Dunford, and Piskey. Amongst those present were Staff-Oaptaia Alderton, Captain and Mrs Lane, of Geraldine, Captain Foote and Lieutenant Kata, of Timaru, besides the local officers and soldiers from Geraldine and Timani. The ceremony of tea-drinking waa no doubt interesting to those who partook in it, but it was tameness itself besides the subsequent proceedings. The Army, after having raided the oommisariat department to an extent that tested its capacities, marched through the town to the music of a strong band, alternated with vocal efforts of great compass, the harmonious delicacy of which was heightened by sounds resembling those of a ship’s foghorn which had developed the secondary symptoms of influenza of a virulent type. The effects of snob combinations of harmonious sounds could not fail to leave a lasting impression on all who had ears and listened. Returning back to the barracks the stage presented a realistic scene, that of a miniature forest, intended probably to portray an Inndian jangle. This could possibly be inferred by the imaginative from the fact that the Indian forest consisted of Maoriland cabbage trees, but if this was not exactly true to life it suited the purpose, and as the soldiers and lasses, dressed in Indian costume, stole silently in and knelt in prayerful attitude under the improved foliage the scene was at once picturesque end interesting. Stsff-Csptain Alderton immediately marched to the front of the stage, gave the Amy salnte in the Indian language, and was responded to by those who had gone through the rehearsal with an articulate sound that struck upon the uninitiated to be like cha-a-a-a. Thia was repeated by those on the stage and many in the hall, aud ns it lengthened out down towards the door one could not help being reminded of an echo reverberating from rook to rook in a deep, hill-bound valley. A hymn was then sung, the stamping of feet and clapping of bands commingling in doubtful harmony with vocal efforts, violins, comets, flutes, Ac. In the midst of the din thus produced, au enthusiast in the audience would cry out “ 1 can shout hallelujah,” and would receive as a response the rtjv cha-a-a-a. This over, prayers were offered up by Lieutenants Katz, of Timaru, and Pearson, of Temuka, and Staff- Captain Alderton addressed the meeting. Be expressed a hope that the heathen, whose social customs would be illustrated that evening, would be saved. Ho hoped the whole world would be saved, especially Temuka. He did not see why Temuka should not be saved, as God had a better right to Temuka than the Dovil. (Cries of “ Hallelujah.”) What they were to do that night was not a show, but a religious ceremony illustrating customs amongst the heathens of the East. He called on Captain Foote, who advanced to the front of the stage, and commenced by letting off steam, he aaid, aud cried out some words which . were net transferable to paper, and was responded to with ail energetic cha-a-a-a. ' Me thfjq dwelt on Indian iuS and customs, which h® Studied as a Salvation Army soldier in that country. The first thing that struck turn WM W intensity of the spirit which animated the Hindoos, Whut they believe they beUhyq 1

thoroughly, and what they did they did well. Be often felt ashamed when ha compared the intensity of the religions zed of the Hindoos with his own, and ha believed that one day they would christianise the world, by sending missionaries to ns. He then produced a snake-charmer’s wand, which was only a rod with rings on it, from the sound of which snakes would run away. Then the Indian wedding ceremony took place, as a prelude to which the band played a selection, and another cha-a-a-a awakened eehoes in the roof of the building. Leading in the wedding march were the officers; then came what probably was supposed to be a palanquin, in which Mr and > Mrs Cross were seated as the intending bride and bridegroom. All were dressed in Oriental- costume, and the palanquin consisted of a cart-like contrivance without wheels, which was borne by two at front and the other at the rear. It was canopied over, and in this Mr Cross made a respectable Hindoo, but his blushing bride modestly hid her charms from the vulgar gaze in the folds, of her ample head-dress. The seats were placed in the centre of the hall, and a passage was left on both sides. Around this the prooeesaion marched twice, and then on to the stage, where the bride and bridegroom alighted and joined hands. Chaplets of flowers were thrown round their necks by bridesmaids, and the officiating priest—Captain Foote—dispensed the usual vows, and declared, them married, after which they bowed towards the east. The ceremony of. oonaeorating a piece- of cord which was plaoed around the young lady’s neck was gone' through, and thus the ceremony ended.. Captain' Foote explained that always the wedding wound up with festivities, which were earned out on such a scale that wealthy people were iwail« poor, and the poor ruined for life. Walking on spiked shoes was another phase of life illustrated. A pair of these ■hoes were produced. They consisted of pieces of wood studded with spikes an inch long. These the fakir or devotee fastened to his feet, and on these spikes he walked until he reached some distant ■hrine.:Thiswasaßelf-inflicted penance. He had seen a man lying on the road in the broiling sun and turning over every now and then. He was told this man was making his way to some shrine, and his , penance was to go there rolling on the f ground. The people worshipped these men, and fed them regularly. Another form of penance was to insert two hooks in the strong muscles of the back, and be lifted up ,h to the branch of a tree and allowed to remain thus suspended for a certain time. Another was passing through Die fire, in which the man would be hung by the legs from a tree, and swung backwards and forwards over a fire, which would burn his hair and beard. Another was the spiked conch. This was much like the shoes, and the devotee stretched naked oh the spikes and remained there while his followers bore him to some given shrine. Men were there who kept looking towards the sky for years. The eyes were burned out of their heads by the sun, but they never moved. - Men might be seen standing with an uplifted arm, which had. been kept erect for so long that the muscles wot rigid and could not be moved. The burning of the dead was gone through next. A pile of wood was placed on the stage to represent the fire for burning the dead. The lady improvised for the occasion was very much like a bag of chaff—in fact, there ware some indications that much “ chaff” was used during the

performance. At any rate, this body was pome round on a litter on the shoulders of menoverihesame ground that the wedding procession had traversed. The procession was headed by Captain Foote, who, to add to the realism, kept blowing a South Sea Island shell, out of which he elicited the same fog-horn noise heard in the early part of the evening. Eventually the stage was reached, the remains of the departed placed on the pyre, and the fire was ignited. The realism ended here. The'fire was not intended to consume either the wood or the corpse, and after some chemical substance had exhausted itself it went out, and all thoughts were turned on Temuka by an exhortation by Captain Foote to the people present to lead better lives. After this StaffCaptain Alderton thanked those who had assisted, and wound with pronouncing the benediction. The proceedings throughout were extremely picturesque and novel, and all those present were highly entertained.