BURYING ALIVE IN CHINA.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1994, 26 May 1875, Page 4

BURYING ALIVE IN CHINA.

The poor woman of whom we spoke, On the sth inst., as having been almost buried whilst yet alive, died, we understand, some twenty-four hours after recovering from her trance. There was no inlstaKe this time, we believe. Speaking of this case, a correspondent writes: "It Beems.that instances of Chinese narrowly escaping being buried alive are not extraordinary uncommon, and it is much to be feared, that a good few natives are interred first and v die afterwards. You will understand that I do not refer to Hong Kong in.particular as the theatre of such occurrences, but still,! could, if I were told so quite credit that instances of Chinese being put under the sod (read " disintegrated granite" please) whilst still " in the land of the living'" have taken place in this little British possession. Qhere is now, I believe, in .the employ of a wellknown firm in this colony, a Chinese who was in a coma for two days, and but for the custom of prolonging the mourning ceremonies around the coffins that the Chinese are so fond of, it is to be feared he would never have had the opportunity of asserting that he departed, during the lime he was in a trance, to some land that he did not recognise, where he met several friends who he knew were dead. In their company he passed a very social time ; feasting in the most approved Chinese style. I presume —and; firmly believe—of course, that though all the circumstances were vividly impressed upon his memory, his feasting was of np more tangible a description than such orgies always are in dreams. A Chinese friend of mine told me not long ago of a case similar to the foregoing. The person .who escaped, burial alive upon .this occasion was one of my informant's grandmothers, an old" party" of eighty summers, (they may have been winters for all I know to the contrary) who suddenly gave np the ghost as it:was supposed/and was forthwith habilitated as per custom in vogue with the Celestials amongst whom we have the ineffable pleasure of residing. After lying Tiors de combat for a couple of days or so, she suddenly enquired of the heart-broken mourners which of them was chewing betel-nut, she having smelt the article." She then marvelled much at the richness of her drapery, the like of which she had not been attired in for many years, and finally recounted how she had been to a Chinese temple to. offer' up prayers, and that after having got through her orisons, she was afraid to start on her homeward journey, being ignorant of the way she had pursued to arrive at the temple. At last a furious black dog flew at her and heigh! presto! she was lying in the coffin, clothed most gorgeously, where they found her. The fortunate dame lived for sixteen years after this episode, to narrate to wonderiag audiences the story of her escape from interment whilst, yet alive, and her memorable visit to the temple whence she was. driven by a malignant brute of the canine species."—Hong Kong Time*.