Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/163

 the national tree of China; it is much admired for its stately appearance, as well as for the lightness, durability, and fineness of its wood, and venerated as being the chosen roosting-place of the mysterious phoenix or fêng huang, whenever that august bird condescends to pay a visit to the country. It is common enough in Japan, where its wood is used for boxes. But trees are not the only objects of this quasi-worship. Serpents are held sacred too, and are connected in the Chinese mind with the famous deity known as Hsüan T'ien Shang Ti, or Supreme Ruler of the Sombre Heavens, who is generally represented as using one as a footstool. It is not more than twelve years ago that Li Hung-chang himself fell prostrate before an insignificant water-snake, beseeching it to intercede with the great River Dragon to prevent another overflow of the Yellow River. "Five serpents," wrote an observer, about the same time that this truly pitiable spectacle took place, "of very large dimensions, such as are found sometimes among the mountains, and which are said to be over a thousand years old, are worshipped in Fukien with very great reverence. These are believed to have the power of transforming themselves into human shape when they have some fell purpose to execute on man. I have known a case where thousands of men and women have gathered round a serpent that had been killed by the roadside, and have worshipped it for nearly a month. The worship stopped only when it was found that the report of its efficacy to heal disease, &c., was untrue." Tortoises and turtles also enjoy an amount of reverence above most other crawling things; indeed, tortoise-worship may be said to have a somewhat extensive literature