NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL FETE OF


TIE CHINESE.
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This deserves to be noticed. Every year
on the fifteenth Of the first moon, which
generally correspondent to some day in the be
ginning of our March, the Emperor in per-
son goes through the ceremony of opening
the ground; he repairs In great state to the
field appointed for this ceremony. The
princes of the Imperial family, the presi-
dents of the five great tribunals, and an i'm
mense number of mandarins attend him.
Two sides of the field are lined with the Of
fcers of the Emperor's house; the third is
occupied by different mandarins; the fourth
is reserved for all the laborers Of the prov
ince. who repair thither to see the art hon
cred, and practiced by the head of the en-
pire. The emperor enters the field alone,
prostrates himself, and touches the ground
with his head in alteration OF lien, the God
of Heaven. He pronounces with a loud
voice prayer prcparedby the court of GER
emonies, in which he invokes the blessing
of the Great Being on his labor, and on that
of his whole people. Then, in the capacity
of chief priest of the empire, he sacrifices
an OK, in homage to heaven for all good
While the victim is offered on the altar, a
plough is brought to the emperor, to which
is yoked a pair of oxen, ornamented in a
most magnificent style. The prince laws
aside his imperial robes, lays hold of the
handle of the plough, with his right hand,
and opens several burrows in the direction of
north and south; then gives the plough into
the hands of the chief mantiarins, who, la
boring in succession, display their compar-
ative dexterity. The ceremony concludes
with distribution OF money, and pieces of
cloth as presents, to the laborers; the ablest
Of whom execute the rest of the work in
the presence of the emperor. After the
field has received all the necessary work and
manure, the emperor returns to commence
che sowing with similar ceremony, aud in
presence of the laborers. These cereno-
nies are performed on the same day by the
yiceroys Of all the provinces.