ABSTRACT
Chinese mandarins are famous for sending their gains of office home, or away from the place where they play the mandarin and acquire it. Mandarins who have amassed considerable wealth are oftentimes anxious to retire temporarily or permanently from Government service, in order to secure the wealth and the titles and honours they have gained. The newly-arrived mandarin is to a large extent under the influence of the subordinates whom he finds connected with his yamun. The common explanation is that the sun or the moon has experienced some disaster. Some even affirm that the object eclipsed is being devoured by an immense ravenous monster. The lower classes generally leave the saving of the sun or the moon, when eclipsed, to the mandarins, as it is a part of their official business. Some of the people occasionally beat in their houses a winnowing instrument, made of bamboo splints, on the occurrence of an eclipse.
