Our friends the Chinese… revelled in a gala yesterday. Or, rather, a portion of them – the Hokiens – figured in the procession which for grandeur and show vied with any whom might be held in China. Gods would appear to be expensive luxury if we may judge from the fact that a matter of $15,000 was actually spent in the paraphernalia of a show in satisfying the roving proclivities of a fastidious deity in Teluk Ayer, who was anxious to pay a visit to a brother in the Chinese burial ground temple. The procession is held once in three years, and should have taken place last year but as the mighty Celestial indulged in some freaks against the “red haired Barbarian” in the shape of sacking a Post Office and attacking a police station, John Chinaman was properly not accorded the privilege. Since then he has been more tractable, and yesterday came out in gorgeous splendor with which Solomon’s glory could not have competed, to return thanks to the gods for the peaceful, prosperous and happy era enjoyed by him and his under the mild rule of the “red haired Barbarian.” From early morning, that weird conglomeration of sound which constitutes music in a Chinaman’s ears, rant the air in the neighbourhood of Teluk Ayer temple, and, shortly after ten, was brought out the god in all his majesty, seated with a grim countenance in a pagoda and surrounded by worshippers who looked upon him with the utmost reverence and respect. After, came the motley procession, amid a din of wind instruments, big drums, and gongs, and filed through the route marked out for it, but it was not until passing the Central Police Station where were seated His Excellency the Governor and Lady Robinson, with a number of ladies and gentlemen, that everyone concerned in it put on his or her most imposing appearance. The rows of Chinese girls supported upon stilts, after the style in a pantomime, cast furtive glances at the distinguished party, proud, though in a not enviable position so far as comfort was concerned, of the notice which they created; the mighty dragon looked his best; and the hideousness which he might be supposed to represent was artistically softened by the sight of the splendidly dressed children fixed in gradually rising postures, with their feet resting on the coloured representations of different animals whilst the long tail of the monster completed an ensemble alike grotesque and pretty. Then followed the big drum drowning the chatter of the spectators, and afterwards the most richly embroidered flags, supported by gorgeous bearers, and other numerous indescribable trifles. The towkays – conscious of the success of this veritable Lord Mayor’s show – strutted behind, “pride in their port” if not defiance in their eye, all dressed gaily in coloured silk, then came some more pagodas, the gods being liberally feasted with incense, and afterwards perhaps one of the prettiest sights, a procession of Chinese boys mounted on spirited little ponies, and dressed in elegant fancy costumes. Some grim looking Chinamen “the beef eaters” of the clan, looking not ever brilliant in comparison, brought up the rear. The procession slowly wended its way to the Temple at the Sepoy Lines burial ground…

　　我们的华人朋友……昨天狂欢。或者，更确切地说，是其中的一部分华人—闽帮人士—其游行队伍所显示的显赫气势不比任何在中国举行的游神赛会逊色。神祗似乎是项昂贵的奢侈，若我们以花费15000元举办游神活动只为满足直落亚逸（天福宫）一位急着要到华人塚山神庙（恒山亭）探望她兄弟（大伯公）的挑剔神明为衡量的话。游神赛会每三年举行一次，并本应该在去年举办，但由于该冥顽天神耽溺于反对“红毛番鬼”而洗劫邮政局及袭击警察局（而酿成1876年邮政局暴动事件），约翰·奇纳曼（John Chinaman，19世纪西方社会对拖拽长辫子，戴着一顶苦力帽的中国劳工的典型形象）因而没有获得（举行游神）应有的特权。从那以后，他（们）变得温驯，昨日，他们再次以连所罗门王的荣耀也无法与之抗衡的华丽辉煌游神赛会，答谢神明让他和温和统治他的“红毛番鬼”得享和平、繁荣和幸福的年代。从一大早起，那对华人耳朵来说是音乐的奇怪噪杂音响，就响彻在直落亚逸寺庙周围的空气中。十点刚过，神就被庄严地请了出来，带着严峻的面容坐在宝塔（轿子）里，四周围绕着对之极为虔敬的信徒。接着，在吹奏乐器、大鼓和锣鼓的喧哗声中，游行队伍排成一列，沿着划定的路线前进。但一直到经过中央警察局，见到总督鲁滨逊阁下与夫人以及数位绅士贵妇时，每位参与者才摆出他或她的最佳姿态。那一排脚踩高跷的女童，模仿哑剧的风格，偷偷地向这群尊贵的宾客投去一瞥。她们对自己所引起的注意感到自豪，尽管就其舒适程度而言，并不令人羡慕。威武的巨龙展现它最好的一面；它本该体现的狰狞，被穿着华丽、专注曼舞、脚踩五颜六色动物图案孩童所展现的景象艺术性的柔化了。而龙的长尾则完成了一个怪诞而美丽的组合。随后，大鼓淹没了观众的喧哗声，紧接着是由神气的旗手持着的精美刺绣旗帜，以及其他无数难以形容的细节。头家们身着喜庆的彩色绸缎，意识到游神赛会甚为成功，满腹神气甚或眼带不屑的大摇大摆尾随其后。接着，又出现了更多宝塔（轿子），众神被大量香火供奉着。

　　接着，也许是最美丽的景象之一，一群华人男童骑着活泼的小马，他们穿着优雅的奇装异服。包尾的是神情木然的护卫队，相比之下，他们看起来不怎么精明。游行队伍慢慢地向四排坡墓地的庙宇（恒山亭）走去……