CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES AND THEIR ORIGIN.
BY MR. W. A. PICKERING.
Read at a Meeting of the Society, held on the 6th May, 1878.
Although the numerous branches of the great Chinese Secret Society Thien-Ti-Hui, have, since the foundation of the Colonies, by their riots and quarrels, forced themselves on the notice of the public of the Straits Settlements, very little seems to be generally known as to their origin, history, and objects. To Europeans, an almost complete knowledge of the working and ceremonies of the Society, has been to a certain extent attainable, by the publication in 1866, of M. Gustave Schlegel's "Thian-Ti-Hui, or the "Hung League," which treats very exhaustively of the subject of this great Chinese brotherhood.
Amongst the Chinese themselves, unless a man be a member of the Society, he seldom or never knows anything at all about the always suspected, and often dreaded "Hui." In China, to be found in possession of any of the books, seals, or insignia of the Triad Society, would render a person liable to decapitation, or subject him to a persecution to which even death would be preferable. Schlegel, in his preface to the book above-mentioned, says:
"We do not suppose that the present work contains all possible information. Notwithstanding all our endeavours, we could not induce a single Chinaman in this place, whom we supposed to be a member (of the Thian-Ti-Hui) to confess this.
"But even if this had been the case, not much benefit would probably have been derived from it. The greater part of the members, consisting of the lower orders of the population, are not sufficiently versed in their own language and history, or initiated into the Secrets of the League, to be able to give any explanation as to the meaning of the symbols, &c."
"A second difficulty is found in the unwillingness of Chinese literati to investigate any book treating of the subject. If they are members, and are initiated into the secrets, they are afraid to tell them, for both in China and the Colonies (Dutch?) the League is forbidden by severe laws. In the other case, they
