196 VOYAGE TO THE 



following sentence^, " Both in this life and in the life 

 to come there are rewards and punishments ; but 

 there is regard to the offences of men, whether 

 heinous or not : speedy punishments are in this life ; 

 those that are more remote in the world to come," 

 An-yah replied, " Priest say so." 



" God created and constantly governs all things ?" 

 " Englishman's God, yes." — " When God created the 

 great progenitor of all men, he was perfectly holy and 

 perfectly happy ?" " No." — " The first ancestor of the 

 human race sinned against God, and all his descend- 

 ants are naturally depraved, inclined to evil, and averse 

 from good." " Good." — " If men's hearts be not re- 

 newed, and their sins atoned for, they must after 

 death suffer everlasting misery in hell." " Priest say 

 so : An-yah not think so." — " Do the three sects be- 

 lieve in metempsychosis ?" This was not understood. 

 — " Do they believe that all things are appointed by 

 heaven?" "Yes." — "Are there any atheists in Loo 

 Choo?" "Many." 



In Loo Choo the priesthood are as much neglected 

 and despised as in China, notwithstanding their being 

 consulted as oracles by all classes. Several of them 

 visited me in the garden at Potsoong, and remained 

 while I made my magnetical observations. As these 

 occupied a long time, I had an opportunity of parti- 

 cularly remarking these unfortunate beings, and cer- 

 tainly I never saw a more unintellectual and care- 

 worn class of men. Many persons crowded round the 

 spot to observe what was going forward, and the poor 

 priests were obliged to give way to every new comer, 

 notwithstanding they were in their own garden. 

 Their heads were shaved, similar to those of the 

 Bodzes in China. I am not aware in what this prac- 



