PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 177 



very tired, and even had a horse brought to him be- 

 fore he got to the beach. This animal was eleven 

 hands and a half in height, and would hardly have 

 kept a moderately tall person's feet off the ground ; 

 but his guide, though there was not much necessity 

 for bracing his feet up very high, obviated the possi- 

 bility of this inconvenience by riding with his knees 

 up to his breast. The stirrups were massy, and made 

 of iron curiously inlaid with brass, and shaped some- 

 thing like a clumsy Chinese shoe. At Abbey Point 

 he visited some sepulchres hewn out of the rock or 

 formed of natural caverns ; one of these happened to 

 be partly open, and he discovered four large red earthen 

 jars, one of wdiich was fortunately broken, and exhi- 

 bited its contents, consisting of bones of the human 

 skeleton. 



In another excursion made by this gentleman to the 

 north-east of Potsoong, he visited a temple of Budh, 

 situated in a romantic copse of trees. The approach 

 to it was along a path paved with coral slabs, partly over- 

 grown with grass, and under an archway in the forma- 

 tion of which art had materially assisted the hand of 

 nature. After resting a short time in this romantic 

 situation he descended the paved way, passed some 

 tall trees, among which was a species of erethrina of 

 large growth, and arrived at the house of a priest, who 

 invited him to smoke and partake of tea and rice. 

 Three young boys were in the house, who, as well as 

 the priest, had their heads shaved according to the 

 custom of the priesthood in China. 



By the 25th May, we had completed the survey of 

 the port, replenished our water, received a little fresh 

 stock, and obtained some interesting astronomical and 

 magnetical observations ; the day of departure was 



VOL. II. N 



