432' Voyage of the Novara. 



Close to the Tea-Garden is the largest Buddhist Temple 

 within the city walls, in which throughout the day the over- 

 credulous Chinese kneel before their idols, and with many 

 reverences murmur their set formulas of prayers. Like every- 

 thing else in China, even religious observances are regarded 

 from the most practical point of view. They think they 

 have done enough when they have gone through a certain 

 round of outward ceremonies. The condition of most of the 

 temples, the utter neglect of some, and the various employ- 

 ments of others, indicate that the Chinese either has no sense 

 of the sanctity attaching to such places of devotion, or else 

 attaches but little value to the act itself. The men rarely 

 enter the temples. It is only the women who, to satisfy the 

 cravings of the heart, have recourse to invoking the Deity. 

 Frequently one sees a worshipper approach the attendant 

 sitting in the porch of the temple, in order to get their 

 horoscope calculated by him for a few cash. For this pur- 

 pose she shakes with eager devotion a box of bamboo cane 

 filled with thin wands, until one of these wands springs out. 

 The words inscribed on each wand furnish the oracle-ex- 

 pounder with an infallible sign, by which, after consulting one 

 of the books of Chinese wisdom spread out before him, he is 

 enabled to pronounce the answer of the divinity to the 

 prayers preferred by the poor dupe. The most prolific 

 source of revenue of the temple and its ministrants, consists, 

 however, in the sale of the gold and silver tissue paper,* 



* This sacrificial paper, coloured and written upon, is usually called " Joss " or 



