200 A COLLECTING TRIP 
of the ten thousand Buddhas is quite a sight. It is 
well outside the walls, quite near the summer palaces, 
on a small hill. The emperor had worshiped there on- 
ly three days before we arrived and the fat old priests 
were still in a state of excitement as a result. The 
building is long and narrow and the doors beautifully 
earved. As we entered we saw three large gilded 
Buddhas on pedestals with joss sticks burning in front 
of them and back of them. On small shelves, as high 
as the ceiling, were ten thousand tiny Buddhas, all 
exactly alike, gilded, with blue hair. The abbot who 
took us around was a very pleasant, courteous old man 
who spoke about two words of English, but who ex- 
plained everything to us through an interpreter. He 
had the three big doors of the temple opened so we 
could take photographs; altogether he was very nice. 
Just as we were leaving he insisted upon us going in- 
to his filthy bed room and sitting down on his fright- 
fully dirty bunk and sipping tea. But it was most 
delicious and served in lovely yellow cups with red 
dragons on them. One day, while we were in Pekin, 
the dust was frightful and, despite the sun shining 
brightly, the whole atmosphere looked lke a heavy 
London fog. We are anxious to get to Yokohama to 
get our mail. Just think, I have not heard hardly any- 
thing about Sal’s fiance, merely his name and a few 
things like that and I am dying to hear full partie- 
ulars. 
With much love to every one and a great deal to 
yourself from 
Your affectionate sister, 
Rosamond. 
