from the solid rock. The Buddhas, seated as usual on lotus lily pedestals, 
must be from twenty-five to thirty feet high, whilst the figures grouped 
around, all of which are standing, must be from twelve to eighteen feet. 
All the figures in both these temples are exceedingly ugly and ill- 
proportioned, in strong contrast to the beautiful statues found in the Sung 
dynasty temples of a later date round Yen-an Fu, and in north-central Shensi 
generally. Other points of difference between temples of the two periods are 
that the T’ang temples are much higher, and contain fewer but larger figures ; 
on the other hand the Sung temples have their walls lined with innumerable 
little images of Buddha carved out of the rock. It would seem as if at the 
earlier date the idea of multiplying images of Buddha, as an act of merit, had 
not been developed, though what may be regarded as the germ of the later 
idea is traceable in the Lung-k’ou Miao by tablets and slabs of rock, on 
which have been carved in low relief rows of little Buddhas an inch or so in 
height. It is interesting to note that the idea of excavating Buddhist temples 
from solid rock cliffs and mountains seems to have originated in India. The 
mouths of these caves are usually built up with beams, bricks, and mortar, 
and afterwards finished with tiling to form the roofs, verandahs and balconies, 
in imitation of the fronts of ordinary temples. 
But little of interest happened to us during our march to Lan-chou. We 
found the inn-keepers more artful and cunning than further north; certainly 
more sophisticated than a man near Yii-lin Fu, who had run after us for three 
miles to enquire if we had taken his dish-cloth. At one place on this road 
we noticed a sediment in some hot water supplied to us; this the inn-keeper 
tried to explain away as “‘ only a few millet grains.” But on being cross- 
examined he admitted that he had put-the millet in on purpose to disguise the 
sediment, or at least to have an explanation ready. He was outdone, 
however, by another man who, on being asked for tea, gave us what seemed 
to be hot water with some grains and bits of stick in it. The sticks he 
described as ‘‘ mountain tea.” On being asked for millet gruel, he pointed to 
the’ grains, ‘‘ This is millet gruel.” On being asked for hot water, he again 
pointed, ‘‘ This is hot water’’; thus keeping one fluid to meet all require- 
ments. It was certainly as much like one as another. 
This road from Hsi-an to Lan-chou has been described in detail by other 
travellers, and consequently requires but little description here. It runs through 
Hsien-yang Hsien, Li-ch’iian Hsien, Ch’ien Chou, Yung-shou Hsien, Pin Chou, 
Ch’ang-wu Hsien, and, passing into Kansu, traverses Kanschou Fu, P’ing-liang 
Fu, Ching-ning Chou, and then vd Hui-ning and An-ting (vide pp. 58, 59). 
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