( 52 ) 



recesses in the wall, and dressed in the most gorgeous Chinese 

 costumes, but whom they were intended to represent I could not find 

 out, probably Fo and Confucius. Between them was the altar, 

 over which was suspended a rich scarlet silk canopy, ornamented 

 in gold and silver work, and hung round with a deep gold fringe. 



The altar-cloth was equally elaborate and costly in design : 

 and the paraphernalia, consisting of handsome lamps, candle-sticks, 

 censers, &c, were quite in keeping with the other costly decora- 

 tions. The remaining portion of the walls was adorned with 

 numerous wooden figures placed in recesses, some representing 

 human-beings, and others monsters of imagination. This place 

 was locked up, and apparently none but the priests were permitted 

 to enter. 



The apartments to the right were occupied by the priests who 

 were only distinguishable from their countrymen by a clean-shaved 

 head and white clothes throughout. They were remarkably reticent, 

 and hardly took any notice of me when introduced : it may have 

 been that they were too far lost in admiration of the handsome 

 Chinese lanterns, that had just been presented to the temple, and 

 which they were carefully examining. 



93. On the left, as one entered, was seated a party smoking and 

 Smoking and refreshment par- drinking tea : this was evidently an 



lours in the temple. after-service lounge for all who felt 



inclined to partake of refreshment. I was invited to join the 

 idlers, and was very politely handed a wee cup of capital flavoured 

 tea, though weak, and a pipe of a most ingenious contrivance — one 

 deserving of the multum in parvo name. It was a miniature hookah, 

 containing water, tobacco, and lights, all in the compass of an 

 ordinary-sized eau-de-Cologne bottle. The bowl not being suffi- 

 ciently large to contain over a pinch of tobacco, which is consumed 

 in one breath, the process of cleaning out, reloading from the little 

 reservoir, and lighting becomes very tedious to one unaccustomed 

 to the pipe ; and I only took a few whiffs, though I liked the flavour 

 of the tobacco very much, which, I was informed, came direct from 

 China. The spills were of a sort of touch-paper that remains 

 alight until entirely consumed. 



94. The magnitude of the Palo-dangyee cannot fail to attract 



attention, but its neglected condition 



Palo-dangyee Pagoda. pointg t() ^ imim p 0rtance< 



95. On the way back to Mandalay, I visited the celebrated 



. . , T , . . temple of Mah-myat-mimi, which con- 



Temple of Mah-myat-mimi. , • n n i i • c 



tarns the collossal brass image oi 

 Gaudama brought from Arakan in 1784. This temple is held in 



