110 TEMPLE OF MACAO. 



years old, and a tottering infant, with offerings, 

 which being arranged in one of the small tem- 

 ples before the idol, the father performed the 

 ceremony of prostration ; the lad followed the 

 example of his parent seemingly as a matter of 



carved out of the same kind of stone, having a ball carved 

 in their mouths, every attempt to take out which, is found to 

 be in vain, puzzling many ; (like the curious and elegant ivory 

 balls, carved one within the other ;) there are also several 

 groups of figures beautifully carved in granite in basso re- 

 lievo. On entering, neat winding, and tastefully-executed gra- 

 nite steps, lead from little temples to other recesses for idol 

 worship, amongst natural groups of granite rocks, piled one 

 upon the other, as if by the fabled giants of old during their 

 warfare ; huge trees, bending in various fantastic forms, 

 overhang the temples, and cast a silence and gloom over this 

 place devoted to pagan worship, — a place, however, well 

 calculated to produce awe in the human mind, and to bind 

 either still closer the fetters of bigotry, or, if it had been 

 selected as the place of a truer worship, to cause the mind in 

 this retired spot to commune more closely with its Creator. 

 This spot, so beautiful, so delightful to behold, would form an 

 elegant and valuable embellishment for one of our English an- 

 nuals. I saw an accurate and delightful sketch of this reli- 

 gious spot taken by Chinnery, and a painting, half-finished, 

 from that sketch, which even in that state reminded me of 

 the original. I hope that talented artist will complete and 

 send it home, so that an engraving may recall it to the me- 

 mory of those who have seen, but may be now remote from 

 its beauties. 



