16 



FORMOSA. 



[chap. 



"We paddled lazily down stream, glad to be protected from the 

 sun by the large arched bamboo awning of the boat, and landed 

 in the afternoon at Chui-teng-ka, a large Chinese town built along 

 the river side, and surrounded by trees and quaintly-shaped low 

 hills, which gave it a decidedly picturesque appearance. Here we 



ON THE KEELUXG EIVEK. 



found a rather interesting temple ; the gateway of which was 

 formed by two large monolithic stone pillars fifteen feet in height, 

 and admirably carved. On the right hand was represented a dragon 

 in very high relief, ascending the pillar with a round fruit or ball in . 

 his mouth, while, on the other side, the animal was descending, with 

 the same object in his claw. Both execution and design were ex- 

 ceedingly good, and must have cost a considerable amount of labour, 

 fully two-thirds of the stone having been cut away in the carving. 

 The town was tolerably clean, or at any rate appeared so after 



