184 Through the Vang-ise Gorges 



picturesque view. The peculiar formation of Eastern 

 Szechuan renders the country charmingly picturesque, each 

 half-mile yielding a fresh prospect. There are few woods, 

 properly speaking, but small groves surround the scattered 

 farms and temples, and the shade of the magnificent banian 

 is, along the high-roads, seldom wanting for any distance. 

 Under one of these we had already indulged in some 

 excellent cherries, little piles of which were spread out on 

 a table by the wayside, and purchasable for three cash each. 

 We found the priest gone to market, and his place supplied 

 by a ragged, Httle, bare-footed " larn-pigeon," or acolyte. A 

 poor woman, accompanied by her little son, both dressed in 

 their newest clothes, came in while we were resting. Taking 

 no notice whatever of the strangers, they proceeded leisurely 

 to disentangle some bundles of red-wax dips which they had 

 brought with them, and to set them up and light them 

 before the different josses with which the hall was surrounded. 

 Then the old lady drew forth one of the circular mat-cushions, 

 knelt down and kotowed to the central Buddha. At each 

 blow of her forehead on the stone floor, the ragged little 

 boy, who had taken up a lounging position near the deep- 

 toned bell to be found in every temple, struck a smart blow 

 thereon, presumably to call the attention of the saint to 

 whom the temple was dedicated to the worshipper's devotions. 

 The kotowing over, the old lady let her son shake a "lot" 

 out of the bamboo vase which stands on the altar in front of 

 the golden image, picked up the slip of bamboo that had 

 fallen out on the floor, and handed it to the acolyte. A big 

 quarto volume in manuscript was then produced, and the 

 page corresponding to the number of the lot referred to. 

 The ragged little priest being himself une qual to the task of 

 deciphering the oracle, my companion read it out to him in 

 all solemnity. It appeared that the old lady's husband was 



