186 RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES AT POO-TO. [Cuap. X. 
people of God, came from afar to worship in its 
temple. 
Although no Christian can look upon the priests 
and devotees of the Budhist creed without an eye 
of pity, yet he must give them credit for their con- 
duct, since he has every reason to believe them sin- 
cere, and I am inclined to believe that justice has not 
been done them in this respect. Mr. Gutzlaff, in 
describing his visit to Poo-to, is of a different opi- 
nion. He says, ‘‘We were present at the vespers 
of the priests, which they chanted in the Pali lan- 
guage, not unlike the Latin service of the Romish 
church. They held rosaries in their hands, which 
rested folded upon their breasts. One of them had 
a small bell, by the tinkling of which their service 
was regulated; and they occasionally beat the 
drum and large bell to rouse Budha’s attention to 
their prayers. The same words were a hundred 
times repeated. None of the officiating persons showed 
any interest in the ceremony, for some were looking 
around laughing and joking, while others muttered 
their prayers. The few people who were present, 
not to attend the worship, but to gaze at us, did 
not seem, in the least degree, to feel the solemnity 
of the service.” What Mr. Gutzlaff says is doubt- 
less true, but after residing for months in their 
temples, at different times, and in different parts of 
the country, I have no hesitation in saying that 
such conduct is very far from being general. In 
certain instances I have seen it myself, but this 
levity and apparent want of attention was exhibited 
