VOYAGE FEOM IXDIA TO SIxVM AXD MALACCA. 133 



The pods themselves were cyhnclrical and rounded off at the ends, 

 while the pods of the other are compressed and the ends are 

 raised. Both kinds however have pricklv hair. 



The plant which I had thought to be a Thalia, I found 

 afterwards to be a Maranta, but perfect blossoms were very 

 rare, most of them were putrid from the long duration of the rain, 

 or insects had eaten them. Most of these plants I preserved to 

 describe them next day. 



In the afternoon I went into a Chinese temple of idols, 

 which was situated near our house. The Bontzes, or as the 

 Siamese call them the Ichiton-Chine or priests, received me kind- 

 ly. The temple consisted of two buildings which were separated 

 lengthways, and again joined by means of a rather low roof. 

 Inside they looked like a single big room, having at each side a 

 row of pillars constructed of thick beams. Two big' lanterns 

 having the look of cages hung before the entrance; they were 

 long and rouod, about two feet in diameter and three feet long; 

 they were made of very fine rotan plaited together, and covered 

 with some transparent linen, firmly drawn across, upon which 

 large red Chinese letters were traced on one side with ordinary 

 red cinnabar. Inside the temple there were some small divisions 

 near the entrance in which were kept utensils for washing and 

 cleaning purposes. In the middle of this building stood a small 

 square table and some chairs made of bamboo, at which they say 

 their prayers. Before one came to the altar one saw some 

 orange coloured papers hanging from a beam, which were cover- 

 ed with Chineee letters, formino- the names of all those who had 

 given presents to this temple. Between the wooden pillars there 

 hung many kinds of painted Chinese lanterns, and at the end 

 there were three altars. On the one at the right hand was an 

 old gilded idol, representing a woman, and many other idols, 

 made of black clay stood also upon it. Some of these idols re- 

 presented lions, others were of monstrous aspect, these were all 

 idols from Cambodia. At the lett was a beautiful and newly 

 gilt idol, also bearing the features of a woman, before it stood 

 some Mandarins and at the sides were some idols about two feet 

 high, having very dreadful faces. They were haggard and looked 

 ready to devour everything. 



On the middle altar was the principal god, a gilded idol in 

 a' ?ittii-L'- ) '-^i ' ?'• f'* d rather more than life size. Before it stood 



