32 VISIT TO HIGH-PRIEST. Chap. II. 



Christians we cannot understand. Many, who had 

 either been engaged in these ceremonies or in- 

 tended to take their part in them, were sitting, 

 looking on, and laughing, chatting, or smoking, 

 as if they had been looking on one of their plays. 

 And it was not unusual to see a man fill his pipe 

 with tobacco, and quietly walk up and light it at 

 one of the candles which were burning on the 

 altar. 



After looking on this curious and noisy scene for 

 a little while, I was glad to leave it for the quieter 

 parts of the building. I went in the first place to 

 pay my respects to the high-priest, and found him 

 occupying some small rooms built at one side of 

 the large temple. With Chinese politeness he re- 

 ceived me cordially and made me sit down on the 

 seat of honour in his little room. A little boy who 

 served him brought in a tray, on which a number 

 of teacups were placed filled with delicious tea. 

 Two* of these cups were put down before me, and 

 I was pressed to " drink tea." As the day was 

 excessively warm, the pure beverage was most 

 welcome and refreshing. Reader, there was no 

 sugar nor milk in this tea, nor was there any Prus- 

 sian blue or gypsum ; but I found it most refresh- 

 ing, for all that it lacked these civilised ingredients. 

 The good old man was very chatty, and gave me 

 a great deal of information about himself and the 

 temple. The revenues of the temple were derived 

 partly from certain lands in the vicinity which 



* The Chinese generally place two cups before a stranger. 



