38 



THE TEMPLE AT NIGHT. 



CHAr. n. 



In these respects the lower orders in China con- 

 trast favourably with the same classes in Europe, 

 or even in India. 



When the sun had got a little to the westward, 

 and his rays less powerful, I left the temple and 

 took my way to the hills. In a few minutes that 

 busy scene of idol-worship which I have endea- 

 voured to describe was completely shut out from 

 my view. As I went along I came sometimes 

 unexpectedly on a quiet and lonely valley where 

 the industrious labourers were busily at work in 

 the fields, or on a hill-side where the natives were 

 gathering their first crop of tea. Here is no 

 apparent want, and certainly no oppression ; the 

 labourer is strong, healthy^ and willing to work, 

 but independent, and feels that he is " worthy of 

 his hire." None of that idleness and cringing is 

 here which one sees amongst the natives of India, 

 for example, and other eastern nations. 



Time passed swiftly by when wandering amongst 

 such interesting scenery, and as evening was 

 coming on I returned to the temple, in which 

 I proposed taking up my quarters for the night. 

 Now the scene had entirely changed : the busy 

 crowds of worshippers were gone, the sounds of bell 

 and drum had ceased, and the place which a short 

 time before was teeming with life was now as 

 silent as the grave. The huge idols — many of 

 them full thirty feet high — looked more solemn in 

 the twilight than they had done during the day. 



