Chap. Vlll. 



FUNERAL CEREMONIES. 



151 



On the evening of this day, when I returned 

 from my labours amongst the hills, I called in 

 again to see what was going on, and now a very 

 different scene presented itself. And here I must 

 endeavour to describe the form of the premises in 

 order that this scene may be better understood. 

 The little house or temple consisted of a centre 

 and two wings, the wings being built at right 

 angles with the centre and forming with it three 

 sides of a square : a high wall connected the two 

 wings, and so a little court or Chinese garden was 

 formed, very small in extent. A square table was 

 placed inside the central hall or temple, one in 

 front of it, and one in front of each of the two 

 wings. Each of these tables was covered with 

 good things — such as rice, vegetables, fruits, cakes, 

 and other delicacies, all the produce of the vege- 

 table kingdom, and intended as a feast for Buddha, 

 whom these people worship. This offering differed 

 from others which I had often seen in the public 

 streets and in private houses, in having no animal 

 food in any of the dishes. The Buddhist priest- 

 hood profess an abhorrence of taking away animal 

 life or of eating animal food, and hence no food of 

 the kind was observed on any of the tables now 

 before me. On two strings which were hung 

 diagonally across the court, from the central temple 

 to each end of the front wall, were suspended 

 numerous small paper dresses cut in Chinese fashion, 

 and on the ground were large quantities of paper 

 made up in the form and painted the colour of the 



