262 " COLD WATER TEMPLE. Chap. XTT. 



are of a dingy greyish wliite, and not very orna- 

 mental. 



It seems to me to be very remarkable that a 

 country like Obina,— rich in textile fibre, oils of 

 many kinds, vegetable tallow, dyes, and no doubt 

 many otber articles wbicb have not come under 

 my notice — should afford so few articles for expor- 

 tation. I have no doubt that as the country gets 

 better known, our merchants will find many things 

 besides silk and tea, which have hitherto formed 

 almost the only articles exported in quantity to 

 Europe and America. 



When I was travelling in the part of the 

 country I have been describing, the weather was 

 extremely hot, — July and August being the hottest 

 months of the year in China. When complaining 

 of the excessive heat to some of my visitors, I was 

 recommended to go to a place called by them the 

 Lang-shuy-ain^ or " cold water temple," situated 

 in the vicinity of the town in which I was staying. 

 In this place they told me both air and water were 

 cold notwithstanding the excessive heat of the 

 weather. On visiting the place I found it an old, 

 dilapidated building, which had evidently seen 

 more prosperous days. Ascending a few stone 

 steps, I reached the lower part of the edifice, when 

 I felt at once a sudden change in the temperature, 

 something like that which one experiences on 

 going into an ice-house on a hot summer's day. 

 My guide led me to the further corner of this 

 place, and pointed to some stone steps which 



