362 



TEMPLE OF WAN-SHEU-SI. Chap. XVII. 



below the liill on whose summit the pagoda stands. 

 The soil of these hills is sandy and barren, and 

 contrasts mifavourably with that in the rich plains 

 below. Avenues and clumps of pines {Pinus si- 

 nensis), many of which had no doubt been planted 

 by the priests, lined the ascent, and gave it a very 

 pretty appearance. As we ascended by the wind- 

 ings of our mountain-road, we often lost sight of 

 the plain which we had left, and were surrounded 

 on all sides by hills. 



Half-an-hour's walk brought us near the doors 

 of the monastery of Wan-sheu-si, a large and im- 

 posing building, or rather collection of buildings, 

 founded about a thousand years ago by a certain 

 Fuh-hu-shan-si — the " Tamer of the Tiger," His 

 picture is still preserved in the monastery, and 

 represents him seated on a tiger, whose ferocity 

 he had completely tamed, and who now was con- 

 tent to carry him over hill and dale and obey his 

 commands ! 



The priests here — about thirty in number — re- 

 ceived me with great ceremony and kindness, and 

 ordered tea and cakes to be set before me. I was 

 also taken to see two hermits who were under- 

 going voluntary solitary confinement for a period 

 of three years. One of them had been nearly two 

 years shut up in his cell, and consequently had 

 another year to remain there before he could come 

 out again and mix with the world. 



After partaking of the tea which the good 

 priests had kindly set before me — and very re- 



