Chap. VIII. 



EELICS — FAMOUS SPRING. 



141 



lours to different individuals ; but that which you 

 have seen is the best."* 



The old priest now led me to a different part of 

 the grounds, to see a famous spring. This was in 

 one of the most romantic looking dells or ravines that 

 I had ever beheld. We descended to it by a flight 

 of stone steps, crossed a bridge which spanned the 

 ravine, and found ourselves in front of a small temple. 

 On one side of it the water was gushing down, clear 

 and cool, from the mountain, into a small cistern 

 placed there to receive it ; while on the other a 

 caldron or large kettle was always boiling during 

 the day, in order that tea might readily be made for 

 visitors. Here a number of priests were lounging 

 about, apparently attached to this temple. They 

 received me with great kindness, and begged me to 

 be seated at a table in the porch. One of them took 

 a cup and filled it with water at the spring, and 

 brought it to me to taste. They all praised its 

 virtues ; and it certainly was excellent water. I told 

 them it was the best I had ever tasted, and they 

 then brought me a cup of tea made with water from 

 the same spring. 



* The grating prevented me from having a closer examination of 

 these curiosities, and I was obliged to be contented with the information 

 I had obtained respecting them from the priests. When I returned to 

 Foo-chow-foo, however, I requested Mr. Morrison (a son of the well- 

 known Dr. Morrison, one of the earliest and best of Chinese scholars) to 

 send for his teacher, in order, if possible, to get further information. 

 This old gentleman was a native of the city of Shaou-hing-foo, a place 

 famed in China for its literary men. He, too, had visited the temple 

 of Koo-shan, and had seen the precious relics. Upon questioning him, 

 he gave us the same account as I had already received from the priests, 



