Chap. XVIII. 



BUDDHIST WOKSHIP. 



305 



past me to a huge block of wood, carved in the form 

 of a fish, which was slung from the roof of one of the 

 passages. This he struck several times with a wooden 

 pole, and a loud hollow sound was given out which 

 was heard over all the building. The large bronze 

 bell in the belfry was now tolled three times ; and 

 the priests were observed coining from all quarters, 

 each having a yellow robe thrown over his left shoulder. 

 At the same time an old man was going round 

 beating on a piece of square board, to awake the 

 priests who might be asleep, and to call the lazy 

 ones to prayer. 



The temple to which the priests were hurrying 

 was a large building, fully 100 feet square, and about 

 60 feet in height. Its roof was supported by numerous 

 massive wooden pillars. Three large idols — the 

 Past, the Present, and the Future — each at least 30 

 feet in height, — stood in the middle of the temple. 

 An altar was in front of them, and more than a 

 hundred hassocks were on the floor in front of the 

 altar for the priests to kneel on during the service. 

 Panged on each side of this spacious hall were nume- 

 rous idols of a smaller size ; said to be the repre- 

 sentatives of deified kings and other great men who 

 had been remarkable for piety during their lifetime. 



Entering with the priests, I observed a man light- 

 ing the candles placed upon the altar and burning 

 incense. The smoke of the incense as it rose in the 

 air filled the place with a heavy yet pleasing perfume. 

 A solemn stillness seemed to pervade the temple. 

 The priests came in one by one, in the most devout 



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