140 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. IX. 
which contains a noble bronze bell of large dimensions, 
our host conducted us back to his house, where the dinner 
was already on the table. The priests of the Buddhist 
religion are not allowed to eat animal food at any of 
their meals. Our dinner therefore consisted entirely of 
vegetables, served up in the usual Chinese style, in a 
number of small round basins, the contents of each— soups 
excepted — ^being cut up into small square bits, to be eaten 
with chopsticks. The Buddhist priests contrive to procure 
a number of vegetables of different kinds, which, by a 
peculiar mode of preparation, are rendered very pala- 
table. In fact, so nearly do they resemble animal food 
in taste and in appearance, that at first we were de- 
ceived, imagining that the little bits we were able to get 
hold of with our chopsticks were really pieces of fowl or 
beef. Such, however, was not the case, as our good host 
was consistent on this day at least, and had nothing 
but vegetable productions at his table. Several other 
priests sat with us at table, and a large number of 
others of inferior rank, with servants, crowded around 
the doors and windows outside. The whole assemblage 
must have been surprised at the awkward way in 
which some of us handled our chopsticks, and, with al]^ 
their politeness, I observed they could not refrain from 
laughing when, after repeated attempts, some little 
dainty morsel would still sHp back again into the dish. I 
know few things more annoying, and yet laughable too, 
than attempting to eat with the Chinese chopsticks for 
the first time, more particularly if the operator has been 
wandering on the hills all the morning, and is raven- 
ously hungry. The instruments should first of all be 
