ClIAP. IX. 
TEiMriES OF POO-TO. 
In front there was a large artificial pond, filled with the 
broad green leaves and noble red and white flowers of 
the Nelumhium speciosum, — a plant in high favour 
with the Chinese. Everybody who went to Poo- to ad- 
mired these beautiful water-lilies. In order to reach the 
monastery we crossed a very ornamental bridge built 
over this pond, which, when viewed in a line with an 
old tower close by, has a pretty and striking appearance. 
The temples or halls which contain the idols are 
extremely spacious, and resemble those which I have 
already described at Tein-tung and Ah-yu-wang. 
These idols, many of which are thirty or forty feet 
in height, are generally made of wood or clay, and 
then richly gilt. There is one small temple, however, of 
a very unassuming appearance, where we met with some 
exquisite bronze statues, which would be considered of 
great value in England. These, of course, were much 
smaller than the others, but, viewed as works of art, 
they were by far the finest which I saw during my 
travels in China. 
Having examined these temples, we pursued our way 
towards another assemblage of them, about two miles to 
the eastward and close on the sea-shore. We entered 
the courts through a kind of triumphal arch, which 
looks out upon the sea, and found that these temples 
were constructed upon the same plan as all the others. 
As we had determined to make this part of the island 
our home during our stay, we fixed upon the cleanest 
looking temple, and asked the High Priest to allow us, 
without farther delay, to put our beds and travelling 
baggage into it. 
