54 
TEMPLE OF TO-RIN-GEE. 
Chap. III. 
tops was ever-changing but always interesting and 
beautiful. Rice valleys, farmhouses, and temples 
lay below us ; beyond them were low bills, then 
valleys again, and so on, until the eye rested on a 
sea of bills on the far-off horizon. 
A walk of a few miles brought us to a little 
temple nestled amongst some woods on a bill-side. 
The name of this temple was To-rin-gee. A small 
avenue of trees leads up from a rice valley to the 
temple, and ends at a flight of stone steps. On 
each side of the steps there is a grassy bank 
covered with bushes of azalea, aucuba, and other 
ornamental shrubs. Ascending the stone steps 
we found ourselves on a level with the temple, 
and in a pretty garden filled with flowers, and 
kept in the most perfect order. 
The temple of To-rin-gee is a small one, and has 
only one priest and priestess to minister at its 
altars. It is cleanly kept, the floors are covered 
with mats, and many of the walls are ornamented 
with pictures. Works of art are highly appreciated 
by these people ; and I afterwards, at their urgent 
request, presented them with some pictures from 
‘ Punch ’ and the 4 Illustrated London News,’ 
with which they were highly pleased. The priest 
and priestess received us most kindly, and, as they 
appeared to be well acquainted with Tomi, we soon 
found ourselves quite at home. The screens of the 
little verandah were drawn, and we were invited 
to seat ourselves on the clean mats that covered 
the floor. Some delicious tea, made, in Chinese 
