232 
TEMPLES AND IMAGES. 
Chap. XIV. 
capital of a Spiritual Emperor than for that of a 
temporal one ; and this is what it very likely was 
in the early days of Japanese history, when the 
Mikados , or Spiritual Emperors, were the sole 
rulers of the country. We visited another temple 
in the course of the morning, not far from the 
bronze statue, and were shown some large tinselly- 
looking images which were evidently thought 
wonderful things by the country people. One of 
the most remarkable was kept in a dark place, 
which had to be lighted up when it was visited — 
another mode of getting contributions from the 
devout. Lithographs of this goddess were also on 
sale in the temple. 
In Japan, as in China, noisy crowds followed us 
into the sacred buildings, and were anything hut 
reverential in their demeanour. With all their 
noise they were good-humoured enough, and not 
at all unfriendly in their manner towards us. 
Other temples were pointed out in various direc- 
tions, which we were pressed to visit ; but as the 
day was oppressively hot, and as we had the dread 
of fever before our eyes, we rode back to our inn 
at Kamakura, determined to keep indoors until the 
sun’s rays were less powerful. 
We had ordered luncheon before we set out, and 
on our return we found a most substantial meal 
awaiting us. It consisted of excellent fish fresh 
from the sea, cooked in the soy of the country, 
and most delicious it was ; fine white rice ; and an 
omelette, rather too sweet perhaps, but very palat- 
