Chap. XXII. 
LAMA TEMPLE. 
371 
its upper end there are a considerable number of 
foreign tombs. 
The Lama temple, situated in these northern 
suburbs, is a very large establishment, and was 
occupied by the force under Sir Hope Grant when 
it marched on Peking. It appears to have been a 
kind of caravansera as well as a temple. I ob- 
served a number of priests lounging about, clothed 
in robes of the imperial yellow colour. The most 
remarkable object in the grounds is a fine octa- 
gonal marble monument, richly carved with 
figures in high relief. Like the mosque I have 
already noticed, it is unlike anything one sees in 
China ; it is quite Indian in form, and the charac- 
ters and figures are probably Thibetian. Leaving 
the temple, we galloped along a grassy plain to the 
north-east corner of the city ; then passing south- 
ward under the eastern walls, we entered the city 
again by one of the gates on this side, and went 
home by a different road from that by which we 
came out. Before we reached the English Lega- 
tion all Peking was up and astir, — horsemen were 
galloping about, carts were jolting along the 
dusty streets, long trains of camels with bells 
jingling from their necks were toiling along, and 
clouds of dust were filling the air and rendering 
locomotion far from pleasant. 
After rambling over this great city in almost 
every direction, I may mention the following as 
being its peculiar and most striking features. As 
an eastern city it is remarkable for its great size, 
2 b 2 
