374 SUDDEN CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE. Chap. XXII I, 
Amongst these western mountains there are 
some celebrated Buddhist temples, well known to 
the inhabitants of Peking, and often visited by 
them. The Buddhist priests, in all parts of the 
East, preserve with the greatest care the trees 
which grow around their houses and temples. It 
was therefore probable that those at Pata-tshoo — 
the name of the place in question — would have 
the same tastes as their brethren in other parts of 
the empire, and I determined to visit them in their 
mountain home. 
Having engaged a cart for the journey, I had 
it packed with my bedding in the usual way, and 
started one morning at daybreak. Atmospheric 
changes are very sudden in this part of the world. 
The temperature, since my arrival in Peking, and 
even when I went to bed the night before, had 
been mild and warm, although not oppressive in 
any way. This morning, however, a north-west 
wind had come suddenly down, and the summer 
seemed to change instantly into winter. The wind 
was bitterly cold. Sudden changes of temperature 
are common in every part of China, but I never 
experienced such a change as this was. Great- 
coats and blankets, which would have pained one 
to look upon a few days before, were now most 
welcome, and were eagerly sought after. 
As I preferred walking to being jolted in a 
springless cart, this change of temperature was 
far from being disagreeable. Passing out by the 
Fow-ching-mun — a gate in the western wall of 
