198 
TEMPLE. 
we looked downwards upon the river from the probable height of one 
hundred feet. Upwards the view was interrupted by overhanging 
rocks of a stalactical appearance. 
This temple, dedicated to Quong-ying, had evidently undergone 
much alteration since it was visited by Lord Macartney’s mission. 
In vain did we seek for those circumstances of terror and danger so 
impressively pourtrayed by his Lordship. The “ gigantic image with 
a Saracen face, grinning horribly from a double row of gilded fangs,” 
had disappeared, and had not been succeeded by any other that struck 
us either with awe or wonder. We descended, indeed, with those 
feelings of disappointment which are the general consequence of 
highly raised expectation. Had we come upon this really interesting 
temple without warning, had we never read the pages of Lord 
Macartney, our astonishment and admiration might have equalled 
his own ; but prepared for wonders, painted perhaps, rather in our 
imagination than in his description, we turned away dissatisfied from 
a gloomy cave the befitting residence of ignorance and superstition. 
The vacant countenances of the few monks who inhabited the rock, 
bespoke no sympathy or participation in the ordinary sufferings 
or enjoyments of human nature. Arrived at the bottom, I entered 
with Mr. Hayne, to the left of the temple, a small opening in the 
rock, apparently leading to its inmost recesses. Having obtained 
lights we prepared to explore them, but had not proceeded many steps, 
when certain odours unequivocally revealed their “ hidden secrets,” 
and warned us to retreat. A stranger in China rarely experiences a 
pleasing emotion without its being destroyed by some circumstance 
offensive to the senses. 
The Quong-ying rock is composed of the grayish black transition 
limestone of Werner, and is remarkable in some parts for its irregu- 
gular vesicular surface. Some of the hollows were so large that they 
seemed to have been formed by the falling out of organic remains, 
but afforded no sufficient evidence of the fact. From the bonzes I 
procured some specimens of the overhanging rocks resembling sta- 
lactites, and found them of the same composition as the rock itself. 
It might have been imagined that monks shut out from the 
