242 
CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
shops. Jostling on amongst this busy scene, we 
hear the constant “ Ah ho!” of the palankeen- 
bearer, causing us fresh confusion at every step. At 
length we turn down a small side-street, where are 
gambling-houses, money-changers, Joss temples, 
samshu and sing-song houses, from which are heard 
the screaming of song and the twanging of the 
stringed lute. 
We enter a temple, whose outside is adorned with 
gilding and lacquer, and quaint designs of birds, 
animals, and unreal monsters. 
They have a religion of some sort, as Wang Heng 
(a very intelligent Chinese with whom I was ac- 
quainted) assured me, with churches and endow- 
ments as in England ; that is to say, they have the 
system, but not the faith. I had supposed all along 
that the curiously constructed temples, sacred to Joss, 
had more or less of a religious character about them, 
but I was now undeceived. My habit on passing 
these edifices was to call in and see what was going 
on, and one day I found out that Joss was nothing 
more than a fortune-teller, after the manner of the 
Oracle of Delphos. 
When inside the temple, we see the figure of Joss 
placed on high, with ornaments of peacocks’ feathers, 
whilst long streamers of coloured ribbon, pictures, and 
flowers, presents of tea, oil, or opium, lighted tapers 
in coloured wax, joss sticks burning slowly, and 
sending their perfume around, heaps of joss paper 
