to a Buddhist temple,--that of Houan, reputed to be one of the finest in
China. The sacred enclosure is surrounded by a high wall. The visitor
enters first a large outer court, at the extremity of which a huge
gateway opens upon an inner court. Beneath the arch stand two statues of
war-gods, each eighteen feet high, with terribly distorted faces and the
most menacing attitudes; these are supposed to prevent the approach of
evil genii. A second portal, of similar construction, under which are
placed the "four heavenly kings," leads to a third court, surrounding the
principal temple, a structure one hundred feet in length, and of equal
breadth. On rows of wooden pillars is supported a flat roof, from which
glass lamps, lustres, artificial flowers, and brightly-coloured ribbons
hang suspended. All about the area are scattered statues, altars, vases
of flowers, censers, candelabra, and other accessories.

But the eye is chiefly attracted by the three altars in the foreground,
with the three coloured statues behind them, of Buddha, seated, as
emblematic of Past, Present, and Future. On the occasion of Madame
Pfeiffer's visit a service was being performed,--a funeral ceremony in
honour of a mandarin's deceased wife, and at his expense. Before the
altars on the right and left stood several priests, in garments strangely
resembling, as did the ceremonial observances, those of the Roman Church.
The mandarin himself, attended by two servants armed with large fans,
prayed before the central altar. He kissed the ground repeatedly, and
each time he did so three sweet-scented wax-tapers were put into his
hand. After raising them in the air, he handed them to the priests, who
then stationed them, unlighted, before the Buddha images. Meantime, the
temple resounded with the blended strains of three musicians, one of whom
struck a metal ball, the other scraped a stringed instrument, and the
third educed shrill notes from a kind of flute.