In the northern part of the town are many religious temples, with
their tall towers like slender pyramids, tapering to a point. They are
curious things, and surprisingly well preserved. The interiors of
these temples are uninteresting. Nofuhl says the religious rites of
the Mehrikans were devoid of character. There were many religious
beliefs, all complicated and insignificant variations one from
another, each sect having its own temples and refusing to believe as
the others. This is amusing to a Persian, but mayhap was a serious
matter with them. One day in each week they assembled, the priests
reading long moral lectures written by themselves, with music by hired
singers. They then separated, taking no thought of temple or priest
for another seven days. Nofuhl says they were not a religious people.
That the temples were filled mostly with women.

In the afternoon we found it necessary to traverse a vast
pleasure-ground, now a wild forest, but with traces still visible of
broad promenades and winding drive-ways. (Olbaldeh thinks this must be
the Centralpahk sometimes alluded to in Mehrikan literature.) There
remains an avenue of bronze statues, most of them yet upright and in
good condition, but very comic. Lev-el-Hedyd and I still think them
caricatures, but Nofuhl is positive they were serious efforts, and
says the Mehrikans were easily pleased in matters of art.

We lost our way in this park, having nothing to guide us as in the
streets of the city. This was most happy, as otherwise we should have
missed a surprising discovery.

It occurred in this wise.