Who shall say how big? And on the top there was an iron bird that flapped its wings and cried kikaw, kikaw. A man told me this. And inside there were wheels and machinery and firepowder. So they gave it to the emperor. The emperor - who shall say how pleased he was?-took it, and put it safe in his palace. Put it in his palace; then not many days and it burst to pieces, Pow! and men were killed past counting, and in rushed the foreign soldiers, and plundered and killed and burned !" "But how did the foreign soldiers get there?" I asked. "The foreign soldiers had gone up river one by one, feigning to do traffic in merchandise. That is how they got there, ko lo waw." low, he will be glad enough to get the stiffness out of his knees by bathing in the black hole scooped out by the falling water under a shady wall of rock, not at all regarding his bearers, who, anxious for their midday rice, will waru him that he will assuredly be drowned, for that it is far too deep to swim in ! The Temple of Tranquillity stands with its back to a wood at the end of a spit of rice-land jutting out from the broader valley. Looking down on it from the wood, the same jumble is seen as at the Buddhist monastery of curved tiled roofs ornamented with suns and dragons, but on a larger scale. In front is the same cement courtyard — golden, when I arrived, with the fruits of the first harvest, laid The Monastery of the Opening Cloud out to dry in the sun before being is built in a sort of crater, with the garnered into the temple granaries. peak that names the mountain towering Inside, too, the arrangements are a four hundred feet above, which peak is servile imitation. There is a Tao-ist supposed to have floated into position Trinity to match the Triune Buddha ; during a deluge, and to be shaped like there are the same paintings, incense, a basket. In my opinion it is more like flowers, and altars. One cannot help a camel, or a weasel, or a whale. If feeling that since the Chinese are so you take the trouble to climb up, and successful in chaffering and moneyif the mist holds off, you will get a grubbing, it is a pity for them to enter view of a south-China rice-plain, as the domain of religion, where they are seen from four thousand feet of grey not equally qualified to shine. If grass slope and black granite, that is Buddhism is an exotic that may have worth remembering. The East River, suffered in transplanting, at any rate coming down in a crimson flood under the doctrine of Tao, or the Way, is a the sunset, slips into a thousand veins, native growth. Lo Tsz, or the Ancient and winds through the rice-fields (palest | One, its founder, was a white-haired green as I saw them, with the promise of the second crop), and round the oases of higher land, where the white cottages are built above flood-level, each imbedded in a patch of bamboo or fruit-trees that show almost black by contrast. And far away to the west the sun sets behind the golden line that marks the Canton estuary. recluse at the time that Confucius became known twenty-four centuries ago. He left a book behind him which, with much that is obscure, contains also many of the truths accepted as divine by less mundane races than the Chinese. His creed was that all things spring from the Way, and must return to it. To follow the Way in simplicity The next place to go to is Su Lau is the only happiness; and this is to Kwon, the Tao-ist Temple of Tranquil- be attained through Tak, or Virtue. lity. The way down is extremely steep" Who is good, I would meet with and slippery and wearisome. If one goodness; and who is not good I would could only take a seat in the streamlet, meet with goodness; for Tak is goodand switch-back down in fifty-foot leaps ness," said the Ancient One, whose of shining spray! By the time the dictum, by the way, contrasts curiously tourist has joggled down the three with the saving of Confucius, less exthousand odd feet into the valley be-alted if more practical: "With what, then, would ye recompense goodness? | she sits quietly in a shrine nicely fitted Recompense goodness with goodness, up as a boudoir, with pictures and lotusand evil with justice.” lilies. When heaven leaked a long time ago, she melted five sorts of stone together and patched it up. So the story goes; but I never believed it till I saw a piece of the unused material which is kept on show to confound the incredulous; even so, a casual observer might mistake it for a piece of lava. But ethics do not suit China. By the workings of the national genius, this simple old philosopher in his mountain cell was degraded into a Drury Lane miracle-mongering idol, and his cleanly life bespattered, not with sweet-smelling legends like those that hide the beginnings of other lead- European visitors are not unknown ers of men, but with such stories as on the Lo Fau San, but naturally the that he sprang into life from his moth- main income of the Tranquil Temple is er's armpit an old man with flapping, derived from native pilgrims and sightthree-holed ears and twenty toes! His seers. The high officials at Canton followers then proceeded to annex pay occasional visits, as do many of the every popular deity that could gain gentry and literati, despite the sceptithem a supporter; and when, in the cism they profess, to set an example, first century A.D., Buddhism became a as they explain it, to the "Hundred formidable rival, these two religions Surnames," Anglicè, the masses. entered into a long struggle for popu- may be so; but a European can keep a larity, each borrowing from the other good many Chinamen at bay as long as any feature that seemed to be an ad- they are not quite sure that he is powvantage. Hence the absurd resem-erless against them; and it may be that blance between them is the result of the free-thinkers have a similar feeling the adaptation of two different species towards the gods they laugh at in their to an uncongenial environment; and it homes. They take no chances. A few is to be hoped that the process will dollars spent on incense at the worst continue until the degraded progeny of can do no harm. both are improved out of existence. - It At any rate, ample accommodation I asked one of the Tao-ist priesthood for visitors is provided. On arriving I what he considered to be the salient was shown into the guest room, a distinction between his religion and pretty little hall with a courtyard full of Buddhism a question which stag- flowers at one end, and a deep windowgered him visibly. After mature con- recess strewed with opium-smokers' sideration he replied: "The Exalted lounge-mats at the other, and with the Brethren shave their heads bare; but inevitable straight - backed chairs of we Searchers after the Way twist ours ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl into a top-knot, thus." A broader ranged stiffly along the side walls. distinction seems to lie in the expres- After a few minutes a venerable old sion of the idols; for while those of priest appeared, to whom I bowed Buddha are mostly bland, not to say politely, shaking my clasped hands on supercilious, the Tranquil Temple col- a level with my chin, and a "Yes! lection was conspicuous for scowling, yes! I will sit down, sit down, sit black-bearded ferocity. The thunder down!" on my tongue's end ready to god struck me as particularly impres- meet his "Good! good! Pray you sive. I liked his sword and his top- sit down." Instead of this, "Have boots; but, above all, I was struck you been attended to, sir!" he said in with his pair of cherubim, whose ham- very good English, and completed my mers and chisels and long, sharp beaks astonishment by alluding to a cadaverwell qualified them to guard their mas-ous young priest in a blue robe behind ter's interests. Of course I do not him as "the steward" who would mean to hint that Ni Vaw Sz looks" take my orders." Afterwards I ferocious; but she was a lady and au drew him out, and got him to tell me empress, and behaves herself as such; what he was doing in that galley. into From his own account he worked for | sik, from hearing it constantly hurled many years on a Pacific liner; and at him by home-returning travellers. when after an illness the ship's doctor Unfortunately the expression happens told him that his heart was affected, to be Chinese-Malay for "Have you and prescribed perfect freedom from eaten rice?" (makan nasi), and so excitement as his only hope, he elected means "Give ye good day." No! if the to spend his remaining days in this awakening of China is to come from temple. He was most polite and within -and that seems rather unpleasant; and at the risk of making my likely just at present it will come in story all digression, I beg for a mo- the next hundred years or so from a ment's hearing in defence of my very leavening of these much-abused adgood friend John Chinaman back from venturers. abroad. I know that I am in a minor- But to go back to my invalided ity on this point; for all the mission- friend in the Temple of Tranquillity. aries agree that the last state of this Truly he could not have chosen a betman is worse than the first. One rea- ter place. The eighty priests who sou for this unanimity is that a con- dream away their lives here have an vert, after ten years of California, not easy time. Where the wood slopes unnaturally has lost much of his teach-down and flanks the temple they have ing. But I maintain the real trouble made pathways and rough stone lies in this; the missionaries (quite benches; and here they sit the long unconsciously I admit) gain a very day through and plat fibres considerable proportion of their con-"magic brooms" to flap away the flies verts through what appears to me to with, chatting together in an underbe a misunderstanding. Suppose Iraf tone or listening to a caged bird singing the Golden is an intelligent man, he in the branches overhead. They do will think, "These foreigners are not smoke opium, or at any rate they richer and more comfortable and better do not stupefy themselves with it as do than I; it is good to be like them." So the Buddhist monks; on the contrary, he places himself under the instruction they seem as cheery and contented as of some foreign missionary establish- they well can be. And in the cool of ment, and by contact with Western springtime, when the pear-trees are civilization is confirmed in his idea white with blossom, and the fir wood that foreigners and superiority and is studded with azaleas and the wild Christianity are one and the same rhododendron, few places in sordid thing. Then he goes to Australia; China can be sweeter and more pleasmeets larrikins and drunken sheep-ant than the Temple of Tranquillity. shearers; hears himself habitually ad- I have just one hint to give my tourdressed not as Foreign Devil but as ist, and that is how to pay before leavBlankety Chow; amasses wealth in ing. He shall express a desire to burn a respectable market-gardening way, incense. His surname, style, and doand returns to erect something really nation will then be written on red handsome over the bones of his de-paper and posted upon the temple wall parted father. He will then call on by way of receipt. If he is a millionhis old pastor in a friendly spirit, and aire, he will hardly grudge a dollar for probably will shock him a good deal. each day of his visit. Above this, even But he bears no malice whatever to the supposing him to have "eaten himforeigner; and in after-years, if he self" and not the temple cuisine, he meets a stranger on the road, he will will gladly spare a few dollars' “tea delicately attract his attention by mur-money for that most attentive of muring all the English that has re-stewards" and his satellites. mained with him, "One, two, ti-lee." There are several other show-places I remember arguing this point with a on Lo Fau San, but after the Temple French priest, who said he had picked of Tranquillity they come rather like up a Siamese swear-word, Ma-kan-a-'an anti-climax. On the way back, sev enteen miles of path along the skirt of down on us where we lay-to for the guest. Here, after three weeks' ab- After all, it was worth while to have sence from the outer world, a news-missed the tug for the experience of hunger seized me, and I inquired after creeping up the river-side, in the slack the war, then still in its babyhood; of the current, under the endless line but the interesting event had not yet of houses. The high deck of the Hongreached the ears of these secluded Kong steamer shows you a kaleidofloating-basketers. I wonder if they scope medley of small craft splashing have heard of Ping Yang and Yalu by slantwise across the stream, apparently now! How, after a long day's march doing their utmost to get rammed; in the sun, I came to spend the even- but to understand the meaning of the ing guessing riddles, I cannot imagine. strata that line the banks, you must It is not easy to translate riddles with- take them at their own level. Then out blunting their point; but "Little you know that what looked like an Miss Netticoat with a white petti-inert mass is really composed of coat" is cosmopolitan, and the Sphinx an innumerable collection of shifting her enigma gave satisfaction. They particles-house-boats, passage-boats, could guess none of mine, and I could slipper-boats, sampans, barges each guess none of theirs. Who would think that a beast with "six eyes, three tails, four legs down, four legs up, marching into town," could be two Chinamen carrying a dead pig to market slung on a pole? So the trial of wits resulted in a draw. with a life and movement of its own. It is a city within a city. There are roads, too, and byways. Now you slip under the gangway of a Shanghai junk unloading at a wharf; now you are scraping along the Plimsoll-line of an empty British collier; then out into There are six leagues of hot, muddy the current to clear a row of lighters path to be covered before Dragonshore moored side by side. There is no is seen again. After having borne up room for rowing, so you roll along bein the hope of ice and a punkah next fore a waggling stern-oar; and when morning, it was a cruel disappointment the crush develops into a block, it to find that the tug ran only every other is "Out boat-hooks," and shove at day, and not that day. Even the Late- the boats alongside quite regardless of born's placid soul was ruffled. The where they want to go. Once as we only alternative to another night of bumped along, the young woman at the horrors at the inn was to charter a cov- oar of the boat next ours lost her balered native boat, which we did. The ance and pitched into my arms. She captain and the crew (which was his was not at all discomposed, and the wife) slept for'ard, with a partition be- baby slung across her back did not tween them and us; and we ate our rice wake up. She stepped back again and cursed our fate. Still we did not without a word, and continued her redo so badly after all, for with the moon-marks to a friend at the shouting-point rise a breeze sprang up, and a rice- where they had been interrupted. She barge, under a huge black sail, bore was used to it. Probably she, like LIVING AGE. VOL. VI. 264 soap. thousands of others, had never slept | the faith that is in him. But of the off her father's or her husband's boat ways and means of the gallery, popular during her whole life. Here and there, knowledge is of the most meagre charamong the hundreds of such homes acter. Indeed, outside the ranks of that jostle by, you get a glimpse of a journalism there are few acquainted little cabin where a desire for art is with the conditions under which the manifested—not common among the reports of speeches and the descriptions lower classes of Chinese; a touch of of incidents in the House of Commous brilliant lacquer; a scroll of texts in are supplied to the morning newspagold and green; a looking-glass; per- pers. The attention of the visitor to haps a tawdry oleograph of the Virgin the House is often irresistibly attracted - come from who knows where ? — from the proceedings on the floor of stuck in all good faith next to an ad- the chamber by the bustle and animavertisement picture of Pearbrooke's tion which prevail in the gallery over the speaker's chair. He knows it is Past the cathedral, past the Flower the reporters' gallery. There is suffiBoats, the vast Alhambra of Canton cient evidence of that in the spectacle towering above us like an anchored of pens and pencils in the nimble fiuhotel (only three days later I saw all gers of its occupants flying over the that was left of the Flower Boats, a pages of note-books. He watches with hollow square of flames flickering along interest the relieving of the men who the water-level), past the Custom- are "on" for a verbatim report of a House into the glad sight of a stone great speech by Sir William Harcourt, embankment, an avenue, and the clean Mr. Balfour, or Mr. Chamberlain. white houses of Shameen, with the the signal a touch on the shoulderUnion-jack, and the stars and stripes, ten or a dozen reporters jump simuland the tri-color flying above the con-taneously out of the little boxes in sulates. The danger remains of being front of the gallery, and giving place confronted by a lady acquaintance to colleagues, ready with note-book and dressed as if for Hyde Park; but safely at the hotel, though mine host may gaze with disapproval at your dishevelled appearance and dirty khaki suit, it only remains to speak up lustily and call for the three great necessaries -a bath, and a barber, and the last number of Blackwood. E. A. IRVING. KA YIN CHU, 29th November, 1894. From The Nineteenth Century. A NIGHT IN THE REPORTERS' GALLERY. EVERY newspaper reader has heard of the reporters' gallery of the House of Commons. It is the medium through which he is enabled to gaze upon the arena at Westminster on which the rival political parties of the State fight out at close quarters their polemical differences; to observe how the great captains bear themselves in the combats, and to hear what each has got to say, in that war of words, in support of At pencil to take up the speaker at the exact point at which they left off, they disappear from the gallery. But of what goes on outside the gallery the average visitor to the House, like the average newspaper reader, is ignorant. Let us, then, have a look behind the scenes of this busy journalistic workshop at Westminster. We shall find it an experience at once interesting and instructive. The ambition of every newspaper reporter is to get into the gallery of the House of Commons. But only a favored few obtain that distinction. No one is permitted to enter the gallery without a ticket, and, owing to its limited accommodation, not more than two hundred and fifty of these tickets are issued by the serjeant-at-arms to newspapers whose positions entitle them to be represented there by reporters, London correspondents, leaderwriters, artists, or sketch-writers. The tickets are of two classes: "transfer |