a temple.

As a natural result of the number of persons of different nations
congregated upon this island, there are various temples, none of
which are worthy of notice, however, with the exception of that
belonging to the Chinese. It is formed like an ordinary house, but
the roof is ornamented in the usual Chinese fashion to rather too
great an extent. It is loaded with points and pinnacles, with
circles and curves without end, all of which are formed of coloured
tiles or porcelain, and decorated with an infinity of arabesques,
flowers, dragons, and other monsters. Over the principal entrance
are small stone bas-reliefs, and both the exterior and interior of
the building can boast of a profusion of carved wood-work richly
gilt.

Some fruit and biscuits of various descriptions, with a very small
quantity of boiled rice, were placed upon the altar of the Goddess
of Mercy. These are renewed every evening, and whatever the goddess
may leave is the perquisite of the bonzes. On the same altar lay
pretty little wooden counters cut in an oval shape, which the
Chinese toss up in the air; it is held to be a sign of ill-luck if
they fall upon the reverse side, but if they fall upon the other,
this is believed to betoken good fortune. The worthy people are in
the habit of tossing them up until they fall as desired.

Another manner of learning the decrees of fate consists in placing a
number of thin wooden sticks in a basin, and then shaking them until
one falls out. Each of these sticks is inscribed with a certain
number, corresponding with a sentence in a book of proverbs. This
temple was more frequented by the people than those in Canton. The
counters and sticks seemed to exercise great influence over the
congregation, for it was only round them that they gathered.

There is nothing further to be seen in the town, but the environs,
or rather the whole island, offers the most enchanting sight. The
view cannot certainly be called magnificent or grand, since one
great feature necessary to give it this character, namely,
mountains, is entirely wanting. The highest hill, on which the
governor's house and the telegraph are situated, is scarcely more
than 200 feet high, but the luxuriant verdancy, the neat houses of
the Europeans in the midst of beautiful gardens, the plantations of
the most precious spices, the elegant areca and feathered palms,
with their slim stems shooting up to a height of a hundred feet, and
spr