almost imperceptible
heights. On the top of the hill is a rather spacious plain, and in the
midst of this there rises a temple built with wondrous art.

G.M. Tell on, I pray you! Tell on! I am dying to hear more.

Capt. The temple is built in the form of a circle; it is not girt with
walls, but stands upon thick columns, beautifully grouped. A very large
dome, built with great care in the centre or pole, contains another
small vault as it were rising out of it, and in this is a spiracle,
which is right over the altar. There is but one altar in the middle of
the temple, and this is hedged round by columns. The temple itself is on
a space of more than 350 paces. Without it, arches measuring about eight
paces extend from the heads of the columns outward, whence other columns
rise about three paces from the thick, strong, and erect wall. Between
these and the former columns there are galleries for walking, with
beautiful pavements, and in the recess of the wall, which is adorned
with numerous large doors, there are immovable seats, placed as it were
between the inside columns, supporting the temple. Portable chairs are
not wanting, many and well adorned. Nothing is seen over the altar but
a large globe, upon which the heavenly bodies are painted, and another
globe upon which there is a representation of the earth. Furthermore, in
the vault of the dome there can be discerned representations of all the
stars of heaven from the first to the sixth magnitude, with their proper
names and power to influence terrestrial things marked in three little
verses for each. There are the poles and greater and lesser circles
according to the right latitude of the place, but these are not perfect
because there is no wall below. They seem, too, to be made in their
relation to the globes on the altar. The pavement of the temple is
bright with precious stones. Its seven golden lamps hang always burning,
and these bear the names of the seven planets.

At the top of the building several small and beautiful cells surround
the small dome, and behind the level space above the bands or arches of
the exterior and interior columns there are many cells, both small and
large, where the priests and religious officers dwell to the number of
forty-nine.

A revolving flag projects from the smaller dome, and this shows in what
quarter the wind is. The flag is marked with figures up to thirty-six,
and the priests know what sort of year the different ki