ith
its hamlets and villages, hills and rivers, on every side; and away in
the distance, on the one hand chains of lofty mountains, the sea, with
all its islands, on the other." Dr. Milne asserts that Ningpo is 10,000
years old, and that the pagoda was raised antecedent to the city being
built. He concludes by explaining the object of the Chinese in raising
these monuments.

[Illustration: PAGODA--NINGPO.]

The view from the summit is remarkably fine, and the ruinous condition
of the pagoda almost warrants the supposition of its being nearly as
ancient as Dr. Milne asserts. I made a drawing of it, and we then
proceeded to the joss-house, which is considered as the handsomest in
the Celestial empire. No part of the building was visible from the
street, and we stopped at an unpretending door where we dismounted from
our vehicles. A Bhuddist priest, clothed in grey and his head shaved,
ushered us through a long gallery into the court-yard of the temple. To
describe this building accurately would be impossible. It was gilt and
carved from floor to ceiling. The porch was supported by pillars of
stone beautifully carved with figures of griffins and snakes. In the
court-yard were two lions carved out of a purple marble, and in the
middle of the yard was an immense brazen ram highly ornamented with
hieroglyphics and allegorical designs. As for the temple itself, it was
so vast, so intricate, and so various in its designs and gildings, that
I can only say picture to yourself a building composed entirely of
carving, coloured porcelain, and gilding, and then you may have a faint
idea of it. I attempted to make a drawing of it, but before I had
obtained much more than the outline, it was time to recross the river.
We dined and passed the evening with Mr. Mackenzie as before. The next
morning I walked to the Chinese cemetery with my gun in my hand, and
shot a few snipe and wood pigeons, and after breakfast we crossed the
river to pay a visit to the shops of Ningpo. The streets of the city are
narrow, but superior to any that we had yet seen. The principal streets
are ornamented with stone arches, and the huge painted boards used by
the Chinese for advertisements give them a very gay appearance. We first
entered into a furniture warehouse, some 300 yards in length, and filled
with Chinese bedsteads carved and gilt in a very splendid manner. These
bedsteads consist of moveable frames about twelve feet square, and
within them are dis