I could not but be
gratified at the pleasure he expressed on discovering that I was safe,
but I was much concerned to find that Nowell and Dango had not been
heard of. He had sent scouts out in every direction, but not a trace of
them had hitherto been discovered.

As soon as I heard of this, I wanted to set out to search for my friend,
but both the old gentlemen protested against my doing so; indeed, I
myself was scarcely aware how tired and worn I was. Mr Coventry was
also able to send out scouts to search for Nowell, so that I became now
reconciled to not going out myself for that purpose. Lumsden, however,
volunteered to go out early the next morning to look for him should he
not have been found in the meantime. We had an hour or more to spare
after we had dined before darkness would set in; and both my grandfather
and Mr Fordyce, having heard of a curious temple in the neighbourhood,
hewn in the bare rock, were anxious to employ the time in visiting it.
We set off on horseback, the distance being considerable, hoping to find
Nowell safe at the camp on our return. We passed on our way heaps of
ruins, very similar to those I have before described, till at length we
found ourselves before the precipitous side of a hill of granite. On
approaching nearer, we saw directly in front of us a temple about twenty
feet in height, the roof supported by pillars, with a sitting figure of
Buddha in the centre, the whole hewn out of the solid rock. On the
right was a standing figure upwards of twenty feet in height, and beyond
it a recumbent one between forty and fifty feet long. On our left was
another sitting statue placed on a pedestal, elaborately carved, with a
great deal of carved-work on the wall behind it. All these statues were
of Buddha, the different attitudes being intended to represent his calm
and contemplative character.

"What is Monasticism but Buddhism under a slightly different form? What
are hermits but Buddhists? How different is true Christianity, with its
active spirit of benevolence ever going about to do good, and thus to
repress and overcome evil," I heard Mr Fordyce remark to my
grandfather. He responded to the sentiment warmly. "Unhappily,
Buddhism is to be found, not only in Asia, but in civilised Europe and
America," he remarked. "What was the `Age of Reason' in France but
Buddhism fully developed? What were its results? Tyranny, murder,
cruelty unexampled. Sinful and corrupt man--had