Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-07-19

| temple are divided into three copr,.
| Inc first or lowest is entered NV tho
main porch; aud here are placed the
priests dwellings,, the well, aud the
morse b"nSe Ito be more particularly
uescrlhed bciowi. From this n nat
| way leads to the second court. HAVING a
Iurge rooied platform in the centre and
secondary shrines aud outbaildInps on
lhe sldes. ibis secoad court is raised
lew feet above the first. The third
Is raised considerably higher, and in
! closed IN stone wall surmounted bv n
Ille-rooied palIng. Steps in the centre
/ iead under another porch into this
| hlghest level; and here, G,cIng the en-
| trance OF the tempt. enclosure. stands
the principal shrine.
! Under tie caves of the norrh there
slt two coolies taking a slignt meal OF
tea ana rice, and couversing with a
small girl and b1hy boy, who crows
at the attention raii HIM. | exchange
bows with the old woman who retsi,s
the Teircshment, and has pot full Of
Japanese delicacics on sticks, simmer
Ing over charcoal br0zier aud waiting
strange odor to my nostrils as pass
on.
Here the temple grounds lie fairly
before me. The huge curved roofs Of
the priests houses are shining in the
sun throrgn ihe grand foliage of trees
that u hroa shadows across the
open court. Lanterns (tOrO) of stone.
anu brouze are arranged everywhere.
| catching the light here, and there half
obscured IN shade. Little groups Of
children at piuy are dotted about, some
IN garments of gauiy color, which
stand out III the bright sunlight like
gems. There are pa!iUgs OF stone
olackened wool, or BAN BOO, instruct
ed IN devices new to the European eve,
which wanders resilessly from one spot
OF light or color to another, now catch
Ing the white dress of priest as it ap-
pears spasmoilically among tine trunks
| OF trees, now attracted by the sheen
OF gilt gable prutruding from amongst
the foliage that obstructs complete
view OF the whole extent of the grounds.
immediately y to the right, after pass
ing through the entrance, one cannot
but notice a small wooden buildinr,
from an open part of which there pro-
jects the head of a white hog-maned
pony, swaying over the bar which
keeps the animal in It's prison. This is
the steed which the deity TO whom the
temple is dedicated condescends to ride
, when lie visits the earth. This eUues-
triel exercise, it is said. is chiefly
taken in the night time. The horse Is
kept for no other purpose, and fed
upon beans. So the poor brute gets
very fat, aud | am told that its un-
natural life cannot he sustained for any
lengthened period. \ temple servant,
clad in dark blue coat, with the temple
| crest or symbol in large white figures
on his back, is in attendance, TO sell a
handful of beans for a copper, IN order
that the devout or curious NAV have
the privilege of feeding tue hOr=e Of
| the ImmortRl.
Next, under q heavily tiled roof sup
ported on carved wooden pillars AID
cross pieces, we find a well AMI Il
| granite tank, the former bearing an
| inscription to the effect that the water
| Is clear and fresh. From a rack over
| head are suspended small colored cot
| ton cloths, whereon are inscribed, in
| white characters, certain piOus proverbs
and quotations. These arc towels, used
by the visitors to dry their hands ter
ablution, before going to pray. The
| well, however, is used by everybody,
as one can see BY the group of chatter
| ing, smiling girls and women, one Of
| whom, with her brown legs bare to the
knee, is goodnaturedly drawing water
| for the others By means of the rope
and pulley. Apparently no one Is in a
| hurry, for the tubs which she fills
stand abont for sometime before re-
moval. The sturdy elderly man, with
| short thick coat bound around the
loins, bronzeI limbs and sandalled feet,
who takes refreshing draughts out OF
| one of the little wooden dippers pro-
vided for tn, public use, is n peasant.
His wife stands by, holding the straw
hats. Her skirts are tucked into her
waistband. so as to display n bright
red petticoat, and her legs are encascd
| in light blue silk wrappings, while on
| her feet she wears white cotton socks
besides sandals. Truly these, In sp te
of homely faces and short stature, are
good specimens of q good type, people
industrious aud thrifty. To judge by
the bundle on the mans back, they
have been making their purchases in
town, after trudgIng many miles on
foot, he carrying some goods for sale
| there, slung on pole, and she clad IN
| her holiday dress in order to appear to
advantage before the tradespeOple.
Farther away on the right IS the
dwelling house of the priests. Wood
en- steps lead up to the front apart
ments, the slides of which being open,
glimpse is obtained of the interior,
where white-robed priest Is seen
seated at a low table with writing
materials before him. Opposite, on
more curved roofs, belonging to places
for rest and refreshment.
The pavement from the porch leads
on to three or tour steps, by ascending
winch one reaches the second part of
the inclosuie. This is marked by
low fence OF rounded stone posts
placed on the UPPER level, and
planted with towering bushes and
small trees. Some twenty PAGES on Is
the ord nary wooden clsh-bOx, stand
ing at the entrance iLtJ the large CEN
tral building. This cons SIS of an ele-
waited rail d platform, const uctad en-
tireIy of wood, and shaded by nspread-
ing roof of wood thatch, having upward
curyed ends, aud being supported on
large carved wooden pillars. Above
the steps leading to the platform Is
spread a long white cotton curtain,
Iooped I'D in the centre, and bearing
the imperial chr, sauthemum IN black
outline. the same crest being also on
the large paper lanterns that hang on
each side. The olshbox mentioned
above as standing at the entry OF this
building is for the use of the devotees;
whose practice is to clap their hands
twice after clsting in a coin, and before
they begin to pray. This is their mode
of calling the attention of the deity to
their Nous ofrerlngs. y thick bell
rone attached to q very small clatter-
box hangs behind, to be used for the
same purpose. o1-
Passing round to the back OF this ed
foo one faces the wall inclosing the
third @ and principal part of the temple
oronnds. A row of stone lante ms on
q stone platform afford by their riel