“The inhabitants of the thirteen villages now heard of this miracle and solicited the priest to intercede in their behalf, that they might be rescued from the sentence of extermination. The priest interced- ed, and the king listened, answering thus: 'I have received an imperial order to exterminate these rebels; but since you, my master, say they now submit, be it so; I must, however, send the troops round to the several villages, before I can report to the emperor ; 1 will do this, and then beg that they may be spared.' The king ful- filled his promise, and villages were saved. Their gratitude to the priest was unbounded; and estates, and incense, and money, were poured in upon him. The king also, persuaded his officers to make donations to the temple, and it became affluent from that day.
"The temple had then no hall to celestial kings; and at the outer gate there was a pool belonging to a rich man who refused to sell it, although Ahtsz' offered him a large compensation. The king, con- versing with the priest one day, said, 'this temple is deficient, for it has no hall for the celestiel kings;' the priest replied, 'a terrestrial king, please your highness, is the proper person' to rear a pavilion to the celestial kings.' The king took the hint, and seized on the pool of the rich man, who was now very glad to present it without any compensation; and he gave command, moreover, that a pavilion should be completed in fifteen days; but at the priest's intercession, the workmen were allowed one month to finish it; and by laboring diligently night and day, they accomplished it in that time."
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Such is the history of the temple of Honam, the largest and best endowed religious establishment in Canton.—Honam is an island and is situated, as its name denotes, (literally translated,) "south of the river;' but the village, which fo a considerable distance lines the bank of the Chúkíáng directly opposite to the city, may be con- sidered as forming a part of its southern suburbs. As the family residences of several principal Chinese merchants, and the open fields lying beyond the village, together with the attractions of the “jos-house,” make Honam a place of frequent resort for stangers who visit Canton, some further particulars concerning the present extent and condition of the temple, may be acceptable.
Its buildings, which are chiefly of brick, are numerous, and oc- with the gardens belonging to the temple, six or eight English The grounds are surrounded by a high wall. Crossing the river a few rods east of the foreign factories, directly after landing you enter the outer gate, pass through a long courtyard to a second,
cupy,
acres.
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