Page 411
An.1687
A Chinese Idol-Temple and Image.
that the Buffaloes may tread upon it all.
I was once ashore at this Island, with 7 or 8 En- glish men more, and having occasion to stay some time, we killed a small Shote, or young Porker, and roasted it for our Dinners. While we were busy dressing of our Pork, one of the Natives came and sat down by us, and when our Dinner was ready, we cut a good piece and gave it him, which he willingly received. But by signs he begged more, and withal pointed into the Woods: yet we did not understand his meaning, nor much mind him, till our Hunger was pretty well asswaged; although he did still make signs, and walking a little way from us, he beckoned to us to come to him; which at last I did, and 2 or 3 more. He going before, led the way in a small blind path, through a thicket, into a small grove of Trees, in which there was an old Idol Temple about 10 foot square: The Walls of it were about 9 foot high, and 2 foot thick, made of Bricks. The floor was paved with broad Bricks, and in the middle of the floor stood an old rusty Iron Bell on its brims. This Bell was about two foot high, standing flat on the ground; the brims on which it stood were about 16 inches diameter. From the brims it did taper away a little towards the head, much like our Bells; but that the brims did not turn out so much as ours do. On the head of the Bell there were 3 Iron bars as big as a mans Arm, and about 10 inches long from the top of the Bell, where the ends join'd as in a center, and seemed of one Mass with the Bell, as if cast toge- ther. These bars stood all parallel to the ground, and their further ends, which stood triangularly and opening from each other at equal distances, like the flyers of our Kitchen Jacks, were made exactly in the shape of the paw of some mon- strous Beast, having sharp claws on it. This it seems was their God: for as soon as our zealous Guide