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An Avenue Of Idols

An Avenue Of Idols image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
July
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Close to this interesting pool is the avenue of images, representing the Amida Buddha. Tlie idols vary iu size, but are similar in design. There are several hundrcd of them altogether, and they sit facing one another in two long rows. We asked the little Jap who brought us to the place how Eaaoy of them there were. In an a wed whisper he replied, "Nobody knows. " Then be told ns how impossible it was to count them. Each image was made unsightly by liaving numbers of little bits of paper stnck on to it and chewed bits of paper which had been spat at it. The object of this disfigv.: "'tu we failed to discover, thongh om - ""d Hojo ioformed as they were put cu the young priests, a part of whose novitiate it was to attempt to connt the BuddJias. There is evideutly something wrong with theye idols, for no one has ever been able to 'reckon them up tlie samé twice over, in spite of sticking a piece of paper to tick each one off. Of course two unsuperstitions Euglishmen wore not to be hnmbngged by native stories, so M. (my traveling compauion) and I, thinking thewhole thing ridiculous, decided to count tlie mysterious images. We started on co-operative liues, each taking a side of the avenue. Onr efforts, however, were fruitless, for we had uot mmibered oír more than a dozen eaqh, before M. (whose eyes were not so good as tliey had ouce been) shonted across to me : ''I say, I saw one of thetn 011 your sidts nioving. I'mcertain Idid. Tbey're uncannv. Let'a give it np. " This interruptiou of course npset all my calculations, bnt we soou carne on the moving image, which turned önt to be uothing inore than one of the oíd Frenchmen, seated peaceí'ully aiiioug the statuea and looking in his white clothes for all the world like a iollv. fat. oíd Buddha. -

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News