On The Twenty-Fifth Of Ramazan, The Dankji, Or Governor Of Kan-Chew Invited
The Ambassadors To A Feast, Intimating
That they were to consider it as a
banquet given them by the emperor; but as it was the fast
Of the Moslems,
the ambassadors sent an apology, yet he sent them all the victuals which
had been prepared for the entertainment. In Kanchew they saw a temple, each
side of which extended 500 kes or cubits, having in the middle of it an
idol fifty feet in length, lying as if asleep. The hands and feet of this
gigantic idol were nine feet long, and the head was twenty-one feet round.
There were numbers of smaller idols, each a cubit high, behind this large
one and above his head, in such natural attitudes that they seemed alive.
The great idol was gilt all over, having one hand under his head, and the
other stretched down along his thigh. This idol was called Samonifu, and
vast numbers of people were constantly prostrating themselves before him.
The walls were also adorned with many figures. All round the great temple,
there were numerous small temples, like the chambers in caravanseras,
having curtains of tapestry or brocade, gilded easy chairs and stools,
chandeliers, and vessels, for ornament. There were ten other temples in the
city of Kan-chew like the former, and a tower having eight fronts, twenty
cubits in circumference, and fifteen stories high. Each story was twelve
cubits high, so that the whole tower was 180 cubits in height.
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