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31
Saturday, 25 July
This morning we started for one of the most beautiful and satisfying spots it has been my fortune to see in China. We took the boat across the river, and instead of debarking at the regular landing we went up a narrow creek until we could go no further, then followed a path through the brush until we came out on the motor road.  Along this we went, stopping at the foreign cemetery, where we paid our respects to the memories of Madame Stuart and her husband, Leighton's mother and father, until we came to the little cluster of houses, restaurants and shops around the imposing gate way to Lin Ying, the Retreat of the Spirits. Inside of the gate we seemd to be in a rare wooded park rather than in a temple. Ahead of us, up the road, was the Pavilion of the Sound of the Runnings Waters of Spring, on the Curving Dragon Bridge over the little stream that caroled to us over its rocks as it ran past in the narrow ravine on our right. To the left were the cliffs of the Mountain That Flew Over, and plainly to be seen were the mouths of the caves and some of the stone sculptures, among which are the oldest monuments in Hangchou. We wandered through the caves, not minding the Buddhas and Lohans. In one place a straight shaft of brightest sunlight struck upon the rocks at the bottom of a cave and bounced back upon the Buddhas lighting them as if by a fire.

We cross ed the stream through the Pavilion and wandered along the road in front of the Yun Lin or Cloudy Fores Monastery watching the water running over its partly natural and partly paved course, and inspecting the sculptures that stood out from the vines and general greenery on the cliff opposite us. Near the temple gate were two more pavilions and a large pool, a place that looked quite good enough to swim in. All along the way and all about us in this valley retreat were fine large trees of many varieties, including criptomerias, pines, gingkoes, elms, wutungs, and sundry others, with the lighter green of the bamboo making white patches on the hillside and feathery filling in spaces between other trees. 

The first hall of the temple was dim and