THE DARKNESS OF THE INTERIOR 305
creased as we ventured into the inner court. Its sides
are honeycombed by small dark chambers, apparently
built in the thickness of the enormous wall. Each
is an idol-crowned sanctuary. Into these obscure
shrines one stumbles, bent almost double to avoid the
dirt of the low greasy lintel. Once inside, the eye
The street leading to the Jo-kang. The western front may be seen in the distance.
requires some time to distinguish anything more than
the dim outlines of an altar in the middle of the chamber.
On it stand one or two copper or brass bowls filled
high with butter, each bearing on its half-congealed
surface a dimly burning wick in a little pool of selfthawed
oil. These dim beads of yellow light provide
all the illumination of the cave, and after a little, one
can just distinguish the solemn images squatting round
v o l . 1 1. 2 0
