The religion of Loo-choo appears to be that of Fo, said to be introduced by the bodzes one thousand years ago[16]. We found great difficulty in discovering any thing precise on this subject from the natives; but from all that we could gather, religion does not appear to be made a matter of general instruction as in Europe, being left, as in China, to the priests. This we infer from the careless way in which the subject was at all times treated by the natives, and the ignorance which they professed of the forms and ceremonies used in the temples. The bodzes are not respected or esteemed in society; they are prevented from marrying, and are not allowed to eat meat: few people associate with them, and even the children turn them into ridicule. On the occasion of the Loo-choo funeral service over the grave of the seaman, the bodzes stood behind, and were not called upon to officiate, the service being entirely performed by Jeeroo. In the large temple we saw three gilt idols and various pictures; but with the exception of the funeral service just alluded to, we never met with any thing in the least degree resembling a religious ceremony. The bodzes kept the temple clean swept, and took care of the walks and hedges, and this appeared to be their only employment. It is fair to suppose, however, that the occupation of the temple by us may have caused a temporary cessation of their religious observances. They have large tombs or cemeteries for their dead, being mostly of the Chinese form, viz. that of a horse-shoe. They are formed of stones and mortar, and are covered with a coat of cheenam, (shell lime), which is always kept nicely whitewashed and clean swept: some are more highly finished than others; their size varies from twenty to thirty feet in length, by twelve to fourteen broad. The coffin, when closed, is placed in the vault under the tomb, and is not touched for six or seven years, by which time the flesh is found to have separated and wasted away; the bones are then collected, and put into jars ranged in rows on the inside of the vault. Burning is never used at any stage of the proceedings, nor under any circumstances. In the course of time, when these vaults become crowded, the vases are removed to houses appropriated to their reception above ground: such must have been the building described by Mr. Clifford in the village near Port Melville. The lower orders, who cannot afford these expensive tombs, take advantage of hollow places in the rocks, which by a little assistance are made secure vaults. In the cliffs behind the village of Oonting, the galleries cut for the reception of the vases must have been the work of men possessed of power and authority. Not being fully aware what the Chinese customs are with respect to the dead, in ordinary cases, it is impossible for us to say how nearly they resemble those of Loo-choo, but there are certainly some points of resemblance.