The monasteries are often embosomed among the hills, and surrounded by groves of bamboo and other trees. These are sometimes in the neighborhood of crowded cities; at other times, away in the lonely wilds of the mountains. They are generally used as temples, as well as dwellings for the priests. The monasteries have kitchens, eating-rooms, sleeping apartments and libraries. Most of the larger monasteries own land, or other property, from which annual rent, payable in crops or money, is received. In connection with some of these monasteries are large bells. These have no tongues, but are struck on the outside by a ponderous swinging beam. In some few cases the sound of the bell is not suffered to cease; relays of priests keep it always ringing. In the monasteries generally, morning worship is held before daylight, and evening worship about five o’clock in the afternoon. The service lasts from an hour to an hour and a half. All the priests join in it. The service consists, principally, of a chant or recitation of passages from the Buddhist sacred books, the Sanskrit prayers in which have been transliterated in Chinese characters. This is accompanied, not by the music of organs, but by one or two of the priests beating the time on a hollow “wooden fish.” The chant is impressive, though monotonous. Often they move in slow processions about the room, chanting as they march, and bowing when they pass and re-pass the image of Buddha. [Illustration: MONUMENT OF A BUDDHIST LAMA, NEAR PEKING, CHINA.] In the monasteries great attention is paid to comfort. There are rooms for the reception of officers, for the common people, study rooms and the room for daily worship; in addition, a place is sometimes provided for keeping living animals. These are not kept for food, but are donated by devotees who send them there. It is a part of the Buddhist faith not to kill any living creature, because, if one kills or injures a horse, or any other animal, he may be inflicting suffering on his mother, or some other friend. For the same reason, the Buddhist priests of China sometimes take care of sick and wounded animals. No animal is put to death, but permitted to die a natural death, and then is buried. When you tell the priests that the air, water, vegetables or grain they eat are full of tiny, living animals, and when you try to show them by the help of the microscope, they refuse to believe that they are really animals having organic life. The Chinese dislike the Buddhist priests, because they disown the family relation, and yet they patronize them and follow their teachings with an unquestioning faith and an implicit obedience. [Illustration: PRIEST AT A PRAYING-WHEEL.] A MONK’S MONUMENT. [Illustration: CHINESE BONZE, OR PRIEST.]