252 ‘mREE OF THE TEN THOUSAND IMAGES.”

former of Buddhism, and which is said to bear a
Thibetian character on each of its leaves. This
marvellous tree was visited by our traveller, who
had too often heard of it during his journey not to
be eager to see it. At the foot of the mountain on
which the Lamasery stands, and not far from the
principal temple, in a great square enclosure formed
by brick walls, is the Zee of the Ten Thousand
Images. Careful examination assured M. Huc
that there was something remarkable about this
prodigy. Upon each of the leaves were well-
formed Thibetian characters, all of a green colour,
some darker, some hghter than the leaf itself. The
bark of the tree, and its branches, which resemble
those of the plane-tree, were also covered with
similar characters. A piece of the old bark being
removed, the young bark showed the indistinct out-
line of characters in a germinating state ; and what
appeared singular, the new characters were fre-
quently different from those they replaced.

‘The Tree of the Ten Thousand Images,” says
M. Hue, “seemed to us of great age. Its trunk,
which three men could scarcely embrace with out-
stretched arms, is not more than eight fect high ;
the branches, instead of shooting up, spread out in
the shape of a plume of feathers, and are extremely
bushy—few of them are dead. The leaves are ever-
green, and the wood, which is of a reddish tint, has