Grotto with Pagoda in Touranne
(Da Nang)
from Voyage
Autour du Monde
par les Mers de l’Inde et de Chine.
Paris:
Imprimerie Royale, 1833-3.
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After
exploring the Strait of Malacca, the Favorite sailed
north into the South China Sea. On the way to Canton [Kuang-chou],
Laplace anchored at Tourane [Da Nang] on the east coast of Vietnam.
Several members of the crew took a tour in a small boat in the
natural canals among the grottos there. They were fascinated by
the formations of calcium; some were brilliant and as hard as
marble. "We arrived in a place hidden behind the grotto,
secluded, where a truly magical effect struck us with astonishment".
There they found two colossal sculptures carved into the stone,
one a strangely dressed figure, and the other a ferocious, fabulous
animal.
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"We
perceived in the interior of the earth the circuits of many
natural canals, plied by many small boats. Our guide pointed
out to us the small pagodas constructed at the back of the pretty
grottoes where the current bathed the rock."
The naturalists also
noted some living inhabitants of the grottos:
"Above
our heads were great grey accumulations, covered with foliage
and plants that formed a massive canopy in which we saw a multitude
of little monkeys, possessors of this sacred place."
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