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 116 Ling-Nam.

heing able to ascend twenty miles farther to the town of Leung-ch’an. This neighbourhood is famous for partridges, thousands being caught every week in the season and sent. to market. The centre of the partridge district is the market-town of Leung-ch’un. From the hamlets in the mountains they are brought in by the farmers who snare them, and are sold for ten cents a pair. Moat of them are bought up and sent directly to Canton. Others are found along the streams, and their skins exposed for sale in the streets. Deer, leopards, and other animals are frequently seen on the hills.

Wai-tsap is important as a point of entrance to the Kwong-si province. Its proximity, however, to the district, in which the Taiping rebellion arose has fostered and increased the natural antipathy of the people to outside innovations. That the people are not ineorrigibly set against foreigners may be seen by contrasting two visits made to the place within the last few years. The first was made by an agent of the American Bible Society, in one of his long tours for Bible distribution. As he approached the city, he found that the officials, aware of his coming, had issued proclamations forbidding the people to have anything to do with him or with those who accom- panied him. He was met several miles down the river by a deputation from the district magistrate, requesting him to turn back. He persevered, however; but with the assistance of two native colporteurs, who devoted the whole day to the work, he was able to dispose of but one small book, His boat crew had taken some salt on specu- lation, which they soon succeeded in disposing of at a price much below its market value in the place. The