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 Ai the Headwaters. 199

and over the borders in Hunan as well, to pnt up the rice straw in this way. The straw is needed as food for the cattle in the winter, and is piled up around the trees to protect it from dampness, and at sufficient distance from the ground to be out of reach of the cattle, which would soon destroy it. It gives a very odd appearance to the place to see thirty or forty young pine trees, each supporting a heap of straw around its trunk, like a great over-grown beehive.

Fives miles of travel brings us to the mouth of Chung- bau creek, the last and largest tributary of the streain we are ascending. It has another name, the “ Burnt Dam” Creek, so called, it is said, from a strange occurrence, by which a dam, composed chiefly of stone, near the mouth of the creek, was in one night mysteriously burned away. » This feat is also ascribed to Prince Chan, mentioned above. This ereek is the outlet of a rich and attractive valley with a dozen villages or more, the chief of which is Chung-how, with a market of the same name adjacent. This is a remarkably well-built town, with a high wall, aud gates like a city, good public buildings, and many evident signs of prosperity. A low ridge of hills forms the eastern boundary of the valley, while on the west it is walled in by the main ridge, whose peaks in the after- noon cast their shadows quite across the valley. The groves about many of the villages are especially fine, camphor, oak, and chestnut trees abounding. Most of: the villages have but one gate for entrance and exit. This arrangement is very inconvenient to one who wishes merely to go through the village, but is an excellent safe- guard against robbers.