Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/212

 208 Ling-Nam.

over a wide surface, has heen confined into a narrow channel by two long stone embankments. It falls in one continuous deseent about three hundred yards, the sound of the rushing torrent being like the roar of a eataract. No boat with its ordinary crew can make the ascent, so that it becomes necessary to unite the crews of several on one.

Before attempting the task, the boatmen all sacrifice at the little altar near the water, presenting offerings of pork and fowls, with incense and wax candles. Having safely passed this raging stretch of rampant water, we enter a fine gorge, through which the river winds in several curves, between bold and picturesque hills covered with a preat variety of trees and shrubs. On the rough sides of the hills are many quaint and grotesque shapes in the rock. At one point, on the top of a low but steep- walled cliff, is a grove of peach trees, said to produce superior fruit of the cling-stone variety.

Emerging from this, the last pass on the river, we come into a rolling country, low hills near the river and high mountains to the east. The river becomes more sinucus even than below, almost doubling on its track in places. Swinging around one of these curves, we come abreast of the market town of Ma-po-shui, built on a bluff on the river bank above a pool of great and uneertain depth. In the valleys adjacent are many villages, and in the town a thriving business is done in pea-nuts especially, twelve large manufaetories pouring out rivers of oil. Beyond the hills that line the river are many attractive valleys, those to the right being especially noted for their wonderful camellia groves, thousands upon thousands of