Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/213

 At the Headwaters. 209

these shrubs covering the hillsides with a glistening mantle of dark-green foliage.

A short distance above Ma-po-shui we find a remark- able hilt full of caves. On the riverside may be seen the entrances of four, one very large, revealing a black, mysterious interior. On the other side, for the hill is an isolated rocky cliff of limestone formation, there are still more to be seen. We explored several of them. The largest, with an entrance way full fifty feet in diameter, and about two hundred above the plain, we found to descend into the heart of the bill. Not being furnished with lights, we could not go to the end, but a strong eurrent of air coming ont indicated the existence of another opening. As we entered another near the base of the hills, we found the air rushing in, and concluded it must be connected with the one above. A third that we explored was like a tunnel, narrow and low-roofed, but with walls of finer texture than marble carved by hand. The formation in these caves is very beautiful, white and glistening, falling in rich and graceful folds, looking like fleeces of the softest wool.

For some distance we have had glimpsee of the high range of mountains extending to the north-east. All the intervening hills dwindle into insignificance before their grand proportions. The clouds rest continually on the higher peaks, only lifting occasionally to show us their full outline. We are perhaps twenty miles from their base. From every point in the winding stream the eye instinctively searches them out, and rests upon them with a satisfied feeling, induced, no doubt, by their magnitude

and solemn repose. They change with every hour of the 14