Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/86

 82 Ling-Nam.

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In the midst of these San-ui Hills is said to be the Loong-tam, or “Dragon Pool,” in which the great storm dragon resides, His presence and influence are indicated by the clouds of mist that envelop the mountains, and the torrents of rain that are poured forth. In the time of drought the officials ascend the peak to worship the rain dragon, and if their formal prayers are not availing, they present a pig as a propitiatory offering, throwing it into the pool. This stirs up the dragon, and makes him send forth rain. The pig, it is said, will afterwards be picked up in the Ngai-mun, ten miles away, the supposi- tion being that there is some subterranean connection between the two. Persistent search, however, has failed to reveal this wonderful stream, whose clear, never-failing fountain is believed to be the hiding-place of the dragon. The nearest approach to a pool or a spring is a swamp or morass, thickly overgrown with. grass, the probable abode of reptiles of an inferior order.

The history of this dragon is given in the following story. A boy in one of the villages near by caught a snake, which he kept in his desk at school, Every day he fed it with rice, and when the school closed took it to his home. His parents did not like the snake in the house, and set it free in the garden. For a long time it re- mained there, making no attempt to bite any one, and winning for itself the reputation of being a very good snake. One day, however, it bit a man who had offended it in some way, and he died. The people, in their anger, caught it and cut off its tail. It escaped to the hills, where it was afterwards changed into a dragon, but, having no tail, it could not ascend to the heavens. It