Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/89

 Among the Palms. 85

There is little in the natural features of the country to attract one, and the character of the people is often a sad disappointment. Many of those who return from abroad are most bitter in their feelings against people from the west. In the town of Shui-how a number of these men broke into the Wesleyan chapel, destroyed the furniture, aud maltreated the native preacher. Having been abroad, they professed to have learncd all about the religion and customs of Christian lands, which they pronounced unfit for Chinamen to receive. They declared that foreigners were guided by “t’een-wan,” astrology, and the Chinese by “tay-wan,” geomancy, and proceeded to take violent measures to expel the Christian astrologers from their midst. Their hostility was further shown one day, when a medical missionary was quietly fishing along the bank of the stream, and some men from a passing boat cursed the “foreign devil” in English and Chinese, and fired several shots at him, of which fortunately none took effect.

Many large towns are found on the banks of this stream, and in several villages and important centres Uhristian schools and churches have been established. Some conception of the density of the population may be gained from the fact that from the top of “Centipede Hill,” opposite the town of Chik-hom, three hundred and fifty villages can be seen. In many of these the new white houses, glistening beside the verdant fields of grain, show the homes of those who have returned from abroad, and put their earnings into houses for themselves and families.

Toward the headwaters of the smaller streams that unite to form the main river the country becomes moun-