Excursions in the Souf/i of CJiina. 349 



great height, evidently friable, as they were much scarped by water 

 action. We were not idle with our guns, and bagged some com- 

 mon snipe (Gallinago stenura) and quail (Coturnix communis), with 

 pigeons ; by the water were plenty of egrets (Ardea egrettoides), 

 divers (Podiceps minor), and various kingfishers (Halcyon fuscus, 

 H. pileata, and Ceryle rudis). All this time our boat was 

 rapidly going ahead of us, aided by light breezes, and we had to 

 put on the steam in order to come up with her, especially as our 

 morning walk suggested breakfast. We passed through the village 

 of Kee-Shek, and saw nearly opposite another called Shay-ung-Kow, 

 and a large island covered with wheat fields. We did not catch 

 the boat until it came into the shore at Seong-Tung, v/here we 

 halted and bought fish and eggs for a ridiculously small amount 

 of cash (small copper coin with a square hole in centre). Food, 

 indeed, is remarkably abundant throughout this part of China ; 

 our usual fare was chicken, curry, and rice, with fish. The rising 

 tide warned us not to delay, and taking advantage of it we let the 

 boat proceed, following ourselves on foot this time on the southern 

 bank. The soil here is of a red and yellow tenacious clay, and 

 numerous brick-kilns were conspicuous. Mulberry bushes still 

 abounded ; across the river we could see a remarkable peak called 

 the Lion's head. Before noon we passed close to a village called 

 Ma-sha embossomed in bamboo, litchi, and banyan trees, with 

 fields of mustard and sugar-cane. The villagers here turned out 

 and seemed disposed to give us some trouble, but they did not 

 proceed to take any active hostile measures beyond making use of 

 menacing gestures and insulting cries, which fell harmless on our 

 barbarian ears. On our way we visited some primitive sugar-mills, 

 the roller being worked round a pivot in a wooden shallow saucer 

 by the ubiquitous buffalo ; the juice when cooked is turned out in 

 flat cakes, with an appearance not unlike cakes of toffy. When 

 the sun was at its highest we retreated from its glare into the 

 shelter of our faitan, and Avere nearly all dozing when our approach 

 to the large commercial town of Sy-nam was announced, and we 

 went on deck to see this important mart, famed for its iron-ware 

 and other manufactured goods. Its population is estimated at 

 20,000 inhabitants. On the west of the town, on some friable 

 sandstone cliffs, undermined and caverned by the river, were some 

 strong batteries with brass guns in the embrasures commanding 

 the river approach to the town. These same crumbling sand cliffs 

 were extensively honeycombed by numerous crowded burrows of 



