Excursions in the South of Cliina 359 



ing pulled across the river to examine the mines on the southern 

 side of the Shin-Hing-Hup. These mines or quarries consist of 

 pits eight hundred feet deep, from which a valuable black 

 stone (cannel coal ?) is produced. It is a black stone almost 

 like jet, takes a considerable polish, and is used for inkstands 

 and palettes ; the surrounding rock appeared to be coarse grit rock 

 and beds of solid dark slate. The echoes here were very amusing, 

 high notes being repeated distinctly several times in succession. 

 The quarries were not being worked, as the mandarins had 

 demanded an excessive royalty on the produce. Late in the 

 evening we dropped down stream with the tide to Lo-un-Chun, 

 a village opposite to Kwangli island, and nearer to the Teng-fu 

 mountain than How-li. 



On Saturday, i6th March, we started at 7 a.m., and took the 

 same route to the Tek-Chime monastery, reaching it in two hours 

 and a half Here we provided ourselves with some stout poles to 

 climb the upper heights, and procured a guide. After three hours' 

 hard climbing, during which the woods became gradually thinner, 

 and, finally, disappeared, we halted at a spot, beyond which our 

 guide declared that he had never been. However, we pushed on 

 until we reached the summit, but the thick clouds breaking for a 

 few minutes disclosed a much higher peak than that on which we 

 were at (4000 feet), and separated from us by a vast chasm, at the 

 bottom of which lay far below us the Enchanted Golden Lake. 

 We were much disappointed at not having reached the highest 

 summit, but there was nothing for it but to descend via the charming 

 deep tarn, the spare waters of which were carried off by a series 

 of cascades and waterfalls, by following which we arrived in due 

 time at the foot of the mountain under torrents of rain, and were 

 heartily glad to regain the shelter of our boat. 



The next day (Sunday) we passed Sy-nam and reached Fat- 

 shan, where we spent all Monday morning returning to the mono- 

 tonous duty at Canton the same evening. 



