Birds of Nortli-ioest Fuhkien. 173 



more or less bare hills. In the afternoon we entered the 

 Bohea Mountains, and for the rest of the day walked up 

 steep, narrow valleys in a north-westerly direction. Late in 

 the day the scenery became very beautiful, the mountains 

 being high and well wooded in many places. At 6.30 p.m. 

 we reached some houses by the roadside, where we put up 

 for the night. The aneroid here marked only 1800 feet — 

 we had done 55 li (about 20 miles) according to the natives. 

 The filth of our lodging was somewhat disheartening, and early 

 next morning we left this abominable place with [)leasure. 

 This day's march was very trying, the road being rough, and 

 we had to climb up three very steep and rather high passes. 

 The scenery was again very fine. Forest covered the moun- 

 tains, human dwellings were few and fur between, and we 

 were at last in really wild country. Towards 5.30 p.m. we 

 entered the valley below Kuatun, and an hour's climb brought 

 us up to the village. The Mission-house, a wooden building, 

 fairly comfortable, but rather airy, had been lent to us by 

 Mgr. Masot, Vicar Apostolic of North Fohkien; and in the 

 upper story of this historic residence, in which Pere David 

 had spent two trying months 25 years ago, we settled down, 

 and, having engaged hunters, we started work. 



Kuatun, as described by Pere David {' Journal de mon 

 3me Voyage/ vol. ii. p. 258), is a small hamlet built on the steep 

 slope of one of the highest mountains of these parts, named 

 by us Mount David after the Abbe. The village is about 

 3500 feet above sea-level, the mountain rising some 3000 feet 

 above it. Five large straggling houses compose the hamlet. 

 The inhabitants number 37 adults and 16 children, nearly 

 all of them descendants of Catholic emigrants from Kiangsi, 

 driven no doubt to these wild mountains by the persecutions 

 of the last century. A smaller hamlet, consisting of three 

 scattered houses, is situated further up the road in a high 

 valley (alt. about 4500 feet). It is called Shang Kuatun 

 (Upper Kuatun). The inhabitants of these two hamlets are 

 all sturdy, independent-minded mountaineers. They are 

 industrious, intelligent, and honest, but grasping to an 

 incredible extent. Our hunters, however, notwithstanding 



