650 SKETCH OF THE CONIFERS OF JAPAN* 



^a 



*'0n setting out with him our road led us up to the head of the 

 valley in xs'hieh the temple stands, and then it seemed as if all 

 further passage was stopped by high mountain barriers. As we 

 got nearer, however, I observed a path winding up round the 

 mountain, and by this road we reached the top of a range of 

 taountains fully a thousand feet higher than any we had passed, 

 or 4000 feet above the sea. When we reached the top the view 

 that met our eyes on all sides rewarded us richly for all the toil 

 of the morning. I had leen nothing so grand as this since my 

 journey across the Bohea mountains; on all sides, iu whichever 

 direction I looked, nothing was seen but mountains of various 



heights and forms, reminding one of the waves of a stormy sea- 

 Far below us in various directions appeared richly cultivated and 

 well- wooded valleys; but they seemed so far off, and in som6 

 places the hills were so precipitous, that it made us giddy to 

 look down. On the top where we were there was nothing but 

 ptunted brushwood, but here and there where the slopes were 

 gentle, I observed a thatched hut and some spots of cultivation. 

 At this height I met with some Lycopods, Gentians, and other 

 plants not observed at a lower elevation. 



** We had left the highest point of the mountain ridge and were 

 gradually descending, when on rounding a point I observed at a 



distance a sloping hill covered with the beautiful object of oui' 

 feearch — the Abies Ksempferi. Many of the trees were youiig, 

 tmd all had apparently been planted by man ; at least so far as I 

 could observe they had nothing of a natural forest character about 

 them. One tree in particular seemed the queen of the forest, 

 from its great size and beauty, and to that we bent our steps. It 

 was standing all alone, measured 8 feet in circumference, was 

 fully 130 feet high, and its lower branches were nearly touching 

 the ground. The lower branches had attained a flat and hori- 

 zontal form, and came out almost at right angles with the stem, 

 fcttt the upper part of the tree was of a conical shape, resembling 

 Wore a Larch than a Cedar of Lebanon. But there were no 

 cones even on this, or on any of the others, although the natives 

 informed us they had been loaded with them in the previous 

 years. I had therefore to content myself with digging up a few 

 self-sown young plants which grew near to it, and which I shall 

 endeavour to introduce to England. 



**i now parted from my friend Mr. Wang, who returned to hi^ 

 mountain home at Quanting, while 1 and ray guide pursued our 

 journey towards the temple at which I was staying by a different 



