32 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



Styrax Hemsleyanum and Amelanchier asiatica, var. sinica, the 

 June berry, are other trees with white flowers remarkable for 

 their beauty and abundance of blossom. On the more open 

 slopes Symplocos cratcegoides, Lonicera Maackii, var. podocarpa, 

 Diervilla japonica, and Cratcegus cuneata made a fine display. 

 Thin woods of Pinus Massoniana and Sweet Chestnut {Castanea) 

 also occur ; the Pine trunks are gashed for the ultimate purpose 

 of producing kindling wood. In open places Rtibus corchori- 

 folius abounds, and its red, raspberry-like fruits with their 

 delicious vinous flavour were good eating. In the descent 

 Dipteronia sinensis, a small bushy tree with erect trusses of 

 small white flowers, occurs, and Actinidia chinensis is common. 

 The hermaphrodite and male forms of this climber have large 

 white flowers quickly changing to buff-yellow, and the fragrance 

 is very pleasing. A form with purely female flowers is unknown. 

 At the foot of the descent we joined the main road from Ichang 

 to Hsingshan Hsien, and following this route we reached 

 Shui-yueh-tsze, a village of loo houses, situated in a tiny rice 

 flat, at five o'clock. The people were very inquisitive, and I 

 held an impromptu reception until bedtime. 



On joining the main road, we saw evidences of the survey 

 for the Hankow-Szechuan Railway. The proposed route was 

 marked by bamboo poles, and on the rocks with Arabic 

 numerals and initials in Roman letters.. The route descends 

 a stream, just before reaching Shui-yueh-tsze, to Liang-ho- 

 kou, and then continues down the Hsingshan River to the 

 Yangtsze, which it connects with at Hsiang-che. Its con- 

 struction even in this region promises to be a difficult task, 

 and wiU call for great ability on the part of the engineers. 

 Much tunnelling and blasting will be necessary, yet from 

 Hankow to this point the task is simple compared with that 

 which lies beyond. The cost will be enormous even in a 

 land of cheap labour. It is highly improbable that the gentry, 

 who are so violently opposed to the employment of foreign 

 capital in this venture, realize the magnitude of the task and 

 its ultimate cost. 



The next day's journey proved interesting but arduous. 

 By an undulating path we reached the top of the ridge, which is 

 known as T'an-shu-ya (Lime tree Pass), from a gigantic Linden 



