FOREST AND CRAG 55 



behind the range. We found accommodation in a large farm- 

 house, alt. 3900 feet. The day's journey proved very arduous, 

 but there was much by way of compensation. The scenery 

 was subhme and the flora wonderfully rich and varied. In all 

 I gathered specimens of upwards of fifty new kinds of woody 

 plants, many of them previously unknown. This region is one 

 of the richest I have visited, and I subsequently secured a fine 

 haul of seeds, the great majority of the plants raised from them 

 being now found growing and thriving in many gardens of 

 Europe and America. (Later I again traversed this same 

 region, and owing to heavy rains was over a week in crossing 

 the country between Hsao-lung-tang and Shui-ting-liangtsze, 

 a flooded torrent holding us up for three consecutive days.) 



It was nearly midnight when all was quiet last night, the 

 men being loud in their grumbling against taking the road to 

 Taning Hsien instead of that to Wushan Hsien. The reports 

 we had heard indicated a bad time ahead for all of us and for 

 the men in particular, owing to the extreme poverty of the 

 country-side. I heard them as I lay in bed, but fortunately 

 no complaints were brought to me. 



It was later than usual when we got away in the morning. 

 After a steep ascent we meandered along the mountain-side, 

 and ultimately crossed over into Fang Hsien again by a low 

 pass, alt. 5600 feet. This is the real watershed of the Han 

 and Yangtsze River systems. The Sheng-neng-chia is a gigan- 

 tic spur thrust out from the backbone of the chain, and the 

 streams which take their rise from three sides of this spur 

 flow down to the Yangtsze. From the watershed we had a 

 good view of the Sheng-neng-chia peaks bearing E.S.E., 

 and of some equally lofty mountains to the east, evidently 

 in the vicinity of the Yangtsze itself. On both sides of the 

 watershed is a rather broad cultivated valley bounded by razor- 

 backed hills clothed with woods of Oak and Pine. Varnish 

 trees abound on the edges of the fields and Walnut trees are 

 also common. Farmhouses are scattered over the country-side, 

 and the crow of the Pheasant, the coo of the Wood Pigeon 

 and the notes of the Cuckoo were heard on all sides. By the 

 wayside are many fine trees of Sweet Chestnut and Magnolia, 

 and one very fine specimen of Corylus chinensis, 120 feet tall 



