82 A NATURALIST IN WESTERN CHINA 



to cool the air. Descending a few li we struck a rather broad 

 stream with many red-sandstone boulders in its bed. The 

 road ascends this stream to its source, and steep ascents and 

 descents were all too frequent. We lunched at the village of 

 Kao-chiao, and a more hot, fly-infested, stinking hole, with 

 people more inquisitive, I have not experienced. Savage, 

 snarling, yelping dogs abounded, and these, with the other dis- 

 comforts, did not add relish to the meal. My followers seemed 

 to share my views of this village, and grumbling and male- 

 diction were loud on all sides. Our meal did not occupy long, 

 and we all felt better when clear of this filthy, pestiferous place. 

 The whole day was spent among sandstone, grey and red, 

 and we were seldom out of sight of rice fields. Pine abounds, 

 but the Cypress does not appear to be at home here, and occurs 

 very sparingly as compared with previous days. Wood Oil 

 trees are common, but the flora generally is not interesting. 

 Elseagnus bushes are common and were in ripe fruit. The 

 stems of this shrub (Shan-yeh-wangtzu, or Yang-ming-nitzu) 

 are commonly used for making the long stems of tobacco 

 pipes so frequently seen in this region. The Burdock {Arctium 

 major) is common in stony places and often cultivated, being 

 used as medicine under the name of " Yu-pangtzu." 



Three li before reaching our lodgings we crossed a ridge, 

 and passing through a stone gateway, entered the district of 

 Tunghsiang Hsien. We found an inn at P'ao-tsze, a small 

 scattered hamlet, alt. 2650 feet, 65 li from Wang-tung-tsao. 

 The inn is clean and prettily situated in a little valley bounded 

 by low red-stone hills all under cultivation. The host is 

 evidently a man of substance, and amongst other things owns 

 a reclining chair of novel workmanship, of which he is evidently 

 very proud. 



There was no breeze last night, and I slept badly, partly 

 owing to the heat and partly to the occupants of the inn talk- 

 ing in high argumentative tones till past midnight. This is a 

 common habit of the Chinese and very exasperating to any one 

 trying to get to sleep. 



With only 50 li to do to Nan-pa ch'ang the men were in 

 high spirits and set out in style. The road proved easy — by 

 one o'clock we had covered the distance, and had a couple of 



