THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF PA 99 



imitations of Mantzu caves, and are of recent origin, and 

 purely Chinese. 



The day's journey was through less interesting country 

 than usual. The broad valleys and nearly treeless mountains 

 are all under cultivation. Cotton was again common in the 

 forenoon, but much less so afterwards. This crop looked as 

 flourishing as Chinese cotton usually does. Tobacco is spar- 

 ingly cultivated. The tobacco leaves are merely sun-dried before 

 using, and the quality is therefore poor. Sweet potato was 

 more plentiful than ever ; the arid sandstone rocks evidently 

 suit this crop. Rice was, of course, everywhere abundant, 

 sorghum common, but maize was very scarce and suffering 

 from drought. The Irish potato is very little cultivated in 

 these parts. Around Tu-men-pu white-wax is produced in 

 small quantities on the Privet {Ligustrum lucidum), but the 

 cultivation is slovenly carried out, the trees being dwarf and 

 ill-cared for. A few Cypress trees were noted, but Paulownia 

 is a common tree, and Wood Oil trees rather plentiful. A little 

 silk is raised, but the industry is unimportant hereabouts. 

 Odd trees of the Banyan {Ficus infectoria) occur near houses 

 and shrines. We passed a few fine tombs, but the average 

 headstone is less ornate than those formerly met with. 



We experienced a brief but terrific thunderstorm during 

 the early hours of the morning, and rain continued to fall 

 slightly when we set out from Chin-ya ch'ang. For 20 li 

 we followed an abominable road of mud. This was very 

 greasy, and caused many of us to come " croppers." Ultim- 

 ately, we reached a paved road, and, 6 li farther, a tributary 

 stream of the Kialing River. This tributary is broad, broken 

 by cataracts and rapids, and quite unnavigable at this point. 

 It unites with the Kialing River, locally known as the " Paoning 

 Ho," at Ho-che kuan. This is a small riverine port boasting a 

 remarkably fine shop where coal, lime, and especially Chinese 

 wine (sam-shu), were on sale. On the paved road we met 

 several men carrying Bombay cotton yarn — the first example 

 of foreign goods we had encountered on the whole journey ! 



At Ho-che kuan the Kialing River is smooth and placid, 

 and when in flood is fully 400 yards broad. We ferried across 

 the river to the right bank, and then traversed an alluvial flat 



