THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF PA loi 



the monotony of level roofs. The area within the city walls 

 is largely occupied by yamens, temples, and residences of the 

 more wealthy. Business is mostly carried on outside the city 

 proper, and is confined mainly to one street. Umbrellas were 

 the most noticeable articles on sale, but the city is famous for 

 its superior vinegar, great jars of which were on view. 



Hedges of the thorny shrub. Citrus trifoUata, are a 

 prominent feature of this city and its suburbs, giving to the 

 quieter streets a country-lane-like appearance. The water 

 supply of the city is from wells, which are often very deep. 

 This water is said to be good, but that supplied to our inn 

 had a very " earthy " flavour. From what I saw of the 

 city during a day's stay there, I received the impression of 

 its being clean, its people very orderly and courteous, and the 

 decline in its prosperity most marked. The Paoning Ho is 

 a shallow river, and opposite the city about 500 yards broad 

 when in flood. It is navigable for boats of considerable size 

 downwards to Chungking. Up-stream small boats ascend 

 to Kuangyuan Hsien. A certain amount of merchandise 

 descends in small boats from Pikou, in Kansu, to Chaohua 

 Hsien. These rivers are most important to Paoning Fu, for, 

 in addition to export trade, the coal and wood used in the city 

 itself are conveyed over these waterways. On the right bank 

 facing the city is a ledge of cliff, on which nestle several 

 temples and pavilions, sheltered by groves of Cypress. In a 

 gap in this cliff is situated the busy little village of Nan-ching 

 kuan. Timber is very scarce around Paoning. Cypress wood 

 is commonly used in house-building ; Alder wood {Alnus 

 cremastogync) occasionally being employed for window frames, 

 etc., but its chief use is as fuel. Pine occurs, but, save as fuel, 

 is worthless. Cunninghamia, that most useful of Chinese 

 conifers, does not occur in this neighbourhood. The wood 

 of the Hung-tou tree {Ormosia Hosiei), so highly esteemed for 

 carpentry, was formerly fairly common and cheap. To-day, 

 however, it has to be brought from a distance, and, in con- 

 sequence, is expensive. Oak and "Huang-lien" [Pistacia 

 chinensis) are the only other timber trees of note. Paoning is 

 an important missionary centre, and the seat of a Protestant 

 bishopric. During my brief visit I had the pleasure of 



