San-yiian ; but ere long a faint glow in the east heralded the approach of day. 
The air was filled with the distant honking of geese; and, with the spreading 
of the glow in the east, long chains of wild fowl became visible, flying south- 
ward. Presently a small river was reached, and there, thick upon the 
southern bank, were hundreds of geese and duck, the latter being of the 
species Sheldrake, or as it is usually called in China ‘“ Yellow Duck.” Soon 
after sunrise we passed a large pagoda, which had been noticed standing out 
against the gathering mists as we descended the heights the preceding after- 
noon. At last the bank of the Wei Ho was reached, and considerable delay 
experienced in getting across. The weather was very gloomy, whilst the 
mournful calling of the ducks, the dismal flats, and grey sombre river all 
combined to enhance the feeling of depression which seized the travellers as 
the heavily-laden ferry moved slowly across the sluggish water. Though the 
temperature was not in reality very low the cold seemed unbearable, a result 
doubtless of the moisture in the atmosphere. Moored alongside either bank 
of the river were huge coal-barges with quaint roofs and dragon-headed joss- 
poles, which, in the morning mist, seemed to assume strange forms, gigantic 
and menacing. As the ferry-boat passed close to a sandbank in the middle of’ 
the river, an immense cloud of duck rose with a thundering whirr. After 
circling overhead, and flying up and down the river in a rapidly moving, ever- 
changing cloud, the birds suddenly swooped into the water, countless little 
jets of spray marking the spot where they had struck its smooth surface. 
On landing we noticed some geese not far off, and Sowerby, riding up to 
the small flock, managed to secure one from the saddle. The rest of the 
journey to Hsi-an lay over a flat country, the first part of which was much 
intersected by irrigation canals, supplying water to the swampy rice fields. 
Here many mallard and teal were feeding, and round the villages the beautiful 
pink and white ibis waded knee-deep in the black, oozy mud. As Hsi-an was 
neared, the rice fields and canals gave place to wide, rolling fields of early 
wheat, the green of which was hailed by the party with the liveliest satisfac- 
tion. The pleasure afforded to the eye by a green field, after the yellow, grey, 
and brown of a North China winter, cannot be expressed. A quaint charm 
was added to the scene by strong battalions of geese drawn up in serried ranks, 
as ifon parade. In every-direction, too, were little detachments, giving the 
impression of the outposts, pickets, and scouts of main opposing armies. 
When approached and fired upon, the flocks arose e7 masse, honking wildly 
The noise was deafening, and the sky black with frightened birds till, breaking 
into chains, they flew off in all directions. 
40 
