300 SCENERY OF KOO-KIEN-SAN. 



overgrown with Vines, and other climbing plants, or 

 masses of dark Pine trees, covering and surmounting 

 the wooded knolls, and furnishing deep shady glades be- 

 tween them. At other times, we would wend our way 

 through miles of sable forest, dark, shadowy, and silent, 

 and filled with nothing but lofty Pines ; in our course, 

 ascending precipitous and rocky paths, crossing narrow 

 causeways, or rude bridges over waterfalls; and then 

 again our road would be in open daylight, across broad 

 fields of Sweet-Potatoes, or by the side of "padi" 

 swamps. In Koo-kien-san, we came, on one occasion, 

 suddenly upon a most magnificent natural amphitheatre. 

 From a verdurous plain, covered with the Palmetto Palm, 

 and prickly Pandanus, gigantic Hibiscus trees, and long 

 coarse grass, huge hills uprose in every direction, their 

 sides densely and beautifully wooded with trees of varied 

 foliage, while here and there a patch of bare red rock, or 

 yellow stratified acclivity would relieve the sameness of 

 the universal green. In many places were ravines with 

 running water trickling down the sides. 



To such an extent did I ingratiate myself with these 

 good people, by giving them medicines, and adopting 

 their habits, that, in this same island of Koo-kien-san, a 

 plot was actually laid to carry me off into the mountains, 

 in a rude kind of sedan, with tempting offers of a wife 

 and house, and as much tobacco as I pleased. My 

 services as a Surgeon might have had some influence in 

 bringing them to this determination. Finding, however, 

 all their pressing tenders, and what they conceived 

 tempting offers, of no avail, their chagrin was very mani- 

 fest, and they contented themselves with dressing my 



