20 Lieut. R. E. Vaughan and Staff-Surg. K. H. Jones 



Oil one side of Macao the country is quite flat and covered 

 ■with paddy-fields, but on the other is a range of hills, barren 

 and rocky, like those of tlie New Territory across the water. 



To the eastward of Macao is IMoto Mun, one of the 

 entrances to the Si Kiang or West Eiver, and Moto and 

 Kong Mun are two places on it, about thirty and sixty miles 

 inland respectively, of which mention is made in this paper. 



To the north-north-east of Macao is Wang Mun, another 

 mouth of the West River. 



Inland from Macao, towards Canton on the one hand and 

 Samshui on the other, lies the Delta country. Except for 

 an occasional small mound, in many cases artificial, and in 

 others once a rocky islet in the estuary, this tract is entirely 

 flat, and has been formed by the alluvium brought down by 

 the Canton and West Rivers. 



Throughout the Delta country a vast quantity of rice is 

 cultivated in immense paddy-fields, whilst mulberry-canes, 

 laichee and banana plantations clothe the banks of the 

 creeks and rivers. This portion of the country is very 

 densely populated with the most objectionable ruffians in 

 China. 



Above Samshui, which is a hundred and ten miles from 

 the sea, is the Shin Hing gorge, and from this point west- 

 ward throughout Kwang Tung and into Kwang Si the 

 physical conformation of the country is completely changed. 

 The land is hilly and the river-banks are often very steep, 

 bamboo and scrub abound, and the population is com2)ara- 

 tively scanty. The valleys are often filled Avith extremely 

 dense scrub, but large trees, except those unmolested for 

 semi-religious reasons and those immediately about buildings, 

 are scarce. 



The finest trees in this part are a species of Bombay, 

 which grows to a great height in favoured places, while pines 

 [Pinus sinensis) also occur of considerable size, and are 

 mucli patronized by various sj)ecies of birds for nesting 

 purposes. 



Ornithologically the most interesting place on the West 

 River is Howlik, some twenty miles above Samshui. At 

 this place there is an enormous Buddhist monastery. 



