The Yin and the Yang 147 



a compromise was effected, the Tung family receiving a 

 round sum, in return for which they guaranteed, on behalf of 

 themselves, their heirs, and assigns, henceforth to leave the 

 "Yin" or Dark, Le. the underground, undisturbed, and to 

 make use only of the " Yang," or Bright, i.e. the surface por- 

 tion of their property. I may add, that in making the stone- 

 quarry, they destroyed three of the artificial cave-dwellings 

 which abound throughout the sandstone cHffs of Szechuan, 

 leaving one intact as a specimen and a cool summer retreat. 

 These caves were inhabited by the Aboriginals or Miaotse, 

 or, as the Chinese here say, by the Man-tze, who occupied 

 the whole of this and the neighbouring provinces of Kwei- 

 chow and Yiinnan before they were gradually driven out by 

 Chinese immigrants from the north and east, about two 

 thousand years back. The public generally are now warned 

 not to touch the " yin " of this hill, in a lengthy proclamation 

 deeply engraved in red and gold characters on three massive 

 black stone slabs enclosed in a kind of stone archway, 

 which is built by the side of the road just outside my host's 

 door. I brought away with me a rubbing of this proclama- 

 tion for careful examination at my leisure, and which I think 

 of sufiScient interest, as showing the nature of the belief 

 of F^ng-shui, to warrant my giving a translation of the 

 document. I must premise that my hosts are members of 

 an old CathoUc family, which fact might be thought to pre- 

 judice the people against them ; but they themselves do not 

 admit that this was the cause of their molestation. However 

 it be, there is no doubt that F&g-shui, as indeed is super- 

 stition in all countries, is a powerful weapon in the hands of 

 the malevolent, and an obstacle to all works of progress in 

 this benighted land. (See note at the end of this chapter.) 



Beyond is a large enclosure reaching to the top of the hill, 

 in which is the grave of my host's father. In front is a 



