opening a New Mine 191 



here turned off to the right along the seam, which appeared 

 to be about three feet thick, and inclined to the horizon at 

 an angle of not more than twenty-five degrees. The miners 

 were hewing sideways with a single-headed pick; a short 

 distance down water had been reached, and was being pain- 

 fully kept down at its present level with bamboo pumps. 

 The air seemed quite fresh, but the cramped position induced 

 me to beat a speedy retreat to the outer air. Here, having 

 enjoyed the warm bath which all the miners take on coming 

 off their shift, and having dressed in the presence of an 

 admiring crowd, we sat down to an enjoyable breakfast. 

 At the meal, washed down with warm, cheap, and not 

 unpalatable wine, the owner and lessee anxiously discussed 

 the possibility of introducing steam pumping machinery. 

 At nine o'clock we again mounted our sturdy little nags and 

 commenced the steep descent. It was a most lovely 

 morning, and as the path followed down a small ravine, 

 entirely shaded by the overhanging foliage, with the roar of 

 the tiny waterfalls at our feet, the ride was most exhilarating. 

 Breaks in the foliage exhibited glimpses of the smiling 

 valleys we had traversed on the previous day, framed in a 

 ring of blue mountains in the distance. About halfway 

 down we came upon a little mat shed, erected in a small 

 clearing, in which was ensconced the accountant and the 

 clerk of the works of the new mine which was being opened. 

 A pressing invitation to rest and take tea was followed by 

 an offer to conduct us to the works. These had been in 

 progress now some six months, and had resulted in a tunnel 

 similar to that leading to Tung's mine, having been driven 

 about forty feet into the mountain. Two men were at work 

 quarrying the hard sandstone, their progress being at the rate 

 of about seven inches a day : they expected to reach the 

 poal-seams in about seven years. The handsome scale 



