FORMOSA THE BEAUTIFUL 



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without at least one of these hulking 

 creatures, with its lowering horns and 

 great staring eyes. Their hides are just 

 the shade of weathered rock, and so 

 motionless do they stand for hours while 

 grazing on some grassy slope that they 

 look, even from a short distance away, 

 as if they were carved from stone. 



Wherever there are buffaloes, graceful 

 white herons are seen perched on their 

 backs. It seems, indeed, that each buffalo 

 has a particular heron for a pal, who 

 takes care to rid him of smaller friends, 

 just as devoted, perhaps, but less de- 

 sirable. 



At Toyen we took push-cars. These 

 are small, wicker-covered chariots on 

 narrow-gauge rails. The seats are just 

 large enough to accommodate two pas- 

 sengers, and there is a small platform 

 behind, where the two coolies who push 

 the car on the upgrade can stand and 

 ride when the route lies down hill. 



The confirmed motorist would find 

 these push-cars a bit tedious on the level 

 or upgrade, but going down mountains 

 they leave nothing to be desired in the 

 way of thrills. 



Our route lay for the first hour through 

 level country. We passed through fields 

 of sugar-cane, with occasional patches of 

 sweet potatoes, cabbages, and pumpkins. 

 And now and then we came upon some 

 Chinese village near a stream, where our 

 approach was heralded by the shouts of 

 children. 



Women tugging small babies would 

 hobble out of their doorways as fast as 

 their bound feet would permit and ex- 

 change laughing comments on our ap- 

 pearance. Young men would frankly 

 jeer at us, and only the old men, like 

 figures in ivory yellow with age, gazed 

 upon us with imperturbable calm. 



A JOURNEY WITH EVERY VISTA A PICTURE 



At length we started the ascent. At 

 first our way lay through terraced tea 

 gardens and groves of pineapples, ba- 

 nanas, and citrus fruits ; but as we 

 progressed the mountain sides became 

 covered with Nature's own rich mantle. 

 Ornamental grasses fringed our path, 

 while through the bracken and lichened 

 rocks projecting overhead little bubbling 

 freshets trickled down at our feet. 



