184 MR. A-CHANG'S GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. Chap. IX. 



wandered down the glen, by a little mountain 

 road whicli ran parallel with the stream, we 

 obtained an excellent view of the rugged and 

 perpendicular cliffs above us. I thought I could 

 discern points of connexion between the two sides 

 of the glen, which proved it to have been formed 

 by some earthquake, or other convulsion of na- 

 ture,, out of a mountain which had been thus rent 

 asunder. 



. Our guide now astonished us by coming out in 

 a new character. Seeing me pay some attention 

 to the botany of the district, he immediately 

 began to give me a lecture upon the uses of the 

 various trees and herbs we met with. "This," 

 said he, " is the Tung-oil tree, which yields a valu- 

 able oil, much used by carpenters ; this is the 

 Lew-san tree {Cryjptomeria Japonicd), valued for 

 its ornamental appearance and fine timber." See- 

 ing a fine species of gentian in full bloom, I asked 

 him whether it was of any value. " Oh, yes," he 

 replied, "it is a valuable medical plant, and is 

 used by the doctors — it is an excellent stomachic." 

 And so on he went, explaining to us the uses of 

 almost every plant we met with on the roadside 

 as we went along. " You are a very wise man, 

 you seem to know everything," said I to him, — 

 and I was quite in earnest, and intended this for 

 no unmeaning compliment. The old man smiled ; 

 he was evidently much pleased, and replied, " I 

 also understand Fung-shwuy (soothsaying) ; I can 

 tell the proper positions for graves — see, here is 



