264 



MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 



Chap. Xll. 



westward, and distant, as I was informed, some 

 twenty or thirty le. Packing njo my bed and a 

 few necessaries, I started in a mountain chair one 

 morning, after an early breakfast. Leaving the 

 town behind me, the road led me winding along 

 the side of a hill, following the course of the little 

 stream. The scenery here was perfectly en- 

 chanting. The road, though narrow, like all 

 Chinese roads, was nicely paved and oftentimes 

 shaded by the branches of lofty trees. Above me 

 rose a sloping hill, covered with trees and brush- 

 wood, while a few feet below me was seen the 

 little stream trickling over its gravelly bed and 

 glistening in the morning sun. Now and then 

 I passed a pool where the water was still and 

 deep, but generally the river, which is navigable 

 for large ships at Ningpo, was here not more than 

 ankle deep. Shallow as it was, however, the 

 Chinese were still using it for floating down the 

 productions of these western hills. Small rafts 

 made of bamboo, tiny flat-bottomed boats, and 

 many other contrivances were employed to accom- 

 plish the end in view. When the river was so 

 shallow that the boatman could not use his scull, 

 he might oftentimes be seen walking in. the river 

 and dragging his boat or raft over tb^ stones into 

 deeper water. As I passed along, I observed 

 several anglers busily employed with rod and line 

 — ^real Izaak Waltons it seemed — and although 

 they did not appear very expert, and their tackle 

 was rather clumsy, yet they generally succeeded 



