Chap. IX. 



THE GREEN RIVER. 



165 



been grafted on my own hair, and which hung grace- 

 fully down nearly to my heels. 



I have already described the scenery on this beau- 

 tiful river as it appeared to me on a former occasion. 

 It was autumn then, and vegetation was tinged with 

 many different hues. Now it was spring-time ; the 

 rains had begun to fall, and hill and valley were 

 clothed in the liveliest green. The hill- streams were 

 gushing down the ravines, and forming hundreds of 

 beautiful waterfalls. This is a striking part of the 

 country at all times, and it is difficult to say whether 

 it is most beautiful in autumn or in spring. 



On the evening of the third day after leaving 

 Nechow the old city of Yen-chow-fbo came in sight. 

 The river here flows through a fine and fertile valley, 

 in which the city is situated. " This beautiful vale 

 abounds with camphor and talloio trees'' So it is 

 written in a map which the learned Jesuits made 

 many years ago ; and such I found to be the case. 

 A little below the town two rivers unite. One, as 

 I have already noticed, comes from the north-west, 

 and rises amongst the hills of Hwuy-chow, and it was 

 this one which I ascended the previous autumn. 

 The other flows from the south-west, and has its 

 sources amongst the mountains bordering on Fokien, 

 and partly amongst some hills north-west of the town 

 of Chang-shan, where the three provinces of Che- 

 kiang, Gnan-hoei, and Kiang-see meet. 



My route lay up the latter and largest river. I 

 was now about to enter upon new ground which 

 I had never trodden before. Knowing that if I 



