240 



TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. 



Chap. XIV. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Stream of "nine windings" — A Taouist priest — His house and temple 



— Du Halde's description of these hills — Strange impressions of 

 gigantic hands on the rocks — Tea-plants purchased — Adventure 

 during the night — My visitors — Plants packed for a journey — 

 Town of Tsin-tsun and its trade — Leave the Woo-e hills — Moun- 

 tain scenery — The lance-leaved pine — Rocks, ravines, and water- 

 falls — A lonely road — Trees — Birds and other animals — Town of 

 She-pa-ky — Productions of the country — Uses of the Nelumbium 



— Pouching teas — City of Pouching-hien. 



We now proceeded across the hills in the direction 

 of the small town of Tsin-tsun, another great mart 

 for black tea. Our road was a very rough one. It 

 was merely a footpath, and sometimes merely narrow 

 steps cut out of the rock. When we had gone about 

 two miles we came to a solitary temple on the banks 

 of a small river, which here winds amongst the hills. 

 This stream is called by the Chinese the river or 

 stream of nine windings, from the circuitous turns 

 which it takes amongst the hills of Woo-e-shan. It 

 divides the range into two districts — the north and 

 south : the north range is said to produce the best 

 teas. Here the finest souchongs and pekoes are pro- 

 duced, but I believe these rarely find their way to 

 Europe, or only in very small quantities. 



The temple we had now reached was a small and 

 insignificant-looking building. It seemed a sort of 

 half-way resting-place for people on the road from 



