Chap. IX. 
ARRIVAL AT HOKOW. 
159 
vegetation of any kind upon them. They stood in the 
midst of the plain like mde monuments, and had a 
curious and strange appearance. 
The country through which I passed is an ejftensive 
rice district. No very large trees were observed ; and ■ , 
the tallow- tree, which forms such an important branch^ ^ 
of agriculture in the countries nearer the sea, is scarcely* ' 
ever met with, or only seen here and there. Camphor- / 
trees are common, but they do not attain the size they | 
do in many other parts of the country. Nevertheless, 
on paSvsing down the river, we came sometimes to pretty 
and romantic spots, where the trees and brushwood were 
overhanging the banks, and dipping their branches into 
the clear stream ; and these strange monumental-look- 
ing rocks were objects of striking interest in themselves. 
In the afternoon of the day on which I left Quan-sin- 
foo we arrived at the town of Hokow. I had now got 
as far to the west as was necessary, and intended from 
this point to journey southwards to one of the passes in 
the Bohea mountains, across which I had to go on my 
way to Woo-e-shan. This part of my journey had to be 
done in chairs. 
