Chap. XIII. 
TSIN-TSUN. 
211 
ward to the town of Pouching-hien, then across the 
Bohea mountains and down their northern sides into 
the province of Chekiang. I ascertained that the dis- 
tance from Woo-e-shan to Pouching-hien was 280 le, 
and that, as the road was mountainous, the journey- 
would occupy from three to four days. 
We halted in Tsin-tsun only long enough to pro- 
cure refreshment, and then pursued our way. Turn- 
ing our faces eastward we crossed one of the branches 
of the river, which here flows round the foot of the 
hiUs. 
I now bade adieu to the far-famed Woo-e-shan, 
certainly the most wonderful collection of hills I had 
ever beheld. In a few years hence, when China shall 
have been really opened to foreigners, and when the 
naturalist can roam unmolested amongst these hills, ^vdth 
no fear of fines and imprisonments to haunt his imagina- 
tion, he will experience a rich treat indeed. To the 
geologist, in particular, this place will furnish attractions 
of no ordinary kind. A Murchison may yet visit them 
who will give us some idea how these strange hills were 
formed, and at what period of the world's existence they 
assumed those strange shapes Avhich are now presented 
to the traveller's wondering gaze. 
The direct road from Woo-e-shan to Pouching-hien 
led through the city of Tsong-gan ; but there was 
another road which kept more to the southward, and 
joined the Tsong-gan road about a day's journey from 
Pouching-hien ; this road I determined to take. Our 
course was in an easterly direction. A small stream, 
another of the tributaries of the Min, had its source 
