MANCHURIA — SOWERBY. 463 
scattered through the forest to the east and south was a series of 72 
such Lung Wan (dragon pits), of which half were dry and half 
contained lakes, and that they all had their origin in one big mother 
lake far away to the east. Apparently, then, we have here a series 
of extinct volcanoes, doubtless belonging to the same system as that 
of the Chang Pei Shan, the culminating peak of which, the Lao Pei 
Shan (Paiktusan), visited for the first time by James and his party 
in 18SG, is itself an extinct volcano with a lake in its crater similar 
to the one we visited. 
While ascending the valley of the Hama Ho I had frequently 
noticed outcrops of volcanic slag and lava, and subsequently, while 
traveling from this locality, found that the rock formation of the 
whole country to the north was of volcanic origin, a thick layer of 
columnar basalt lying upon a granitic massif. 
After wandering about in the forest for a couple of days in search 
of wild pig or bear, without success, my companion decided to 
return to civilization; but, as I was still far from satisfied with the 
results of my trapping and hunting, I stayed on. There was a band 
of Hung-hu-tzu in the vicinity that was continually on the prowl, 
and to this day it is a puzzle to me how I did not fall foul of them in 
my frequent long tramps through the forest. I had a guard of 1-1 
foot and 2 mounted soldiers with me, but these brave warriors kept 
to the farm and refused point-blank to accompany me on any of my 
excursions. At last word was brought in from a neighboring home- 
stead that the bandits had increased their number to 30, all armed 
with modern rifles, and that their leader had been making tender 
inquiries about the European staying at Liu's farm. On the arrival 
of this news I received a deputation from my guard, accompanied 
by my host, Mr. Liu, and a little Shantung hunter I had engaged, 
who begged me to leave the place and return to Chaoyangchen, since, 
were I to come to any harm, they would be held responsible by the 
official at Huinanting. There seemed nothing left to do but to evacu- 
ate; but to show my independence I stayed on a couple of da5^s 
while I gathered in my long line of traps, finally packing up uiy 
gear and returning to Chaoyangchen. 
Here I bought a small native boat, and with my two servants and 
the late owner of the boat as crew and a small black bear cub as super- 
cargo, I sailed down the Huifa Ho to its junction with the Sungari 
River. 
Various adventures in the way of shooting rapids and getting stuck 
on sand banks kept the journey from becoming dull. Indeed, the 
second rapid we descended so frightened the boatman that he ran 
away that night, and I had to engage another old riverman to assist 
in handling the boat. Once, through mistaking the opening in a fish 
boom that stretched across the river, we sailed bang into it. The boat 
