184 
MEI-LING. 
which had been intended for the Emperor, and were highly amused 
at their ridiculous care of two fire engines, which they supported 
by the assistance of poles a few inches from the ground. When, 
by any chance, the wheels of these machines, sanctified by their first 
destination, touched the earth, a loud shout from the bearers testified 
their alarm lest they should have been injured by the shock. 
Arrived on the summit, we entered a narrow pass cut through the 
solid rock, a work only to be accomplished at the expense of great 
time and difficulty. The rock is argillaceous sandstone of a compact 
structure. The narrowest part of the ridge had probably been chosen 
to cut through, as it did not appear to be more than forty or fifty 
feet in length, and might be as many in height, and half as many in 
width. 
The pass was formed during the dynasty Tang, about a thousand 
years ago, by a private individual. An arched gateway stands in 
the centre, marking the boundary between the provinces of Kiang-si 
and Quang-tong. Mr. Morrison decyphered several inscriptions cut 
on the sides of the rock. One of these Teen-le-jin-tsing, “ Heavenly 
principles and humane feelings,” probably applied to the man who 
formed the pass, and was engraved in very large characters. Near 
the entrance to the pass on the Canton side, we saw a species of 
Prunus in full flower, called by the Chinese Mei-hwa-shoo, “ Mei 
flower-tree.” Hence the name of the mountain, Mei-ling, signifying 
the mountain of the mey-flower. 
The top of the mountain is distinctly and horizontally stratified, 
but is divided into stair-like masses. The sandstone is small grained; 
in its fresh fracture has almost the dark gray colour of clay slate, 
but where it is exposed to weather is reddish. 
We descended by a very steep declivity on the southern side of the 
mountain, into an extensive plain. The scene was wild and strange. 
Innumerable “ rocks piled on rocks as if by magic spell,” of forms too 
fantastic for language to paint, covered its surface and every where 
bounded the view. Immense square blocks, seemingly piled on each 
other by art and rising to a great height, gave to some a castellated, to 
