( f
feet in height, which contains a facced image, ;to whom-th^fGhinefe,
on their entrance, pay their adorations. There is^||fo a window,
chifelled through the flone, with a balcony before it, whence
there is a delightful iprofpeét o f the river. From this, chamber we
ifqended, by aft artificial ftaircafe, to two other apartments ofth.eiame
fize with the former, and fitted up in a-manner fuitédto the character
o f the place.
Théfe' rooms wire excavated at the' expenfe of the, mandarin t®
whom the mountain belongs! and muft have been a work of incredible
labour. At the foot of the fteps, an arch had bpen erc&ed, with $ie
ufual decoration of filk and ribbons, o f various colours. g|
Tfibugh the country ftill continued-to be rude and tfncultivafed, .it
was, oecafionafly. varied by.laEge--w©0ds)-tha£rh»ngdöwh the,- fléêpsy
of thickened m the vallies. Thé ranges of mounfain^Mfe|sthat
branch ofiF from Koan-yeng-naum, take fuch different diremöns/as to
forma variety o f grand, and even fublime, pi<£turesr'o f nature. -
•. At noon the fleet anchored, for a fhort time, before the pity o f Shizing-
ta-heng; fituated on the upper part wf an iridmèd:;plaïfi, that advarii?^
with a fcarce perceptible afeent from a large fandy beach of the river,
to^hfr foot o f the-mountains that rife behind it. This plain ishtjfo.
adorned with the moft beautiful trees^ fo that fhe^view fnay'be fop-
pofed t6 confifl: of a river in the föré-parföf 'it,- a fine plain, covered
with plantations, flretehing away from the banks, and a large city beyond
it, backed by ahold, unequal range o f mountains. When to
thefe circumftances arc added, the woods on the oppofite fide of‘ the
river, and the magnificent pagoda which rifes before them) tbe^beSuty-
.o f the landfcape may be conceived without any veryf uneO^pmoh
ftretchof the imagination.
The river, in a very winding cóurfè, now afforded blit little variety.
The fame lefty barriers continued to confine its courfe j and where a
cafual
. c , . * 4 * 0
cafual opening fuffered the eye to advance beyond them,' it looked to7 ' 793;
mrar/s than ofejedtjv with no. other, ci^eflrryflanees ’ December.
At?fogfoaSjmM\t ,»be fufgpofpdtpjarjfe f r o t m t i j e “
hght,aj^l|h|t^ow, and,tl%,diminution’,o£diflara^^W
We | ip only nbferved^ hufealfo hea^d th|ilabobrs ,uoJJargel|&tMs’. qf
people-,,who, ^plf-egpplpyp.d inblpw^n^up certainjpartsjpfjt^r^^s,' to
flon&.wath.yhiffh the Chinefe^fo^theiripaygmen^s,, whe- 1 ,k
ther for1 t ^ f e i r h ;
Beneath onfe o f .ttafixmpuntaan^. vyastja large. .village.r whidbu^d a
jVeryr meag> agp^ran^^and^fs I aftgtwar3,s,^^pejj, ^v-a&^rck ip-;
habitedjJ$r the"g^g|g employedfin ^lo-wing,! VP i and .-wording
4j|aMes, jth'at^vperc in^e^neighhpnrhop^f^jj
Scv ei a l^ i r c s o P fmo ke,' afeending from the f Mountains, attracted ^
oim^tentior^^ whm^ o^ma^jng^dnquiry .oon^mmg the fires,, that
ocoafionedflhem it ,was; a , proqefsj p^pa^ory.tg'agri- ’
cuhurejij^y-bnrtdng-rth ^ l^ fo 5{p^£^t^d9f<i^ offlthefe^levajt^
ati^s;&in ,o r^ e^ ^ jp ^ i^ ^ i^ v a tio n .^ d
eveilihg* q f j^ .d a y was alfo qhejy^kyaaa$Ii^nati<^j^ 4 *i
diftant hills; and' thpugh it^difl-not, in^any dpgreg, equals ej.tl}^jn ex^
ten t,j|r -/glen;: tWhkrh had? fq lately. ®^t0i^ou£ foment, i|
had a -3 ^ ^ g u la& seffea,:and exhibited^ ^ery,pleafing’^ ^ n c g .wS
S g j f f t a h d ' fteep i%:ksfli fomte;| 4 j | | p S Were l ^ ^ w i t h , Monday i6y
woQd,^ilin-’Cpntinued}4to|anclp#t o n ^ fo § ;f id e® % . chartp^c^the
river. Among them’there ardfe adarge toonnla^isfhadedjby-an hanging
foreft,, ^vhieh^was rretipnly a very, grand' objedt invitfelf,-but •w^s|'alfo.
accompanied'- fvith circumiflhnces that ;enEvened and, adorned-it. At
the footiof it a road hadibeemcnt outofAeifolid- rock, andto.commu--
nicate with it a large arch of flone flretches acrofs a deep chafm. „ In
the center of the wood, there is the palace of a.mandarin, furrounded,
K k with