(seq. 17)

[Purple?] [?]. Rocks sandstone and
clayey mudstone.

June 17th. Remained at Hsao-lung Tang the
day. A strong wind rose in the night and blew in
fitful gail the whole day. Dank mist covered the
higher peaks and swept down the valley but though very
cloudy no rain fell!

Soon after 9 o'clock in company with my collectors
I set out and climbed the range (Sha-Mo-Chen) -
practically all the large timber line of the [Silver?] [?]
have been felled. The [hut?] & timber belong to a man
named P'an who [lives?] [?] [?] li [?] in Fang Hsien
The timber is used for coffin-making. A fragment
of forest on the opposite mountain was being attacked and the
axes were busy. Soon no tree will be left. Most
of the hills are now covered only with grass & shrub &
they will soon all be the same.

In the forests Daphne pontica (white and pink), Rosa sinensis,
Lonicera [?], and Clematis montana were in full
flower and made a fine show. The bed of the water streams
were choked with a coarse [?]. The groundsel
have huge uniform leaves - I measured one of
the largest 45" x 43"! The new Poplar is fairly
common and is I think the handsomest of the genus
Ribes [longiracemosa?] or Wilsoni and Spirea [?]
[?] are common & below the hostel Deutzia
Wilsoni was a fine sight. [?] speciosum is
common here & attain [20ft?] in height. A small-
leaved Actinidia is showy with its blanched leaves
though the flowers are insignificant. Willows in variety
abound, Viburnum [Sargentii?] & V. Veitchii & [Spirea?] [Veitchii?]
are common. The man in charge of the inn makes
but little attempt at collection. A few [plots?] of [?]
[?] are just comming through the ground.
Hsin-Lung Ting Alt 7500, 30 li form Che-tsze Kou.