Ningpo to Shanghai in 1857/The Western Teen-muk-san to the Tai-ye-wan-ling
After leaving the old Monastery the roughly laid path takes up and away to the southward and westward—the huge mountain being literally skirted round for a distance of about seven miles, when, with the cave crowned peak bearing East, the road runs down a precipitous flight of steps to the N. N. W , ascending as sharply to an arched Ding on a road side opposite. In some parts of the road, before it branches off as descirbed, the side of the mountain is so nearly perpendicular that travelling in a chair is out of the question to any one keeping his eyes open. And here (singular circumstance for the province of Che-kiang,) the hand of man has nought to do with the growth of the straggling brush wood and wild grass, left to luxuriate, die, and grown again without interference. About five miles from the Monastery, at a point where the mountain top bears about E.S.E., a path will be seen entering from the road, which, if followed, leads to the summit by an easier way apparently than that entering nearer the Monastery.
From the arched Ding to Tai-ye-wan-ling, the boundary of the Districts Utsien and Haoufung in Che-Kiang, and the border of Ning-kwoh in An-whuy, the distance, up a tiresome ascent in a N. N. W. ly direction, is some five lē. From this point to Ning-kwok-foo, the chief city of the province of Anwhui, the distance is said to be 220 le westerly—the nearest Custom House Pass being Tsien-suen-ling (25).