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14
Sing-chong District.

long, dressed to a curve, and built up latitudinally. Thus, from the floor to the crown of this bridge, of 18 feet span there are only three stones on one side and two, where the side rests on a rock, on the other;—the whole arch being built with about thirty dressed blocks, packed on the haunches with unhewn stones from the brook below.

Some remarkable sand cliffs, one called precipice gate, are to be seen here, and the minerologist will find materials for research in the various soils of purple, red and other colours in the neighbourhood.

There are five resident priests at the Poosan monastery;—the Abbot's name is King-chuen. Monastic lands (the Poosan Monastery possessing 100 mow,) are not exempt from the customary impost.

Ten miles (30 ) N. W. from the Poosan Monastery are the hills from which iron sand washes into the stream bed below. This sand is smelted into pigs at various places in the vicinity. There are one or two such smelteries close by the Kwei-ah-Deen (the Temple spoken of at the foot of the Kwei-ling-foong) and the traveller may be interested in visiting them as well as the mines. The furnaces are simple upright clay cylinders, similar to those used for casting purposes in the south of China. The sand yields of pure ore-two thirds of its gross weight (66 in 100) which, cast in pigs of 3 catties each, sells at the furnace for 32 cash a catty, about equal to £12 per Ton of 20 Cwt. (9) They smelt 700 peculs a year at this place, the residence of 100 families.

Leaving the village of New-Za for the mines,—about a mile nor' west is the hamlet of Chang-woo with 40 families, and one mile north again is Djee Deo with 100 families. The women here dress their hair in a peculiar manner. In front it is brushed