Putnam patriot., 1912-10-18
Letter from China
ADAYIN THE CANYON

\ IA IN HE NA NNON
 Among the mountains of South China is beautiful little valley some 800 feet above the sea, where about thirty missionaries of the English Presbyterian and of the American Bap- list missions spent their summer vaea- lions. The neighboring regions of Thai Yong are ideal places for explor- ing expeditions and pienics, the best one of all, yet the most difficult and most dangerous, being the one to the canyon. It is best to leave the canyon trip till the last, that one may becom 6 inured to climbing, wading through water and the bruises that are inevi- table.
 After we had mounted the Elephant, climbed the Bed Posts, explored Grai- gellachie, been up Ben Hur and visit ed the Plume, besides many other ex- ploits, we decided we were ready for the crowning picnic of all. Therefore one bright morning at seven o'clock fourteen missionaries and as many at- tendant servants set out, making a long procession that wound up and down the hills and valleys. The line was led by two butterfly hobbyists, their nets on the alert to catch the ex auisite creatures "that never did them any harm" The best pedestrians easily followed with their walking. sticks, their pith hats and double sun umbrellas. Next the chair bearers came with those who were not quite so sure of a long journey. In the rear were the boys with the baskets of dishes, food, and bathing suits.
 After nearly five miles of magnifi cent scenery we reached the 'jumping- oil place The 500 feet down into the canyon looked no easy descent. We sat down in the tall grass to rest bii and perhaps for the half dozen new corners to sum up courage, but l had rather not confess too much as to the latter for 1 was one of the new ones. If had not had perfect confidence in the guide who had been through the canyon four times before, not one step would l have gone down that dizzy place. A native had been sent ahead few days before to cut the bush ,mak ing the descent easier, although 1t was still steep and very slippery. For over half an hour we went down and down and down, till we reached the narrow river bed full of clumsy boulders.
 The "boys" built little charcoal fires for the kettles; little stone tables were selected and the lunch spread out. We arranged ourselves on smaller rocks so that we could sit al table and on one side dip our fingers down into the na- tural finger bowls and on the other side could wash our dishes between the courses in the running water A shower coming up, as the early morn- ing rainbow had pgedicted, we ate our lunch under umbrellas, which dId not at ali diminish the picnic appetites.
 At twelve o'clock we sent the bas
 
 and ten of Us decided to go on up the canyon for a mile. Over the bouldeTs, through water to the waist, up and down steep inclines by rope, through briers and mud we travelled and tum- bled. The first stopping place was St. Thomas Pool, where we kept close 10 the rope stretched over 1t, for at the foot of the falls the pool is said to be bottomIess. As it had poured all the way up, little more water did us no harn 7, so we splashed and frolicked Tn the water till reminded that there were three falls ahead of us to surmount and time was passing. The next halt was in Fairyland. Falls before us, perpen- dicular rocks on both sides of us, and back of us a narrow gorge with over- hanging tropical shrubbery dropping moss over the stream below. Ihele was sunlight now above, which made the lights and shadows and the mist from the falls convert the place into iii place for fairies. We indeed longed for the water-wings we heard some one had carried along the year before, as we waded in; but far more we desired real fairy wings to get us out oi this enchanted dell. How we got up rock walls twice our height, with no fooi- ing, to the slippery sides above do not know. I only reeollect being push ed and pulled, as 1 elung to rope, till, minus hat, minus umbrella, mi nus walking stick, found myself ready for the climn on all fours up through the brambles. My clothing