[WINTER AND SPRING 1637]

After leaving Jiangxi, Xu Xiake traveled south into Chu (modern Hunan), where he spent nearly four months sightseeing. Hunan is ringed on three sides by rugged, mountainous terrain. Water resources are plentiful, with three major tributaries of the Changjiang and numerous lakes, including Lake Dongting [Dongting Hu] and Lake Poyang, which are among China’s largest freshwater lakes. After arriving in early February 1637, Xu dispatched the monk Tranquil Hearing to take their luggage by boat to Hengzhou Prefecture while he and Servant Gu proceeded overland with lighter traveling bags. One of Xu’s first sightseeing stops was in Chaling Subprefecture, where he visited the People of Qin Cavern [Qinren Dong]. According to tradition, natives of the ancient state of Qin fled to Hunan to escape the turmoil of that short-lived dynasty. Some of them supposedly took refuge in this cavern. During the Ming dynasty, Chu fell under the administrative control of the Provincial Administration Commission of Hu-Guang (Hu-Guang Buzheng Si).

Seventeenth day [of the first month] [11 February 1637]: I had breakfast after I got up. Followed the same route north of New Retreat and descended to Dragon Head Ridge [Longtou Ling]. Proceeded for altogether five li and reached the area below Twisted Thread Pool [Luosi Tan]. Earlier, I checked the gazetteer, which has the line, “Three Caverns of the People of Qin [Qinren Sandong].… but the Upper Cavern is only some rocks in the shape of a gate that does not allow entry.”¹ After being misinformed by the gazetteer, I visited the other two caverns but failed to find the so-called Upper Cavern.² A local person told me, “North of Twisted Thread Pool is Upper Clarity Pool [Shangqing Tan]. The entrance is quite narrow. Water comes out from inside, but people are unable to go in.³ But if you get inside, there are some extraordinary and surpassing sights. Divine dragons lurk in Upper Clarity Pool and Hemp Leaf Cavern [Maye Dong].⁴ Not only is it difficult to go in, but no one dares do so.” When I heard this, I was overjoyed. After I passed Twisted Thread Pool, I did not cross the mountain stream but immediately descended to the side of the western foothill. Presumably, crossing the stream takes one to the eastern foothill west of Cloud and Sun Mountain [Yunyang Shan] and my former route by Date Pit Ridge [Zaohe Ling]. Not crossing the stream takes one to the western foothill, east of Big Ridge and Awash in Azure Mountain [Hongbi Shan]. This brings one out on the trail to Take Seven [Baqi].⁵

Headed north for one-half li and met up with a woodcutter, who guided me to Upper Clarity Pool. The nearby cavern is below the trail and above the stream, while its entrance faces east.⁶ The two sides of the entrance look like clasped hands. Water comes out of the cavern in two streams. The one from the rear gathers but does not flow on; the one from the left comes out of an opening on the south side of the cavern’s entrance and rushes off. After moving past the rapid water flow on the left side of the cavern, I entered by cowering down in the water. The woodcutter guide would only provide me with a lit torch. He refused to press on ahead. I then took off my clothes, cowered in the water, and slithered like a snake into the cavern. The gap into the cavern was not only low; it was also narrow. Moreover, most of it was underwater, so I had to cower in the water and hold the torch above my head to keep it dry. This is how I managed to enter the cavern. Only after entering and going two rods to the west did the gap into the cavern rise to over a rod in height, while the gap spanning across from south to the north also extended to over three rods in length. But nowhere was there a way to get through the gap. There was only a chamber directly to the west, five feet wide and two feet high. But the water level inside was also five feet, and only five inches of headroom remained in the gap. I figured that if I crawled through the water on my hands and knees, I would need to submerge my mouth and nose while simultaneously holding the torch and stretching my hand forward. Even if I went through keeping close to the top of the gap, half of the torch would still be drenched. Meanwhile, Servant Gu minded my clothes outside the cavern. Who would pass the torch to me if I swam into the cavern? And even if I could enter through the water, how could I get through? Moreover, the water in People of Qin Cavern, when it had gone above my knees and soaked my clothes, was warm and never felt cold. Water in this cavern, however, is cold, no different from that of a mountain stream. The cavern is positioned in a drafty place, so the wind whooshes and swooshes even more. Since the wind and water held me back together, and there was a danger of losing the torch’s fire, I gave up and left the cavern. After leaving it, I threw on my clothes but still felt goosebumps all over my body, so I built a fire by the cavern entrance. After some time, I followed the western foothills and proceeded north along the stream west of Date Pit Ridge.

Proceeding three li from Upper Clarity, I reached Hemp Leaf Cavern. The cavern is near Hemp Leaf Bend [Maye Wan]. To the west is Big Ridge, to the south is Awash in Azure, to the east are the Cloud and Sun Mountain and Date Pit Ridge spurs, and to the north is the western extremity of Date Pit. Winding to the east of Big Ridge is a stream flowing through a gorge. The perpendicular inclines that hem in the gorge are like a gate. In front of this gate is a single peak whose lofty monoliths rise precipitously. This is General’s Ridge [Jiangjun Ling]. The stream pounds the peak’s western facade, while the western extremity of Date Pit Ridge terminates here. To the west of the stream is a rocky, south-facing cliff. Stretching around like spreading wings, looking east, it purveys the stream below. The eastern extremity of Big Ridge’s spur also terminates here. Beneath the encircling cliff is a crevice, but its shallowness does not admit entrance. Before the cliff is a small stream running west to east. It flows into the larger mountain stream as it passes the cliff. Following the little stream, I found scattered rocks by the cliff’s western edge. The stream terminates below, while above is an opening; this is Hemp Leaf Cavern. The cavern entrance faces south but is no bigger than a ladle. Inside the rocky aperture are several circuitous steps winding downward.

I initially sought torches and a guide. Although the torches were forthcoming, I waited for someone to lead us. Someone said, “A divine dragon dwells within.” Another said, “Malicious spirits live inside. None but an exorcist may subdue them.” Eventually, someone was found with the promise of a hefty reward. He had removed his clothing and was about to enter when he learned I was a scholar, not a Daoist practitioner clad in feathers.⁷ He anxiously reemerged, saying, “I took you for a great master and was willing to follow you into the cavern. Since you are a book-learned gentleman, how can I throw my life away?” Therefore, I proceeded to the previous village, where I stowed our luggage at his house. Then, with Servant Gu, each of us grasping a torch, we entered. By this time, several dozen villagers had arrived at the cavern entrance. There were woodcutters with sickles hanging from their waists, plowmen toting hoes, women who had abandoned their cooking fires, weavers who had discarded their shuttles, herd boys, and travelers carrying loads. One after the other, all came ambling up, yet none would follow.

The two of us entered feet-first, and following the steps, we wound our way down the chasm holding our torches. It took several turns to reach the cavern floor. The cavern was reasonably spacious, and we could stretch our limbs and raise our heads. We then proceeded ahead, torches in hand. The east-to-west-running chasm had no outlet. Directly north was an opening, barely a foot in height and width, yet its floor was flat and dry. Holding the torches before us, we crawled, snake-like, into the opening, our backs and sides pressed against the rock walls, with our backsides raised somewhat. Thus, we passed through this, the first barrier of the inner cavern. Inside, the chasm was high. It, too, ran from east to west, again with no outlet. We navigated the second barrier, whose height and width were comparable to the first. Our method of passing through was also the same. Having thus gained entry, we found that the interior level also ran horizontally. The southwestern chasm was not particularly deep. The northeastern one led up to a rocky depression, which abruptly rose to a horizontal cavity with a vaulted roof and narrow floor. Its height was such that we could not see the top. When we reached here, the rock appeared to take on weird shapes, its surface pattern suddenly changing; every tiny hole in the rock seemed imbued with spirits.⁸

The farther we pursued the northwestern cavity, the narrower it became until it resolved into a fissure that would not admit torches. Turning and following the southeastern gorge, we descended into a depression. Its floor was paved with pebbles resembling the smooth bed of a stream. It was very dry, and without water, so we were spared the trouble of lifting our clothing or having it dirtied by mud. Scattered rocks were piled at the gorge’s southeastern extremity, not unlike a multistoried building. We were able to climb from cracks between the rocks. At the top was a rocky crevice that completely pierced the cavern roof. Light streamed through it as though from a crescent moon surrounded by bright stars toward which one could gaze but not touch. Below the layered rocks, the streambed ran south. It was covered by rocks no more than a foot from its bottom. Surely this was the one that passed the cavern’s exterior, yet from where it entered and how it had previously flowed, I did not know, nor did I understand why it had now dried up.

Descending the layered rocks, I entered the streambed heading north. The narrowness of its width and height was comparable to the two outer barriers. Deviating slightly to the west, we climbed a rocky crevice, turning north then east. It was like mounting a saddle or lofty peaks. The color and quality of the rock on either wall were smooth and shiny, as though dripping with moisture. Stalactites like suspended lotus buds hung down, their texture as if carved, their shape appearing ready to take flight. Descending another level toward the east, I reencountered the streambed that had turned into a narrow passageway. From here, the cavity opened onto a veritable laneway two rods in width and five in height. Its rocky cover was as smooth as a cloth curtain, while the streambed was so flat it was like walking on a road. I sped along one-half li toward the north. Below, a single stone lay horizontally like a couch, its edges all neat and uniform. Above it, rocky lotus flowers hung suspended, knitting themselves into a curtain and weaving into a precious canopy. On all four sides, they hung down, the size of a bed. Circular and empty in the middle, a vault above formed a ceiling. On the western wall behind it, they stood round pilasters of jade, some large, some small, not one whose shape was alike. Their color, moreover, was all a gleaming white; their texture was delicately carved. This is the laneway’s premier wonder.

Again, we proceeded directly north for one-half li until the cavern divided into upper and lower levels. The streambed turned from east to north, while the upper cavern ascended from west to north. By this time, seven-tenths of the torches we carried had burned down. Afraid of being unable to discern the return route, we made several turns along the previous pathway, passing through the two narrow barriers. Just as we reached the spot where the daylight entered, the torches happened to burn themselves out. Emerging through the aperture was like being born into another world.

Several dozen people had swelled the ranks of those keeping vigil outside the cavern. Upon seeing us, they greeted us by raising their hands to their foreheads, declaring it an extraordinary feat and taking us for great ritual masters. They also said, “Having waited so long, we thought that you must have fallen into the mouth of some monster. And so we dared not go in despite our wish to do so, nor could we leave even though we wanted to. Now that you are safe and without mishap, if not for divine intervention, how else could this have been brought about?” I thanked them, saying, “I hold to my habit; I explore my scenic sites, yet I have troubled all you gentlemen to wait so long. How can I express my gratitude?”

Yet the cavern consisted of nothing more than many narrow passageways. The inside was clean and dry. No cavern I had previously seen could compare with it. I could not fathom why the locals were so frightened to enter. Therefore, we retrieved our traveling bags from the previous village and left General’s Ridge. I followed the stream north for over ten li before regaining the main road. From there, it was seven li east to Take Seven Village and barely three li west to Hemp Leaf. I had initially wished to take a boat from Take Seven Village and travel west. By this time, though, it would have entailed going against the current, something I was unwilling to venture. I also worried that for the moment, there would be no boats in Take Seven Village. Since the sky had cleared, we went west, following the land route, returning to Hemp Leaf. By then, the sun had sunk low, and I had not eaten; I sought wine in the market.

After a farther ten li west, I took lodging at Yellow Stone Inn [Huangshi Pu], 40 li from Chaling Subprefecture. That night, the sapphire sky appeared as if washed clean. The moon was white and the frost keen. This too made for an extraordinary vista during our trip. Weary from my travels, I finally laid down to rest.

—Translated by Alister D. Inglis

After his cave experiences in Hunan, Xu Xiake visited Mount Heng [Hengshan], China’s Sacred Mountain in the South [Nanyue].⁹ We rejoin Xu about a month later in the following diary entry below. He is now traveling by boat on the Xiang River, a major tributary of the Changjiang that flows northeast through Hunan. This next diary entry, and the one that follows, recalls one of the most harrowing and dramatic experiences described in all of Xu Xiake’s travel accounts.

Eleventh day [of the second month] [7 March]:¹⁰ I again heard rain during the fifth watch, but it gradually cleared as the sky grew bright. Proceeded south for twenty-five li to Theater Sandbank [Shanggou Tan], the premier sandbank south of Mount Heng. The river here is deep, and its current languid; hence, its force is not overly great. We turned west for another five li to East Sun Crossing [Dongyang Du]. Colored Glaze Works [Liuli Chang], the official kiln of Gui Headquarters (Guifu), is on the northern bank.¹¹ Proceeded another twenty li west to Wagon River [Chejiang]. Sometimes, it is called the Branching River [Chajiang]. Several li to the north is Mother of Pearl Mountain [Yunmu Shan]. Changing course, we proceeded southeast for ten li to Clouds Gathering Pool [Yunji Tan], on whose eastern bank lies a small hill. Next, we turned south and proceeded for ten li to New Dike Station [Xintang Zhan]. A relay station, now deserted, once stood here. After another six li, we moored upriver from New Dike Station on the opposite shore. Among our fellow passengers were Ai Xingke (d. 1637) from Heng Commandery and Shi Yaoting. Ai is a ritual apprentice (lisheng) at Gui Headquarters.¹² On the other hand, Shi is originally from Suzhou, but his family has been settled here for three generations.

At that time, while some daylight remained, we anchored beside two grain boats, the only other boats there. After a while, five or six grain boats, also traveling upstream, arrived. They too anchored beside us. There had never been a village by the shore there, but mindful of how Shi and the passengers in the front cabin from Anhui were seasoned river travelers and how Ai was a local, feeling loathe to influence their travel plans, I agreed to anchor the boat there.

When I boarded the boat the previous evening, I was treated to evening rain in the Xiao and Xiang River region. This evening, I bore witness to a luminous moon over the Xiang River. The moon was fairly bright when night fell, and I remembered how I had not seen the moon since the start of spring. I was delighted to have enjoyed different scenic splendors on two separate nights.

Some time passed, and suddenly, I heard crying from the shore. It sounded like a child or a woman. It continued even after two hours. All the boats were silent as none dared make inquiries. Listening to it prevented me from sleeping, and so, on my pillow, I composed poetry in sympathy with whomever it was. I had lines like, “Pipes and reeds on a lonely boat, bemoan the Red Cliff; a lute held betwixt two sleeves, dampens my green robe with tears.” There was also, “The sandbar startles a homing goose, only one against the sky; the moon calls to the cuckoo, the hour already three.” I only feared a trap; some trickster was lying in wait for someone to take pity and then offer help, only to follow him back and kidnap him. It never entered my head that they were pirates.

By the time of the second drum, Tranquil Hearing could not bear it and waded through the shallows to the bank to relieve himself ashore. Tranquil Hearing was extremely disciplined. Whether it be to relieve himself or spit, he would invariably wait until ashore and would never do so in the water. He called out, asking who was there. It was a boy. Perhaps fourteen or fifteen, so he did not yet wear his hair as would a man. He led Tranquil Hearing to believe he was twelve and absconded from a eunuch’s household. The eunuch was given to drink and at such times would take to him with a large cane. The boy therefore wished to run away. Tranquil Hearing urged him to return and assiduously consoled him until eventually, the lad laid to rest beside the shore. Shortly after Tranquil Hearing reboarded, a band of pirates, waving swords and wielding torches, crying bloody blue murder, boarded the boat.

I was not asleep yet, so I quickly took the traveling money out of my small money box to hide it elsewhere. After I passed Mr. Ai’s cabin, I wanted to throw it into the water from the stern of the boat. But just then, the pirates, brandishing swords, were hacking at the stern door. Unable to go out the door, I forcefully pushed up the gap in the boat’s awning and clumsily threw the money box into the river. Then I returned to my sleeping quarters and found some clothes to drape over my shoulders. As for Tranquil Hearing and Servant Gu, along with Mr. Shi and his servant, all were forcibly huddled together in one place, some naked, some covered only in quilts. The pirates moved forward from the middle cabin. Others in the stern of the boat smashed through the stern door. In front and behind us, their swords and spears stabbed indiscriminately. None of our naked bodies was spared. Then I realized that the pirates would certainly seize me. I had thrown away my silk clothes because it was inconvenient to carry them. Each of us kneeled before the pirates, pleading for our lives. But the pirates hacked away unrelentingly, so we all arose, lifted the boat awning, and jumped into the water. I was the last in because I stumbled on a bamboo towline. Finally, I fell headfirst into the water together with the awning, my head reaching to the bottom. Water poured into my ears and nose, so I quickly bounded to the surface. Fortunately, it was not deep, coming only up to my waist. I then waded against the current. When I encountered one of the neighboring boats coming my way to avoid the pirates, I jumped in. I was soaked and freezing. One of the passengers covered me with the boatman’s quilt. I then lay down in the boat. We proceeded three or four li upstream and moored at Incense Burner Mountain. Presumably, we were now on the other side of the Xiang River.

I gazed back at our pillaged boat. The flames were fiery red. As a signal, the bandits yelled out in a chorus, then withdrew. A short time later, the boats moored earlier with ours all came to moor with us. Someone mentioned that a young gentleman from Nanjing had been stabbed four times. I smirked when I heard this because his claim seemed exaggerated. Fortunately, I alone was not stabbed as I stood there naked during the random hacking of swords and thrusting of halberds. This was indeed a blessing from heaven! I did not know the whereabouts of Tranquil Hearing and Servant Gu. But I thought since they also had tumbled into the water, they could have avoided the “mouth of the tiger.”¹³ The money case was now of no concern, but what bothered me was that no sooner did the Continuation Account of a Southern Itinerary (Nancheng xuji)—written by the Honorable Zhang Zonglian (1374–1427)in his calligraphy and a treasured possession in his family for over two-hundred years—come into my possession than it suffered this calamity! ¹⁴ How can one not be angered and suffer pain from this? The boatmen, father and son, had both been stabbed. They wailed in pain on a neighboring boat. On another boat was Shi Yaoting, along with Mr. Ai’s servant and Servant Gu, whom the pirates had stabbed. They arrived at my boat naked and huddled with me under the same quilt. Only then did I realize that the person who had been stabbed four times was my servant, Gu. The five people from Huizhou Prefecture in the forward cabin were all carpenters. Two of them were on a neighboring boat. The whereabouts of the other three were unknown. There was still no sign of Tranquil Hearing in my forward cabin. In the stern cabin where Ai Xingke stayed with his friend, Mr. Zeng, there was no way to ask about Tranquil Hearing. As many people surrounded me, Servant Gu moaned from extreme pain. Although my money pouch had been destroyed in the fire and nothing was left, the money box I had thrown in the water might have been retrieved on the riverbed. But I feared someone might see and take it during daylight, so I wanted to look for it at dawn. But I did not have a stitch of clothing, so how could I reach the bank? On the evening of the raid, the new moon had been bright. But when the pirates arrived, there were dark clouds all around. But by daybreak, it was raining again, heavy and hard.

Twelfth day [8 March]: A passenger on the neighboring boat with the family name Dai took pity on me and gave me a pair of his underwear and unlined trousers. I had nothing else on me. When I felt my hair bun, my silver earpick was still there. I usually do not carry a hairpin. But during this trip, when I reached Wu Gate [Wumen], I recalled that twenty years earlier, when I got to the riverbank of the Qiantang River on my return trip from Min, all my traveling money had been spent.¹⁵ I removed the hairpin from my bun, snapped it in two, and used one half to pay for a meal and the other half to hire a sedan chair, which then took me to the Golden Heart Moon [Jinxin Yue] lodgings in the Brilliant Felicity Monastery.¹⁶ On this trip, I took along an earpick for two reasons: to coil my hair into a bun and to be prepared for any untimely necessity. Even though I had fallen into the river, I was fortunate to have the hairpin, so my hair did not fall into disarray.

As for Ai Xingke, since he was traveling with untied hair, he was not rescued.¹⁷ Even though an item like an earpick might seem trivial, it can sometimes save the day. I repaid the boat passenger’s kindness by giving him the earpick. I then hurriedly asked his family name and departed. Servant Gu, without a stitch of clothing, stood there bare naked. I gave him Mr. Dai’s trousers. Then I put on the underwear, which only came up to my waist.¹⁸ A neighboring boatman handed me a width of patched cloth, which I used to cover my front. I then went ashore. The shore here is on the northeast bank of the Xiang River, so we followed the bank and proceeded north. Those who went ashore included me and Servant Gu, the servants of Mr. Shi and Mr. Ai, and two travelers from Huizhou Prefecture, making six altogether. We all looked like fettered ghosts. The dawn breeze was extremely cold, and the gritty gravel split open our bare feet. We wanted to proceed but could not move forward; we wanted to halt but could not stop. After four li, the sky gradually began to brighten. I gazed at our burning, looted boat on the other side of the river. People on the boats above and below our position saw us, but not one was willing to come ashore and ferry us across the river. We yelled and beseeched them twice or thrice, but no one trusted us.¹⁹ Mr. Ai’s servant shouted across the river for his master; I shouted across the river for Tranquil Hearing; the two men from the Huizhou Prefecture shouted for their companions. Each of us called in turn, but there was no response. A short time later, I heard someone shout out to me, and I knew it was Tranquil Hearing. I was secretly delighted and yelled back to him, “The three of us are all alive!”²⁰ I very much looked forward to reuniting with him. Some local people from across the river came with a boat and ferried me to the other side. When I reached the burned-out boat, I spotted Tranquil Hearing, which delighted me even more. I went into the water and waded around, looking for the bamboo money box I had tossed into the river. Tranquil Hearing looked over at me and asked what I was doing. From a distance, I said, “The money box is right here. But the money inside it is now all gone. My hand-copied versions of ‘Yu the Great’s Stele’ (Da Yu bei) and the Comprehensive Gazetteer of Heng County (Hengzhou tongzhi) were not soaked through with water.”²¹ When we landed at the bank, I saw Tranquil Hearing. From among our clothes and bedding and the bamboo book box, he managed to rescue several articles of clothing that he guarded beside the sandy shore. Feeling sorry for me because I was cold, he quickly took off his clothes and gave them to me to wear, then rescued a pair of trousers and some socks for me. But they had been damaged in the fire and were soaking wet. He then took some wood from the still-burning boat to dry the trousers and socks. By that time, the five travelers from Huizhou had all arrived. As for the four people in Mr. Ai’s party, although his two friends and servant were injured, they were also there. But there was no trace of Ai Xingke. His friends and servant begged some local people to dispatch boats to conduct a methodical search for him along the shore. We remained on the beach, drying our clothes and waiting for some news about Mr. Ai. We were hungry then, but nothing was left of our cooking utensils, which had sunk into the river during the fire. Tranquil Hearing went into the water and retrieved an iron pot, then returned and retrieved some water-logged rice. Earlier, we had obtained several pecks of dry rice, but they had been taken away by Mr. Ai’s servant, who used it to make porridge for all the other people in distress. Only after that did he have some himself.

By the afternoon, we still had not received any information about Mr. Ai. The people from Huizhou were the first to take a boat and return to Hengzhou Prefecture. Then, our group, Mr. Shi, Mr. Zeng, and Mr. Ai’s servant, found a local boat and returned to Hengzhou Prefecture. In my thinking, I still assumed that Mr. Ai had returned home ahead of us. Our local boat was quite big but was operated by only one person. Although we sailed with the current, we could not cover more than twenty-some li. By the time we reached Branching River, it was already twilight. After twenty more li, it was already late at night when we reached East Sun Crossing. At that time, the moonlight was doubly bright. We proceeded thirty li by moonlight. It was already the fifth watch when we reached Iron Loft Gate [Tielou Men].²² A messenger had returned earlier to inquire about Mr. Ai, but Mr. Ai was nowhere in sight.

This next section is especially informative because it describes, in some detail, the many books, letters, and drafts of diary entries that Xu carried with him while traveling.

Tranquil Hearing had seen us go down into the water completely naked. Remembering that those bags with Buddhist sutras were stowed beside the boat’s awning, he remained on board, risking his life by begging and pleading with the pirates. Because of these efforts, they eventually put down the sutras. After they broke open my bamboo case and saw nothing inside except books, the bandits dumped them all on the boat floor. Tranquil Hearing again implored the pirates to allow him to pick up the sutras and return them to the damaged case. The pirates did not stop him. Inside the case were volumes of the Unified and Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Ming, handwritten letters between myself and Wen Zhenmeng, Huang Daozhou, and Qian Qianyi, and drafts of my travel accounts in diary format. The only item lost was a draft of a letter to be sent to the Honorable Liu Yu.²³ The pirates went on to open my leather case. Seeing a length of silk inside it, they immediately closed the case, secured it, put it into a sack, and carried it off. In this case, there were also drafts of documents from Huang Daozhou to Master Mu (Mugong) in Lijiang, along with letters to the monks Profound Discernment and Peacefully Humane, and altogether, several dozens of family letters to Gu Dongshu on the Cangwu Circuit and others.²⁴ There was also a copy of Continuation Account of a Southern Itinerary (Nancheng xuji), written by Zhang Zonglian, which was handwritten and dating from early in the Xuande reign when Zhang was a special envoy to Guangdong. His relatives had kept this treasure in the family for over two hundred years. I came to possess it only after much hardship. It was wrapped with material bearing the calligraphy of Zhuang Dingshan and Chen Baisha and placed among other books. Tranquil Hearing knew nothing about this and did not beg that it be spared. The pirates thus took everything away, and Tranquil Hearing had no idea where the books may have been discarded. How truly unfortunate!

They also took my leather satchel, in which were six specimens of my family’s Sunshine Mountain Calligraphy Rubbings (Qingshan tie), an iron needle, a tin bottle, and a pot made by Chen Yongqing, all of which were heavy items. So when the pirates got the satchel, they did not open it but hastily stuffed it into their bag. They smashed my bamboo-plaited food basket, took the fruit and cakes inside it, and threw them down on the boat floor. Three volumes of Cao Xuequan’s (1574–1646) Gazetteer on Famous Surpassing Scenic Sites (Mingsheng zhi), four volumes of the Gazetteer on Yunnan (Yunnan zhi), and the Chronicles of Travels (Youji)in ten block-printed volumes were all destroyed in the fire.²⁵ Most of the items in Mr. Ai’s cabin were also destroyed by fire. Only Shi Yaoting’s bamboo box was not opened. Just before the pirates made their getaway, they intentionally set fire to the rear cabin. At that moment, Tranquil Hearing was lurking on the side of the boat. He waited until they left then immediately put out the fire. My cabin door also caught fire, so Tranquil Hearing went into the river again, fetched some water, and extinguished it. When the pirates heard water splashing, they thought someone was coming. But when they saw it was Tranquil Hearing, they slashed him twice with a knife, wounding him. Then they left. But it was already too late to put out the fire. By then, all the other boats had moved safely away except for the two boats carrying grain. Tranquil Hearing called out to them, but they turned around and moved farther away. Tranquil Hearing then went into the river to get the boat awning that had fallen into the water the night before and used it to make a raft. Then, hastily taking the sutra bag and whatever items of mine that had survived the fire, he ferried them to one of the boats carrying grain. Braving the fire, Tranquil Hearing went into the water again to retrieve Mr. Ai’s clothes, quilt, books, rice, and Shi Yaoting’s bamboo bookcase. Next, he placed these things on the awning and ferried them to the grain boat. But our boat had already sunk by the third time he returned to it. Tranquil Hearing retrieved three or four soaked articles of clothing from the bottom of the river and then, continuing as before, ferried them over to the grain boat. But people on the grain boat availed themselves of the darkness to hide the silk clothes and other items I had thrown away earlier.²⁶ The only things that survived were some cotton clothes and quilts. After Tranquil Hearing had moved the clothing items and bedding to the beach, the grain boat departed. We were ferried across the river as he watched over these items. When Mr. Shi and Mr. Ai’s servant spotted the items that had been recovered, they recognized them and went over to claim them. Addressing Mr. Shi, Tranquil Hearing asked, “Do all these things belong to you, sir?” Mr. Shi then became greatly insulted and besmirched. He blamed Tranquil Hearing: “Everyone suspected that you led the pirates to us when you went ashore, claiming that you would inquire about that crying boy. You are truly a ruthless person, wanting to steal my chest.” Mr. Shi was unaware that Tranquil Hearing, on Mr. Shi’s behalf, had braved attack by the sword, braved the cold, braved fire, and braved water to recover and protect this chest, then waited for its owner. Mr. Shi, rather than appreciating his fortitude, instead insulted Tranquil Hearing. Even pirates can take pity on a Buddhist monk, but this guy, in his ruthlessness, even surpasses that of pirates and robbers! Such is the way of men without conscience!

After his encounter with pirates, Xu Xiake needed money, so he returned to Hengzhou Prefecture, where he had stayed earlier, and met with Jin Xiangfu, whose employer was Zhu Changying, Prince of Gui and son of Emperor Shenzong.

Thirteenth day [9 March]: When I went ashore at daybreak, I had no plan on where to go. Since Jin Xiangfu was an old acquaintance I met elsewhere, I thought I could seek refuge with him or insist he take me in. ²⁷ I waited for the Iron Loft Gate to open and then went in. Anxiously, I hastened to Xiangfu’s residence, telling him all the details of my encounter with the river pirates. Xiangfu was distraught and angry about what had happened. At first, I wanted to borrow several dozen taels of silver from the frontier prefectural office, entrusting Xiangfu to guarantee the loan, and asked Xiangfu if he could collect repayment after returning home to Jiangyin, thereby still completing my great wish to visit the western regions.²⁸ Xiangfu said the frontier prefecture office had no silver that could be borrowed. He exhorted me, saying that if I returned home, he could make separate arrangements to cover the cost of clothes and luggage. I thought that if I returned home after encountering a setback, needing to find funds to finance another trip, my wife and children would certainly not be willing to allow me to continue my travels. I had no desire to alter my determination to carry on. I continued to implore Xiangfu to make a special effort to help, and he responded, “Yes, yes, of course.”

Fourteenth and fifteenth days [10 and 11 March]: Spent the entire day at Jin Xiangfu’s residence.

Sixteenth day [16 March]: Jin Xiangfu submitted a request to the inner offices on my behalf. It was agreed that financial assistance would not be discussed until the twenty-second day of the month. Earlier, Xiangfu said he could not provide me with any money and wanted to solicit donations from everyone in the inner offices. I had serious reservations about this idea. Tranquil Hearing said that Jin Xiangfu had long desired to establish fields at their monastery home in Jiangyin to help it receive rental income to support the observance of the Forty-Eight Vows and Vegetarian Feast Rites. Were Jin to receive donations from everyone here in Hengzhou for this cause now, these funds could finance my trip to the west. Then, as soon as I returned home, I would buy land for the fields equal to the loan amount and erect a stone tablet bearing the donors’ names. Tranquil Hearing thought this would be an exceedingly convenient way to resolve both matters. Reluctantly, I agreed to it.

So with Tranquil Hearing’s help, a plan was in place to secure funds to support his planned travels in the western regions.²⁹ Ai Xingke’s body was recovered on 21 March.³⁰ Xu Xiake attended his funeral in Hengzhou Prefecture two days later.

The place that serves as the focus of the following diary entry—“My Stream” [Wuxi]—is famous in Chinese literary history because the distinguished Tang dynasty writer Yuan Jie (719–72) once lived there. Yuan was good friends with the celebrated calligrapher Yan Zhenqing (709–85), and in the summer of 771, invited Yan to join him at My Stream, where together they inscribed the text of Yuan Jie’s “Encomium to the Great Tang Restoration” (Da Tang Zhongxing song) on the rocky cliff face beside My Stream.

Two days before the events described in the following diary entry, Xu Xiake became very sick. He does not specify his illness’s precise nature, only saying, “After a meal, I suddenly became ill and could not stop moaning from pain.”³¹

Tenth day [of the third month] [4 April]:³² I recall hearing about the surpassing scenery at My Stream and that one cannot visit there just once. I have been ill lately but am feeling a little better now. The boatman had not yet sailed because he was waiting for additional passengers, so despite my illness, I mustered all my strength to get up and visit My Stream. Following the market along the Xiang River, I proceeded south. After proceeding five li, crossing the river, and heading east, I was already at My Stream. The so-called Lion Mane [Shizi Fu] is on a riverbank two li to the south.³³ It turns out this is a place I have been to before. I asked for directions, but nobody told me how to get there. Could it be that Lion’s Mane could not withstand the changes in the world because of piled sand and shifting currents and so disappeared? My Stream approaches from the east, then moves west, and eventually flows into the Xiang River. Its current is rather minimal. Three cliffs tower side-by-side north of the stream, overlooking the Xiang River to the west. The middle cliff is the highest and bears the inscription “Encomium to the Restoration” (Zhongxing song), written in the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing and inscribed high on the cliff wall.³⁴ A slab mirror (shijing) is inlaid on its flank. It measures two feet in length and five feet in width. The surface of the slab is shiny and black, just like lacquer. If you sprinkle water on it, pavilion rocks beside the cliff nearby and village trees across the river in the distance reflect distinctly and clearly on its surface. I have no idea where the slab mirror came from or when it may have been inlaid here. Could it also have been bequeathed by Yuan Jie? If so, his achievement is equal to Yan’s calligraphy!

The lines below concerning some local place names coined by Yuan Jie (or “Mr. Yuan”) require explanation. Most Chinese characters contain two components: one semantic, the other phonetic. When the stream by his house needed a name, Yuan took the semantic element (or “radical”) for “water” 氵 and combined it with the phonetic element wu 吾, thereby creating the Chinese character wu 浯. This character, when combined with the generic place- name suffix meaning “stream,” xi 溪, yields the two-character toponym Wuxi 浯溪, Wu Stream. The phonetic element wu 吾 can also stand alone as the singular pronoun meaning “I” or “my.” Yuan Jie’s wordplay here is intentional. So “Wu Stream” can also be understood to mean “My Stream.” Yuan Jie uses this same unique process to coin “my” names for a nearby hill and pavilion.

During the Song dynasty, Chen Yan observed:

As for Mr. Yuan’s intentions when he began to devise place names, because of the nearby stream’s association with water, he came up with the name My Stream [Wuxi 浯溪] using the “water” 氵radical; for a nearby hill, he came up with the name My Hill [Wushan 峿山] using the mountain/hill” 山 radical. Using the “structure on a cliff” 广 radical, when he built a building, he called it My Pavilion [Wuting 𢈪亭]. The designations of these “Three Wus” derive from “my.” The characters created with semantic components related to “water,” “hills,” and “structure on a cliff” are named from “my.” These three scenic sites’ names come from “my” and are associated only with “my.”³⁵

A pavilion in front of the cliff overlooks the Xiang River. On the apex of the cliff, rocks stand pinnacled in bunches, like clustered sepals of flowering hibiscus. The area north of there also has a pavilion. Today, it holds a statue of the Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons (Fumo Dadi).³⁶ At the eastern foot of the cliff is the Yuan and Yan Shrine [Yuan-Yan Ci].³⁷ The shrine is vacant and narrow. In front is a building with three rooms that serve as a layby for sightseers, but no one is watching over the place. I crossed My Stream and proceeded east to a monastery facing north. This is Central Palace Monastery [Zhonggong Si], the former site of Manlang’s residence [Manzhai].³⁸ It is already in a severe state of ruins, which cannot help but inspire feelings of sadness for ancient times. I lay on a rock beside the cliff because I felt too weak to proceed, waiting a long time for the boat. What a pity that even though the scaffolding along the cliffside, from which stone rubbings of the inscription can be made, still had not been removed, there was no one around to make a rubbing for me. This was most disappointing. After the boat arrived at midday, we proceeded another twenty li and passed Daughter-in-Law Dike [Xifu Niang Tang]. On the river’s north bank, there is a rock, comely and fair of form, standing upright at the end of a peak with its head raised and posed in a manner of gazing toward the west.

Bamboo fish (zhuyu) are found in the stream below. They are small but very plump. By the eighth or ninth month, they already weigh one or two catties (jin).³⁹ They are found nowhere else. At the time, I was laid up sick in my cabin. So I only got a quick look at Daughter-in-Law Dike before we passed by. Only after another ten li, when we moored at Dripping Water Cliff [Dishui Ya], did I realize her lifted head faced east and that there were several layers of clouds across the river. Dripping Water Cliff is on the south bank of the river. Precipitous cliffs spanned the sky; the flow of the river was hushed. Nearby were only a few remote villages. I had no idea why the captain would want us to moor here. On this day, altogether, we covered thirty-five li.

Around this time, Xu Xiake heard—probably from someone he met during his travels—that there was an unusual, vertically aligned rock formation called Three Segments Rock [Sanfen Shi] nearby. This site marks the loftiest point on Mount Jiuyi [Jiuyi Shan] in southern Hunan, near the border with Guangdong. Although not a great distance away, these rocky monoliths were in an isolated area with few places to spend the night. Bandits were also known to gather nearby.

Twenty-eighth day [22 April]:⁴⁰ I had a morning meal at the fifth drum and waited for daybreak. Following the same route, I passed south of Jade Flute Cave [Yuguan Yan] and looked for the guide. He had gotten up earlier, cooked a meal, and headed off carrying a lantern on a pole over his shoulder. I immediately followed him, ascending Master Yang’s Ridge [Yangzi Ling].⁴¹ I proceeded for two li and climbed to the top of the ridge, on which were upthrust rocks that looked like people standing upright, like beasts squatting on their heels, and like dragons lying on their backs. Everywhere above them were more rocks, winding around and protruding. From the top of the ridge, I proceeded southeast into a depression known by the name Thatched Den [Maowo]. Everywhere over the next three li are extraordinary rocks. I descended deep into the den, where a rocky cliff was high and jagged. An emerald waterfall a thousand rods high converges on all four sides and then pounds its way down into a rugged cavern, raining down on huge rocks. The cavern’s depths cannot be fathomed. This place is named Nine Turtles Enter the Crag [Jiugui Jinyan] because inside the den are nine hills shaped like turtles. All the water on the hills rushes down toward the crag. Since the crag faces west, I suspect the water that comes out from the crag next to the old site of the Eternal Blessing Monastery [Yongfu Si] is from here. Next, proceeded two li southeast, where I crossed a ridge. The Coiling Dragon Settlement [Panlong Dong] river entrance is here.⁴² Where the settlement advances to the east, the river remains deep. All those living in the settlement are High Mountain Yao (Gaoshan Yao).⁴³

Next, I climbed a ridge for one li and came to Clear Water Pool [Qingshui Tan]. On the flank of the ridge is a pool with crystal clear water. The trail descends east of the ridge to the road to Chives Plateau [Jiucai Yuan]. Next, I proceeded two li southeast, then crossed Ox Head River [Niutou Jiang]. The river approaches from Purple Gold Plateau [Zijin Yuan] in the east.⁴⁴ The trails along the crags on both sides of the river are sheer and steep. Up and down, I climbed and clambered, which was quite arduous. Sometimes, however, because of roving bandits, one must temporarily go this way. Locals have cut down huge tree limbs and laid them in lengths along the crag trail, like a plank walkway, which ascends and descends following the branches of the trees. As you traverse the cliff, some tree limbs crouch below it and bore through between its legs, while others straddle it and pass over its spine. After crossing the river, I ascended southeast to Half-Side Mountain [Banbian Shan]. Purple Gold Plateau is on the lofty mountain to its northeast. It turns out the administrative seat of Lanshan County is beyond the mountain. Empty Hut Plateau [Kongliao Yuan] is on the lofty mountain to its southwest. Farther south is Incense Burner Mountain. On top of the mountain at Empty Hut Plateau is a single vein of white rock, which ascends to the mountain’s apex and descends to its foothills. The rock resembles a hanging length of silk, so locals refer to it as White Floss Silk [Bai Mianchou].

Incense Burner Mountain is thirty li south of Jade Flute Cave and twenty li northwest of Three Segments Rock. In height, Incense Burner Mountain is on a par with Three Segments Rock. On its summit is a clear pool two or three acres wide. In the pool are two columns of rock, towering and tall, extending from the water’s surface for more than three rods. I suspect that this is what the Unified and Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Ming calls Celestial Lake [Tianhu], although it merely says it is in Mount Jiuyi’s foothills.⁴⁵ But the one here, on the summit of the mountain, is different. It seems there are no lakes in the foothills around here. From Half-Side Mountain, ascended five li, then descended slightly to Dog Arrow Den [Goushi Wo]. I proceeded higher, time and again crossing mountain crests as narrow as an earthen wall. Time and again, I tracked across mountain summits, descending less, ascending more, for altogether five li to the northeast, when I came out at Sea Turtle Head Mountain [Aotou Shan]. The thick fog from earlier had not cleared. So the peaks of Half-Side and Sea Turtle Head were close by, but I could not see them. But when I got to them, the mountains immediately revealed themselves. Upon reaching here, I gazed south into the distance for Three Segments Rock but did not know its location. A short time later, the thick clouds suddenly opened, and for an instant, the shadow of Three Segments Rock flashed over the summit of some lofty peaks. It resembles Mount Jianglang in Jiangshan County.⁴⁶ One of the segments is the source of the Zhe River; the other is the source of the Xiao River.⁴⁷

Mount Jianglang stands lofty and upright only at mid-mountain. Three Segments Rock is simply different because it hangs above the absolute summits of countless peaks. As for the two mountains, Half-Side and Sea Turtle Head, they bestride Purple Gold in the northeast to form Ox Head River, which flows between them. In the southwest, they bestride Empty Hut and Incense Burner and then form Xiao Source River [Xiaoyuan Jiang], which flows between them. The water for these rivers comes from Three Segments Rock. Here then is the mainstay of these two rivers. The two rivers merge southeast of Jade Flute, then descend west to Luguan and merge with the Pu River [Pujiang]. Only then is it borne, like a leaf-like boat, to flow into the great ocean.

From Sea Turtle Head, I proceeded east, following a trail halfway up the ridge, descending after two li. After three more li descended to reach the Muddy River [Lanni He]. Only then was I able to get some water and prepare a meal. By then, it was already afternoon. From Muddy River, proceeded east for five li and passed over a ridge. On the flank of the ridge, there is a small trail that takes one to Cold River Depression [Lengshui Ao], a sanctuary for robbers. Descended the ridge for three li and came to High Bridge Plateau [Gaoliang Yuan], on the western border of Lanshan County. This area is also a sanctuary for robbers. As it turns out, this ridge is Indigo Mountain [Lanshan], which marks the boundary with Ningyuan County. It is to the east of Three Segments Rock. The flow of the river here also follows along this ridge. Following the most direct route to Three Segments Rock, I descended to Muddy River, where I came to a separate trail leading to High Bridge Plateau. I broke off the trail and proceeded southwest, then ascended another ridge. The red and purple flowers on the mountain ridge vied in their beauty. Only after I approached from Sea Turtle Head Mountain did I see the blue petals of mountain azaleas. There are also two varieties of purple flowers found here. The larger variety is the camellia (shancha); the smaller variety is the mountain azalea. They are most charming in their allure. Also, among some withered trees, yellowish-white mushrooms were as thick and big as plates. I gathered some and stored them in my sleeves. That night, after I reached Three Segments Rock, I wrapped them up in some thin bamboo and then roasted them. They were fragrant and tasted exactly like sweet mushrooms.

The mountain trees here are so tall they seem to hold up the empyrean. In these parts, the mountain trees are enormous. The most precious ones are solitude trees (dumu); next are nan trees.⁴⁸ There are also coffin-wood trees (shoumu), the leaves of which are flat like the leaves of the leaning thuja (cebo), a variety of cypress trees.⁴⁹ The huge ones in girth measure the arm spans of four or five people and are dozens of rods high. On the flank of the Xiao Source River, where one crosses it, a nan tree has been felled to serve as a bridge across it. It stands up to a man’s eyebrows and runs for no less than thirty paces. I heard that twenty years ago, people were ordered to gather lumber and build a bridge across the river. Could this be what is left of it?

I ascended and descended for altogether five li and reached Xiao Source River. It approaches from Three Segments Rock in the southeast. It flows off to the west when it reaches here, passing northeast of Mount Incense Burner to emerge at Luguan. Where the river’s flow ended, I crossed to the south, then immediately ascended from the foot of Three Segments Ridge [Sanfen Ling]. The ridge is pinnacled and sheer, with nowhere to put your feet, while the tiny trail is hidden deep among slender bamboo. I lowered my head, pushed through the bamboo, and ascended, using two hands to pull on the bamboo so my feet could move forward. Because the bamboo was soaked and drenched by early morning fog, I could not hold my head above it and proceed on flat ground below it. All I could do was rely on the bamboo to serve as a well-rope dangling down from the sky, which was quite effective. It was like this for the next eight li, and only then did the terrain gradually level out.

Next, I proceeded south from the top of the ridge for two li. At the time, it was still covered by the early morning fog. I gazed toward the summit of Three Segments Rock but could not make it out. Twilight was approaching, so I abandoned the slender bamboo for some pine trees, where I found a plot of land as flat as the palm of a hand. The mountain was lofty and had no water, and even though I made a fire, it was hard to cook. I had the guide chop some big pieces of wood, stack them up, and then make a bonfire. The plan for the night was to use slender bamboo as our bedding and consider the fire as a bed curtain. After dark, a great wind howled, gathering bonfire sparks as they danced in the sky. The flames roved and shifted, swiftly fleeing forward for several rods. Only then did I consider this place a surpassing scenic wonder. Not long afterward, the fog yielded to the wind. Suddenly, I looked up at the bright stars, which were then followed by a fine rain. I held up an umbrella but could not fend off the wind and rain; I held up a quilt, which gradually became soaked. Fortunately, the force of the fire was intense, so this was sufficient to ward off attacks from wind and rain. The rain was extreme at the fifth drum, so I could not avoid becoming drenched.

Twenty-ninth day [23 April]: The sky gradually brightened; the rain gradually let up. I looked up at Three Segments Rock, and for a moment, its shadow was revealed. Then, bearing hunger, I immediately charged through the wet bamboo and proceeded south. Next, I descended the mountain for two li and realized there was still a peak between Three Segments Rock and me. Crossed the small spine of a ridge inside a depression and again ascended to the south for three li. Only then did I come to some huge rocks coiling around a cliff. All the places where I ascended yesterday were steep, earthen slopes with no rocks. This was the guide’s error.⁵⁰ I came south of the huge rocks, then proceeded for one li, where I looked down to the east at some tall summits, which seemed like one could reach out and touch them. But they were mired in a haze, so I could not distinguish their true form. I advanced as far as possible to where the stone steps ended. A heavy mountain rain poured down, soaking me from head to heel. I then backtracked the way I had come. When passing the huge rocks at the cliff, I noticed that on their flank was a thread-like trail hidden deep among some slender bamboo. The rain was intense, so I could not ascend. And even if I could ascend, I could not see anything. I then descended, following my earlier route. I reached where I was the previous night, where the guide had built the bonfire. I planned to descend the earlier trail that approached directly from the north. I tried cooking rice near a stream, but the rain extinguished the fire. With only some embers remaining, I hurriedly found charred wood, which I lit and used as a torch when I descended the mountain. But I mistakenly took the trail approaching from the mountain’s west side, and in the end, I could not find the trail. After quite a while, I came to a stream at the bottom of a small ravine, where I cooked some rice. By then, it was already noon. Next, I treaded and trampled through some brush and bamboo and after quite a while reached a mountain stream. This is a place where five mountain streams from across and athwart merge. These are all waterways from the west, south, and north sides of Three Segments. The stream from the east I crossed when I came by here earlier is to their far north. I then skipped the first stream and crossed the third but did not cross the remaining stream to the far north. Following along the shoal on the southern shore of the stream, I proceeded east. After one li, I came to the same place where I had crossed the river earlier. Only then did I wade across and head north. Following my earlier trail, I reached Muddy River and Sea Turtle Head Mountain, where I sat and rested for a while. I caught a whiff of the highly fragrant orchid flowers. I looked around for the flowers inside a nook next to me. I picked some and took them with me. Next, reached Half-Side Mountain and descended to Ox Head River. Dusk had already fallen. Fortunately, by then, I had gone past the dangerous places.

I then had the guide lead me along the shortcut to Chives Plateau, where the High Mountain Yao people live. I proceeded south from there, where I failed to see even a single hut. Only after going straight through the High Bridge Plateau did I come upon dwellings of the Yao people. At first, in my ascent, I was still on an earthen mountain. But after entering the mountain and descending to the east, all I could hear was the gurgling and burbling of water from a deep gulch. In the dark, we groped along a precipitous stone stairway and descended. After one li, we passed two single-plank bridges, then saw the flicker and glimmer of fire. As I hurried toward it, I noticed that the fire was down low in an area next to a plot of farmland, so I did not dare to check further. A short time later, I came upon one or two thatched huts. I shouted, and a person came out carrying a torch and graciously welcomed us to spend the night there. I asked about the fire near the plots of farmland. It turns out the people there were catching “smarties.” The Yao people call frogs “smarties” (guaizhe). I asked our host his surname, and he said it was Deng. He was twenty years old and well informed in speaking about mountain matters. I was grateful to him for inviting me to stay at his place in the middle of the night. Only then did I realize the generosity of the ancients is still maintained among the Yao people. After going into his hut, we hastily built a fire to dry my clothes, cooked rice, ate, and then went to bed.

Thirtieth day [24 April]: I had not slept the night before, so it was daybreak before I called the boy servant to get up and make breakfast. We headed out after breakfast. Only then did I see the so-called Chives Plateau. Situated at the base of a lofty mountain, it is shaped like a wok. I heard the gurgling sound of water during the night but did not know where it was coming from. As it turns out, the water flows into a cavern and is forced into a gorge. Inside the gorge is a hollow with a clear pool with deep, blue water. This is Dragon Pool, or so I was told. Crossed a mountain to the west and proceeded for altogether two li, where I passed Clear Water Pool. After another one and a half li, I passed the mouth of Coiling Dragon Stream [Panlong Xi]. After another one and a half li, crossed a ridge and then passed Nine Turtles Enter the Crag. Then ascended a ridge, went by Thatched Den [Mawo], and descended to Master Yang’s Ridge, covering five li altogether before we reached the guide’s home. After three more li, I returned to have a meal at Slanted Cavern [Xiedong], after which I briefly rested. I took the orchid flowers I was carrying—nine of them on altogether seven stems, but the leaves were not long and bold. These flowers are inferior to those in Fujian. Facing the entrance to a small peak, I placed them on top of a rocky terrace as offerings to Buddha. I did not proceed until the afternoon. We then passed north of the Sage’s Ceremonial Hall [Shengdian] on the western ridge. By the time we came out between the two peaks, Fairy Radiance [Ehuang] and Maiden Blossom [Nüying] in the west, I had already turned and proceeded northeast.⁵¹ After altogether ten li, passed Grand Peace Camp [Taiping Ying]. Proceeded another five li to the north and stopped to spend the night at Trail Pavilion [Luting]. With all the recent rain, it was not until tonight that I observed the glow of the setting sun.

Southeast of Nine Doubts Cavern [Jiuyi Dong] is Jade Flute Crag. As it turns out, a small rocky peak rises among the layers of mountains all around it. The cavern is situated below the peak, facing west. Trigram Mountain [Guashan] is to the west, directly facing the cavern entrance. In shape, it resembles a water-bamboo stalk and looks like a scholar’s upright, rectangular headwear.⁵² It moreover rises prominently among the masses of mountains. The cavern’s interior is flat, spacious, and unobstructed from south to north. Here, one finds the remains of an ancient shrine, designated as the place where Marquis He (Hehou) rose and ascended.⁵³ Thirty li south of here is Incense Burner Mountain, while fifty-some li to the southeast is Three Segments Rock. Thirty li west is Mother of Shun Rock [Shunmu Shi], while another ten li west are Nine Segments at the Head of the Border [Jietou Jiufen], which, as it turns out, is the eastern border of Jianghua County.

As for the sources of the streams below Three Segments Rock, everyone claims that one of them goes out to Guangdong, one of them goes out to Guangxi, and one of them descends from Mount Jiuyi to form the Xiao River, which then goes out to Hu-Guang. But after reaching below Three Segments, you realize it is simply a rock formation segmented into three forks. The stream to the northeast of its base forms the source of the Xiao River, which merges with streams to the north and west—the five mountain streams that join and connect—and then flows out to the great ocean. This is the source of the Xiao River. The stream directly to the east approaches from High Bridge Plateau to form the Plain Fields River [Baitian Jiang]. Fifteen li to the east, it passes through Place Overlooking the River [Linjiang Suo]. After another twenty li to the east, it reaches the administrative center of Lanshan County. This is the source of the Kui River [Kuishui]. The river in the southeast approaches from the big bridge fifteen li southeast of High Bridge Plateau and goes down to Brocade Fields [Jintian], then heads west to Jianghua County. This is the source of the Tuo River [Tuoshui]. It does not go out to the two Guangs because, in the south, the river at Brocade Fields crossflows to form the borders of Chu and Yue. East of the Brocade Fields is Stone Fish Ridge [Shiyu Ling], which forms the border of Lianzhou Prefecture in Guangdong. It is there where its water begins to flow southeast into Eastern Yue [Yuedong]. If you consider Guangxi, then the area south of Upper Martial Bastion [Shang Wubao] forms the border of He County.

High Bridge Plateau forms the southern border of Ningyuan County and the western edge of Lanshan County, but it falls under the jurisdiction of Lanshan. This is also a High Mountain Yao area, the hidden haunt of robbers and bandits. Over the last two months, some of them dashed out of Yongzhou Prefecture and killed a constabulary officer from Dong’an County. And it was this bunch who did all the killing and looting in and around Cold Water Bend [Lengshui Wan] and Vast Wilderness Bridge [Boye Qiao]. All their comings and goings were from Ox Head River, so they availed themselves to spend the night at Chives Plateau and Coiling Dragon Cavern [Panlong Dong] and passed through Nine Doubts Settlement. Their gang has about seventy and eighty men, with twenty or thirty horses. They are well equipped, with both sharp weapons and silk banners. Among them are several who have just started to grow their hair, along with two or three Buddhist monks from the temple on the ridge at Cold Water Bend. Also among them are some carpenters from distant places. Every person who lives in Chives Plateau can talk about their activities. My guide talks about them in the same way.

—Translated by James M. Hargett

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Source: “Chuyou riji” (YJJZ, 1:250–52; YJ, 1:183–86).

1. 1  Xu Xiake’s quotation from the Unified and Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Ming is incomplete. The gazetteer entry reads: “Three Caverns of the People of Qin is thirty li south of Chaling Subprefecture. Its Upper Cavern has stones in the shape of a door that does not allow entry, but occasionally one hears chiming stones therein. The generations had passed down that the cavern has traces from when people of Qin took refuge here.” Unified and Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Ming, 63.9b.

2. 2  Xu Xiake knew this because he had explored these same caves the day before.

3. 3  The local person mentioned here makes reference to a cavern near Upper Clarity Pool, described below.

4. 4  In Chinese mythology, “divine dragons” (shenlong) control rain and agriculture. According to tradition, one should not anger or neglect these creatures, for often the result is drought, storms, and floods.

5. 5  As noted below in the diary, “Take Seven” is the name of a village (zhen).

6. 6  That is to say, Upper Clarity Cavern [Shangqing Dong].

7. 7  This term refers to a Daoist holy man capable of exorcising spirits. They were sometimes associated with feathers because it was believed there was once a transcendent being with feathers that enabled him to fly. Later, the terms feathered ones (yuren) and rain masters (yushi) became general references to those engaged in Daoist pursuits.

8. 8  Premised on the belief in animism, people in pre-modern and early-modern China believed that natural objects, including rocks, could harbor spirits.

9. 9  YJJZ, 1:257–58; YJ, 1:188–90. Xu Xiake’s brief account of his visit to Hengshan, the Sacred Mountain in the South, only recounts his uneventful climb to the Ascending to Conduct the Feng Sacrifices Monastery [Shangfeng Si], so I have not translated it.

10. 10  YJJZ, 1:272–77; YJ, 1:200–205.

11. 11  “Gui Headquarters” is an abbreviation for “Headquarters of the Prince of Gui” (Guiwang Fu), for which, see note 12 below.

12. 12  Heng Commandery refers to Hengzhou Prefecture, which corresponds to modern Hengshan Xian, Zhejiang. Ritual apprentices performed ritual services at the court or headquarters (fu) of an imperial prince. In this case, the reference is to the headquarters of the imperial prince Zhu Changying (1597–1645), which was in Hengzhou Prefecture. Zhu was the seventh son of the Ming emperor Shenzong, also known as the Wanli emperor. Zhu Changying was formally known as the Prince of Gui (Guiwang).

13. 13  In other words, in the jaws of certain death.

14. 14  The reference here is to Xu Xiake’s money box.

15. 15  That is to say, Suzhou Prefecture (modern Suzhou Shi).

16. 16  This monastery was in Hangzhou Prefecture (modern Hangzhou Shi).

17. 17  Tentative translation. The point of this line seems to be that since Mr. Ai was traveling with untied hair, he was mistaken for a bandit (some pirates in Hunan were known to wear their hair long) and therefore not rescued.

18. 18  The underwear (liyi) mentioned here was similar to what today is called long johns. That is, a top section covering the upper body, attached to a lower section covering the legs.

19. 19  As we saw in the previous entry, river pirates oftentimes would lure their victims by having someone cry out, pretending to be in distress. This explains why the people on the boats did not approach Xu Xiake and his group.

20. 20  By “three of us,” Xu refers to himself and the two travelers from Huizhou.

21. 21  According to legend, this stele was inscribed and placed on Mount Heng when Yu, or Yu the Great, harnessed the great flood in remote antiquity.

22. 22  Iron Loft Gate is the eastern gate of Hengzhou Prefecture.

23. 23  Liu Yu is not further identified.

24. 24  In his Zhejiang travel diaries (diary entry for 18 October), this volume, Xu Xiake mentions that a friend gave him a letter from Gu Dongshu’s son that he hoped Xu could deliver to Gu, who was then serving as an official in Cangwu County in Guangxi. There was no public postal system, so private letters to distant locations were often transported by friends and acquaintances traveling through those destinations.

25. 25  Cao Xuequan, courtesy name Nengshi, was a well-known Ming dynasty scholar-official and travel writer. DMB, 2:1299–1301. As for the three works mentioned here, the complete title of the first one is Gazetteer on Famous Surpassing Scenic Sites in Guangxi (Guangxi mingsheng zhi). While traveling in south and southwest China in the early 1600s, Cao Xuequan wrote numerous travel accounts. However, as far as I know, he never compiled a gazetteer about Yunnan. As for the third and last book lost in the fire, Accounts of Travels, its author and contents remain unknown, and no surviving copy is recorded in major bibliographies.

26. 26  The subject of this line is unclear. “People on the grain boat” (not in the original text) is a tentative translation.

27. 27  Xu Xiake mentions in his diary entry for 2 March, this volume, that Jin Xiangfu was a native of Jiangyin, which explains why Xu expected his assistance. See YJJZ, 1:267; YJ, 1:197.

28. 28  Western regions here probably refers to Yunnan and Sichuan.

29. 29  As it turned out, the needed travel funds came from a different and unexpected source. In his diary entry for the twenty-sixth day of the second month (22 March 1637), Xu notes, “Today, Jin Xiangfu unexpectedly attended a lottery gathering and drew the winning lot, obtaining over one hundred taels of silver. After receiving news of this in my residence, Jin found it difficult to refuse me further and agreed to lend me twenty taels. I used a land lease agreement for twenty acres of land as collateral and handed it over to him.” See YJJZ, 1:281; YJ, 1:208 (diary entry for 二月二十六日). In another diary entry, dated 三月初一日, Xu also mentions his intent to borrow additional funds from one “Mr. Liu,” whom he met earlier in Yongxin. See YJJZ, 1:282; YJ, 1:208.

30. 30  It is unknown if Mr. Ai drowned during the attack or if the river pirates murdered him.

31. 31  YJJZ, 1:283; YJ, 1:210 (diary entry for 初八日).

32. 32  YJJZ, 1:284; YJ, 1:211.

33. 33  This is the name of a rock formation.

34. 34  This is an abbreviated version of the full title “Encomium on the Ascendancy of the Great Tang.”

35. 35  Although Xu Xiake does not acknowledge the textual source of this quotation, it derives from a passage in a Song dynasty geographical treatise compiled by Zhu Mu 祝穆 (fl. ca. 1200) titled Survey of Scenic Sights throughout the World (Fangyu shenglan 方輿勝覽) (repr., Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju, 2003), 25.6a.

36. 36  The Great Emperor Who Subdues Demons is a title bestowed posthumously in 1614 on the historical figure Guan Yu. In later Chinese religious history, Guan became a cult figure and was even worshipped as a god-emperor.

37. 37  Named in honor of Yuan Jie and Yan Zhenqing.

38. 38  Manzhai 漫宅 is an abbreviation for Manlang zhai 漫郎宅, or “Manlang’s residence.” This refers to the former site of Yuan Jie’s home at My Stream.

39. 39  During the Ming dynasty, one catty (jin) was about 1.3 lbs/0.59 kg.

40. 40  YJJZ, 1:310–14; YJ, 1:235–39.

41. 41  The precise identity of “Master Yang” is unclear.

42. 42  “Settlement” (dong) is a territorial administrative unit used to demarcate non-Chinese tribal areas in China’s southern and southwestern provinces.

43. 43  Xu Xiake distinguishes between two types of Yao people: High Mountain Yao (Gaoshan Yao) and those who live on level land, whom he calls Flatlander Yao (Pingdi Yao). The origins of the Yao people in China have been traced to Hunan. Today, they are the most widely distributed ethnic minority group in south China, mainly Guangxi.

44. 44  The character yuan 原, commonly used to denote the “plains” in northwestern China, here and below, refers to flat areas or plateaus along the midpoint of a mountain.

45. 45  This lake is not referenced by this name in the received editions of the Unified and Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Ming.

46. 46  Xu Xiake describes Mount Jianglang in his Nine Carp Lake diary (entry for 23 June), this volume.

47. 47  The sudden shift in the subject here (from the previous sentence) suggests the text at this point might be corrupt. In any case, each of the Three Segments was traditionally believed to be the source of a different river. In his diary entry for 24 April (see below), Xu Xiake explains these various river sources in detail.

48. 48  The precise identity of solitude trees is unknown.

49. 49  Coffin wood trees (lit., “longevity trees”) might refer to Taiwania cryptomeriodes, one of the largest trees in Asia that grows to 200 ft/61 m tall. The wood of this tree is especially resistant to insects, fungi, and decay, making it highly desirable for making coffins and furniture.

50. 50  That is to say, the guide had mistakenly led Xu along a trail where he could not observe unusual rock formations.

51. 51  The three vertical rock formations that Three Segments Rock comprises have individual names. Two of them are mentioned here. These are supposedly monikers of the daughters of legendary emperor Shun, whose name graces the third and main segment of the rock formation. According to legend, while on an inspection tour of the south, Shun died and was buried on Mount Jiuyi.

52. 52  Xu Xiake refers to the thick stalks of the water-bamboo plant (jiao); in other words, the entrance to the cavern is vertically aligned. The reference here is to a type of headwear called scholar’s headcloth (rujin) or square headcloth (fangjin), worn by scholars during the Ming dynasty.

53. 53  According to legend, He Zhenyuan lived on Mount Jiuyi in remote antiquity. He commanded such skill as a doctor and veterinarian that it attracted the attention of the legendary King Shun, who, when he visited Mount Jiuyi, conferred upon He Zhenyuan the title marquis (hou). Later, Marquis He became a transcendent and “rose and ascended” into the heavens.