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8.

A number of small oil-lamps were placed on each measure; altogether they often number from forty to fifty. The whole sight impressed one with a sensation of warmth and mystification. We strolled on the busiest street for quite a while. The crowd was not large this night; they dispersed rather early. The natives told me that there would be a larger crowd on the morrow. While staying with the crowd, I loved the group sensation. But there was something even more thrilling when quietitude and silence were resumed in the street. The candle lights were one by one going out and the moon seemed to shine more brilliantly. Suddenly among the noise of drums, gongs and cymbals some singing was perceived. It was carried in beautiful, melodic voice ending in chorus which was vibrantly and harmoniously taken up by a group of five or six. The song was sung intermittently between instrumental music. It was a kind of love song, reflective of the disturbed mind of disappointed lovers, which I had never heard elsewhere. The whole situation was a strange combination of strange elements. The physical background suggested a scene in Romeo and Juliet, but the human factors rather brought me back to the days of Sophocles. Compared with the Confucian ode, there was less restraint, more color and greater strength. I was wandering whether the virility revealed in the song was due to the presence of the Mongol and Toba elements still surviving among the population in this region.
I approached to the grain shop where one of the [[strikethrough]] grain [[/strikethrough]] chorus singings was held and made some inquiries about the songs. The folks received me quite kindly. Upon request, they willingly lent to me the song book which [[strikethrough]] they are u [[/strikethrough]] they were using. It is a collection of the popular folksongs circulated in this region.
[[strikethrough]] In [[/strikethrough]] On the morning of 27th [[strikethrough]] we [[/strikethrough]] started to explore [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] Ku-i-shan in the western part of the district, the place being popularly known as Hsientung(Fairies' Caves). A mile out of the western gate of the city, we crossed the Fêng River. Between the river and the foot of the mountain, there is [[strikethrough]] are [[/strikethrough]] a series of loess terraces ascending higher and higher towards the