A cliff beneath which are rapids so difficult and dangerous to pass that the utmost care must be taken in navigating them. Boats ascending this stretch of the river often take several days to pass a given point. (See Introduction for a description of the Yangtze River and travel upon it.)
[PARTING FROM YANG, A HILL MAN]
Note 90.
You are going to pick the fairy grasses
And the shooting purple flower of the ch'ang p'u.
"Hill men" is a term applied to those who desire to become worthy of joining the ranks of the Immortals, and for this reason lead a life of contemplation among the hills. The fairy grasses and the ch'ang p'u (see table of plants in Introduction) both grow in the Taoist Paradises.
Note 91.
Riding down from the green-blue Heaven on a white dragon.
The dragon is one of the steeds of the Immortals.
Note 92.