_Note 86._ _And the longing in my heart is like that for the Green Jasper Tree._
This tree grows in the Taoist Paradise, supposed to lie in the K'un Lun Mountains. (See map.) Those who eat its blossoms become immortal.
These are the famous chasms of the Yangtze River, between Ichang and Chungking. Their names are: "The Terrifying Barrier," "The Sorceress Gorge," and "The Western Sepulchre." Joined together in one great line of precipitous cliffs, they are among the extraordinary natural objects of the world and are most awe-inspiring.
_Note 88._ _The Serpent River runs terribly fast. The Serpent River can be suddenly exhausted._
A reference to the fact that, although the water of the river flows with terrible speed while the snow waters are coming down, during the Winter it is very low, and many parts are quite dry. (See Note 46.)
_Note 89._ _Three dawns shine upon the Yellow Ox. Three sunsets--and we go so slowly._
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.)
_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._ _The mercy of the Sainted Lord is far greater than that of Han Wên Ti. The Princely One had pity, and did not appoint you to the station of the Unending Sands._
The allusion is to an incident which occurred in the Second Century B.C. when a famous scholar named Chia was sent to Ch'ang Sha, literally "Unending Sands" (see map), and died there of the damp vapours.
_Note 93._ _Old Tai is gone down to the Yellow Springs._
The Yellow Springs lie in the nether world, where spirits go after death.