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Appendix I: Wuchang

The K'ié-Lan Records at Loh-yang‡ say: "You cannot trust the hills in the west. They are too cold. There is snow both winter and In the hills there is a pool where a bad dragon lives; long ago some merchants rested near the pool, until the dragon became enraged, abused, and killed them. A priest,§ Pan-To, heard of it, and, leaving his seat to the pupils, went to the kingdom of Wuchang to * Waters of such specific gravity that even a feather would sink. † Probably a pair from each stream. 1 † In Foh-kien. § Probably equivalent to "abbot." learn the Po-lo-man incantations; he mastered them in four years, and returned to his seat. He went to the pool and invoked the dragon. The dragon was transformed into 'a man, repented, and followed the king. The king then removed." Again, it says": "To the west of the kingdom of Wuchang there is a pool in which the dragon prince dwells. There is a monastery on the banks of the pool, in which there are more than fifty priests. Whenever the dragon prince does anything marvellous, the king comes and beseeches him, using gold, precious stones, pearls, and valuables, throwing them into the pool. Afterwards they are cast up and the priests gather them. This monastery relies upon the dragon for food and clothing and the means to assist people. Its name is 'Dragon Prince Monastery." The Ts'i-ti records say there is a well in the city of Ch'ang-ping at the brambles; when the water is disturbed a spiritual dragon comes and goes. So the city is called the dragon city.

The Shi-San-Tsin records say Ho-li has also the name Dragon Gate. Great fish collect below it, in number one thousand. They cannot ascend. If one ascends it is a dragon. Those which do not ascend are fish. Hence it is called the "Pao-sai-lung-man. (Great carp ascend the dragon gate and become dragons; those which do not ascend prick the forehead and strike the cheek.) Again, it says: "The Lung-sheu mountains are sixty li long; the head enters the Wei waters, the tail extends to the Fan streams. This head is two hundred feet high; his tail descends gradually to a height of fifty or sixty feet. It is said that long ago a strange dragon came out from south of the mountains to drink the Wei waters. The road he travelled became mountain. Hence the name."

The Kiao-Cheu-Kí says: "In Kiao-chi at Fung-ki-hien there is a dyke with a dragon gate; the water is one hundred fathoms deep. Great fish ascend this gate and become dragons. Those which cannot pass, strike the cheek and puncture the forehead, until the blood flows. This water is continually like the Vermilion pool."

The annals of Hwa-yang say: "Only at Wu-ch'ing district does the earth meet the gate of heaven; the dragon which mounts to heaven and does not reach it, falls dead to this place, hence when excavating you find dragon-bones."

The I-Tung-Chi says: "Twenty li west of Lin-fung-hien is a stone dragon, among the cliffs is a rock like a dragon. In a year of drought wash it, and it rains." Again, it says: "At Yen-T'ang there is a pond called Smoky Pond; it is north-east of the city ten li. Its depth has never been ascertained. It is reported that long ago a man caught a white eel, and was about to cook it, when an old man said, 'This is the dragon of the river Siang; I fear calamity will follow.' The man was angry, and, regarding the words as vain, proceeded. The next day the whole village was submerged."

The Kwoh-Shi-Pu says: "At the time of the spring rains the carp springs through the dragon gate and becomes transformed. At the present time, in Fan-cheu of Shansi, there is a cave in the mountains; in it are many cast bones and horns of dragons. They are collected for medicine, and are of five colours. It is recorded in the Chw'en that north of the Wu-t'ai hills, below the terrace, is Azure Dragon Pool, about one-third of an acre in extent. The Buddhist books say five hundred evil dragons are confined (here). Whenever it is mid-day a thick mist gradually arises. A pure priest and candidates for the priesthood may see it. If a nun or females approach then there is great thunder, lightning, and tempest. If they come near the pool, he certainly will belch forth poisonous breath and they will die at once. Foreigners say that in Piolosz there is a spiritual dragon which goes and comes among the granaries. When a servant comes for rice the dragon vanishes. If the servant comes constantly for rice the dragon does not suffer it. If there is no rice in the granaries, the servant worships the dragon, and the granaries are filled." Yuin-Chu-Tsih records: "If one sees a dragon's egg in the lake or river there will certainly be a flood."

The Nan-Pu-Sin-Shu says: "The dragon's disposition is ferocious, and he fears bees'-wax, loves jade, and the King-ts'ing delight to eat the flesh of cooked sparrows. For this reason men who eat sparrows do not cross the sea."

The Pah-mung-so-yen says: "The perverse dragon, when rain is wanted, sneaks away into old trees or into the beams of houses. The thunder god pulls him out."

Wu-ch'an-tsah-ch'ao says: "There is a great dragon which sloughed his skin on the brink of the Great Lake. Insects come out from his scaly armour. Instantly they are transformed into dragon-flies of a red colour. If men gather them they get fever and ague. If men now-adays see these red dragon-flies they call them dragon-armour, also dragons' grandsons, and are unwilling to hurt them." Pi-shu-suh-hwa says: "In Suh-chan and Hang-cheu the twentieth day of the fifth month is called the day of the separation of the dragons. Therefore, in the fifth and sixth months, whenever there is thunder, and the clouds crowd together, if they see a tail bent down, and stretching to earth from among the clouds, moving like a serpent, they say, The dragon is suspended.' دو Tsu-tz say: "The spiritual dragon leaves the water and dwells in the dry place, and the mole, crickets, and ants annoy him." Kung Sun Hung replied to Tung Fang Shoh, saying: "Before the dragon has ascended he is of a sort with fish and turtles; after he has ascended the heavens his scales cannot be seen."

Siu Tsung Yuen answered an inquirer, saying: "The Kiao-Lung ascends to the heavenly fountain. He pervades the six regions (North, South, East, West, Above, Below). He moistens all things. Shrimps and the leech cannot depart one foot from the water." The Shwoh-Wan says: "The Kiao belongs to the dragon species. When a fish attains three thousand six hundred [years?] it becomes a Kiao; on attaining this much the dragon flies away." Again, it says: "[Dragons] without horns are Kiao."

The P'i-Ya says: "The Kiao's bones are green, and they can bring their heads and tails together and constrict anything; hence they are called Kiao. A popular name for them is 'the horse's lasso." Another author says the Kiao's tail has fleshy rings; they are able to compress any creature, and then tear it with the head.