File:Travels in north and central China (1902) (14759100426).jpg

Identifier: travelsinnorthce00bircuoft (find matches)
Title: Travels in north and central China
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Birch, John Grant, 1846 or 7-1900
Subjects: China -- Description and travel
Publisher: London Hurst and Blackett
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ill-sides run back from the river at a sharp, regular angle, almost like the glacis of a fortification, and are but sparsely provided with vegetation, the stone outcropping too freely. What land there is is red and rich, and well cultivated in terraces. The strata lie perfectly flat and give the appearance of a wide bund along the river, very convenient for the trackers. At one spot we came into a real little rapid, due to the back-water running strongly up-stream behind a point beyond which flowed the heavy down-stream current. The men had to run quickly to keep the line ahead of the vessel, and the go-betweens had much to do in preventing the drooping line from catching on rocks in the shingle. Towards midday we passed on the right bank a scattered village behind which, on a high hill, stood a tall pagoda watching over its feng-shui. Here the river bent to the north, and we had a view of the town of Yun-yang, which we soon after reached on the right bank. Facing the town there stood
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N tp o C/3 < o — WU-SHAN TO WAN-HSIEN. 151 on the opposite side of the river a picturesquewood-enshrouded temple, erected, like the pagoda,for geomantic purposes. The afternoon was wet but the wind held fair,and we rattled along gaily till just before dusk,when we tied up below the famous New Rapid,caused some years before by a hill slipping into theriver. For long, this rapid had been such a terror,that at times traffic had been suspended. Now it hadworn itself a course through the debris, and, thoughstill one of the worst in the river, it was muchimproved. In the neighbourhood there was littleevidence of the catastrophe which had occurredfor nature had been busy with a hand of healing andthe slopes were green with fields of sugar-cane. Here we were transferred to the care of the captainof a new red-boat, which had been sent by theSzechwan authorities to escort us. Distance for the day, 100 li, quite the best dayswork we had done. Before breakfast (December 8) our skipp

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