Nov. 22, 1858.] AND THE PEIHO RIVER. 79 



on the eastern hand, and, apart from shallows, the channel is very- 

 narrow, and turns rapidly from one side to the other. We soon 

 found it necessary to abandon the Bustard gunboat for one of lighter 

 draught, the Kestrel, Lieutenant Kason in command. Taking 

 advantage of high- water, which only gave us from 6 to 7 feet in the 

 deepest part of a long reach 3 miles above the When-ho, we pushed 

 past several populous villages, the men and boys in which volun- 

 tarily turned out to track our boats, or drag at the gunboat's 

 hawsers. The river was nowhere more than 100 yards broad, in 

 many places not more than 200 feet, and the difficulties of the navi- 

 gation increased apace as we advanced. Under these circumstances, 

 the senior officer decided on not risking the groimding of the gun- 

 boat where she would not float off until the next spring tides ; we 

 therefore turned back in our reconnaissance when abreast of the 

 village named, I believe, " Quam-yin," and about 9 to 10 miles 

 beyond " Tientsin." At this point there was still a rise of tide of 

 2 feet 6 inches, and the flood was perceptible. The river was 

 200 feet broad, with a narrow channel, in which from 8 to 10 

 feet water existed for a width of 25 feet, equal to about that of a gun- 

 boat ; the rest of the stream was very shoal. Three fine villages 

 were in sight, the farthest, a brick-built one, of evident importance. 

 There was every appearance, in marks upon the river-bank, of 

 the river being at times much higher than when we saw it, and, 

 from all I heard, I feel little doubt that, in early spring during 

 the thaws, and in autumn or summer rains, there would be no 

 difficulty in one of our small-class gunboats, lightened to 4 feet, 

 ascending one-third of the way up to Tung-chow, the landing- 

 place for the city of Pekin, or about 20 miles above Tient-sin, 

 leaving only 40 miles to be done with rowboats. A boatman of 

 the Peiho, whom I interrogated through Mr. Lay, said that one- 

 third of the way between Tientsin and Tung-chow, the river had 

 deep water in it ; that in the next third it was as deep as up to his 

 waist, and the rest of the way it was only knee deep. It is true 

 that, during the time the water in the Peiho is highest, the current 

 would be strongest ; still that would be no great obstacle with 

 steam-power and an unlimited amount of manual labour at com- 

 mand. The country above Tientsin varied in no degree from that 

 immediately below it. A splendid paved road exists between 

 Tientsin and Pekin, and in dry weather the whole plain is passable 

 for carriages, men, or horses. If, at any future time, military opera- 

 tions against Pekin be necessary, the months of April, May, and 

 June would be the best to employ. The course of the Peiho 

 should be followed to Tung-chow for facilities of transport, sup- 



