73 NOTES UPON THE GULF OF PECHELI, [Nov. 22, 1858. 



Tho Peiho River, as will be seen by reference to the enclosed 

 eye-sketcli of Tientsin, turns sharply off to the right (or to the east) 

 JTist at the junction of the Great Canal, and then recurves back for 

 a mile to the westward before the channel again resumes its 

 northerly and southerly direction. By this strange twist the river 

 gives a vast increase of water frontage to the city and suburbs. 

 Immediately opposite to the salient point formed by this sudden 

 bend, a small canal is seen on the eastern shore, and numbers of 

 small boats, of a peculiarly flat construction, were daily seen coming 

 down it laden with grain and millet seed, and then ascending the 

 Peiho and When-ho Rivers. I believe they came from the city of 

 Lutai, situated on a stream northward of the Peiho, flowing nearly 

 parallel to the lower portion of its course, and discharging itself 

 into the sea about 10 miles north-east of the entrance of the Peiho. 

 This stream we had early information about, and the junk-sailors 

 said it was largely used as a place of import for vessels of lighter 

 draught than those usually ascending the Peiho as high as Tientsin, 

 and that a canal from Lutai enabled boats to convey the cargoes to 

 Tientsin and Pekin. After operations commenced, and trade was 

 totally interrupted in the Peiho, this northern stream was largely 

 used by the Chinese, and fleets of junks varying from 25 to 50 in 

 number were constantly counted going in and out of it. For some 

 reason or other none of the British vessels visited it, but in any 

 future operations against Pekin the blockade of this stream will be 

 as necessary as that of the Peiho. Lutai will be found marked in 

 the map of Chili (or Pe-cheli, as it was then called), drawn by 

 Arrowsmith, to which I alluded in the first part of these papers. 



To return to the Peiho. Abreast the town — indeed, throughout 

 the whole extent of Tientsin — there was at least 18 feet at low- 

 water, without a single shoal or obstruction; but, just as the 

 northern suburb is cleared, an extensive shallow commences, a 

 mile in extent, having only 6 feet on it at low- water, and about 

 10 feet at high- water. Just above this flat, a fine canal is seen 

 to the north-west, spanned by a handsome bridge ; this canal, 

 we were informed, communicated with the great city of "Ran- 

 ching " or " Pan-ting." Vast numbers of river-craft were reported 

 to have escaped up this artificial stream. In Macartney's map this 

 canal is not marked, or perhaps it has been subsequently con- 

 structed, although of that I have strong doubts. The river beyond 

 the canal, and just at the confluence of the When-ho, or Salt River, 

 deepens suddenly to five fathoms, but does not long remain so, as 

 the Peiho now commences to assume a totally different character 

 to what it is below Tientsin. Artificial embankments exist on 

 either side directly the mouth of the When-ho is passed, especially 



