Nov. 22, 1858.] AND THE t»EIHO RIVER. 69 



Peiho Eiver, measured on the seaward side, extends in a great 

 curve of 6 miles in length, and at its narrowest point between the 

 deep water within and without it is 2 miles wide. It consists of 

 very stiff clay, with a few patches of shingle here and there ; the 

 whole overlaid by 9 or 10 inches of earthy deposit from the river. 

 At low water spring tides we only found 2 feet water upon the bar 

 in the deepest places ; indeed, on more than one occasion whilst 

 living upon it in boats (as Mr. Court the master, and I, did for a 

 fortnight), we often found that a stiff breeze off shore reduced the 

 water to only a foot in depth. The deepest water observed in calm 

 weather, when such observations could be relied upon, showed a 

 depth of rather more than 11 feet. The time of high water and 

 the amount of rise and fall agreed admirably with that observed on 

 board H.M.S. Furious, viz. H.W. at F. & C. of <[ 4h. 8m., and rise 

 and fall = 9 English feet. It is, however, possible that in the Gulf 

 of Pecheli, as in other shallow, land-locked seas, these data are 

 to some degree dependent upon the season of year ; and that winds 

 of a certain force or from certain directions may at other seasons 

 retard or hasten the time of high water, and affect the height of 

 water upon the bar to the extent of a foot or 18 inches. At any 

 rate, it is certain that vessels drawing 10 ft. 8 in. can easily cross 

 the bar of the Peiho at spring tides, and on interrogating the masters 

 of trading junks, through an interpreter, I learned that the largest 

 vessels trading with Tientsin, varying from 300 to 600 tons burden, 

 never exceeded 1 1 English feet in draught. The Chinese mark the 

 channel over the bar with bamboos ; their positions when we 

 arrived were inserted in the chart, but, as they subsequently cut 

 some of these bamboos away, we replaced them with buoys, by 

 means of which the gunboats and despatch vessels of the allied 

 squadron were eventually carried safely over the bar into the Peiho 

 Eiver on May 19th, 1858. 



There is no continuous surf upon the bar, but when it blows a 

 fresh breeze from the south-east there is quite enough sea on to 

 render the bar highly dangerous for open boats ; indeed the smallest 

 native craft used in this neighbourhood are decked. My own im- 

 pression is that when the Imperial Government grows wiser it will 

 be very easy to cut a channel through the bar, and that by driving 

 a few piles along its margin to confine the force of the current in 

 the same direction, a passage for junks will be made fit for all times 

 of tide. The force of the current of the Peiho Eiver at its mouth 

 is always much affected by the direction of the wind ; in calms it 

 runs from 2 to 2^ knots per hour. During the first three hours of 

 the flood and the last three of the ebb tide the current sets directly 



