170 DAVIS ON THE YANG-TSE-KEANG. [March 28, 1859. 



of the water even at the period that Lord Elgin ascended would be quite 

 enough for steamers of that character. 



Mb. Lockhart, f.r.g.s. — I believe that the hinderance to the navigation of 

 the Yang-tse-Keang during Lord Elgin's expedition was caused solely by want 

 of water. I think Captain Collinson's observation is quite correct with 

 regard to the state of the river when he was on it in 1842, as it was then 

 the month of July, when the river was full of water, in consequence of the 

 heavy rain that falls on the immense extent of country drained by the principal 

 branches of the Yang-tse-Keang, which causes the river to rise many feet in 

 the summer months. At Shanghae we know very well that in the summer 

 months an immense flood of water comes down the river, so that very fre- 

 quently vessels anchoring out of sight of land can draw their water from 

 alongside. The extent of fresh water is so great that captains of vessels know 

 when they are approaching the coast, as they get into fresh water long before 

 they see the land. In the winter, on the contrary, the salt water comes 

 directly up to the mouth of the Shanghae river. From these circumstances it 

 is clearly seen that the difference in the state of the river between the 

 summer and the winter months is very great. The banks, which were 

 exposed when Lord Elgin went up, are completely submerged in summer. 

 From what has been observed of the sand-banks at the mouth of the Yang- 

 tse-Keang we know that these banks are continually shifting, owing to the 

 great body of water which comes down the channel, and pilots are consequently 

 obliged to pay very great attention to the changes in these banks. 



Although Captain Collinson's remark was perfectly correct regarding the 

 state of the river at the time he visited it, I think if he were to survey it over 

 again that he would find many of the sand-banks have considerably changed 

 since 1842. The various landmarks on the banks of the river would of course 

 be found to be correctly laid down, but the sand-banks in the stream itself 

 would be found very much altered since the time when his survey was 

 made. 



I am not willing to detain the meeting at this late hour, but I wish to make 

 one or two remarks regarding the Yang-tse-Keang. When I had the privilege of 

 reading a paper on this river a year ago I stated,* on native authority, various cir- 

 cumstances regarding the city of Han-Kow, and the probability there was that the 

 whole course of the river to that place would be found navigable by sea-going 

 steamers. I am happy to find that those remarks have been confirmed by 

 the experience of the expedition of Lord Elgin. The Furious^ a large vessel 

 drawing sixteen feet of water, reached this great town. Not only is this river 

 valuable because of its being the great road between Shanghae, our most 

 important port in all China, and Han-Kow, which is now our most westerly 

 consular port, and which will be a place of great trade in future years, but 

 because of the advantages which seem likely to arise from the access which we 

 shall get through the upper branches of the Yang-tse-Keang to the interior of 

 the country. The river has been surveyed up to Han-Kow, which is, indeed, 

 only a small portion of its course. There are 2500 miles yet to be surveyed, 

 extending up to Tibet; and I hope it will not be long before British tra- 

 vellers endeavour to trace up this mighty river to its sources. Beyond one 

 point on the borders of the province of Sze-chuen we know there is no possi- 

 bility of European vessels of any kind passing. There are great rapids in the 

 river for many miles, which compel the Chinese to use portages at those 

 places. Above Han-Kow the river divides into two branches — one, the Han- 

 Keang or Han river, goes north, and penetrates into the provinces of Shensiand 

 Honan, the gold regions of China ; while the other, the main stream of the 

 Yang-tse-Keang, traverses the western provinces and Tibet, and passes into the 



♦ Journal of R. G. S., vol. xxviii. 



