574 



Mr. W. R. 0";ilvie (Jraut on Birds 



From an exploration point of view, the journey only 

 commenced at Yo-chu, a new treaty port at the entrance to 

 the Tung-ting Lake. Skirting the south of this magnificent 

 sheet of water, Capt. Wingate traversed Hunan, following 

 the course of the Yuan River to its commencement at Chien- 

 yang, and proceeded thence along its northern confluent, the 

 Wu-ho, as far as Chen-yiian, which was reached at the end 

 of December. Through Kweichu and Yunnan, his hue of 

 march lay nearly due west, past the cities of Kwei-yang, 

 Pu-an-tiug, Yunnan, and Ching-tung. After crossing the 

 Upper Mekong River into the Kesva country, Capt. Wingate 

 continued his western course as far as a place called Mong- 

 kou ; but there he found his way barred by hostile tribes, and 



was obliged to turn north and make for Bhamo, which was 

 reached on the 20th April. From the interesting account 

 of his journey recently published in the ' Geographical 

 Journal '*, I quote the following passages : — 



''No sketch has, I believe, ever been made, nor have levels 

 been taken, along this route from Yo-chu to Kwei-yang city ; 

 and about 400 to 500 miles are in absolutely new country, 

 especially some 200 miles between Yunnan city and Ching- 

 tung, via I-men ; and, again, portions of my route from the 

 Ching-tung valley to Ma-li-pa, or Tawnio, as the English 

 maps have it. 



"The Tung-ting lake is a splendid sheet of water, although 

 very shallow (but in no sense a marsh, as sometimes described) 



* Vol. xiv. 110. 0, pp. Go9-G46 (December, 1899). 



