CHAPTER VI 

 THE RED BASIN OF SZECHUAN 



Geology, Mineral, and Agricultural Wealth 



THROUGHOUT the eastern and central parts of the 

 province of Szechuan, from near the Hupeh boundary 

 to the valley of theMin River, the predominant rocks are 

 red clayey sandstones, probably of Jurassic age. These rocks 

 are of immense thickness and impart a characteristic red colour 

 to the surface, and for this reason the late Baron Richthofen 

 gave the term "Red Basin " to the whole region. This basin 

 is nearly triangular in shape, the city of Kuichou Fu marking 

 the " apex." Imaginary lines connecting Kuichou Fu with 

 Lungan Fu in the north-west, and Kuichou Fu with Pingshan 

 Hsien keeping a little to the south of the Yangtsze River, 

 respectively mark the northern and southern ' ' sides. ' ' Another 

 line from Lungan Fu and thence skirting the valley of the Min 

 River to Pingshan Hsien marks the " base " of the triangle. 

 The entire basin is nearly 100,000 square miles in area, and is 

 surrounded on all sides by lofty mountain ranges, those on 

 the west rising above the snow-line. In the east the boundary 

 ranges are composed principally of Upper Carboniferous lime- 

 stone, as described in Chapter II, The western boundary 

 ranges are largely made up of shales. The Yangtsze River 

 traverses the basin from west to east, following a course nearly 

 parallel with the southern limits of the basin itself. Within 

 this triangle there is abundant life, industry, prosperity, 

 wealth, and intercommunication by water. Outside of it on 

 all sides the contiguous country is sparsely inhabited, little 

 productive and no river is navigable save the Yangtsze, where 

 it leaves the basin. 



In ancient geological times this region was doubtless a vast 



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