400 Mr. Davids Extracts from the Peking Gazette. 



and district whence it came, as being the best skilled in the management 

 of the vessels. This has given occasion to great numbers of homeless 

 vagabonds from distant places to conduct themselves in a disorderly and 

 unlawful manner, relying upon their great numbers for impunity. Let 

 the head man in each vessel be made responsible, and let him be com- 

 pelled to return lists of liis crew as a check upon their conduct, and in order 

 to prevent the escape of the guilty. With respect to those rogues and 

 vagabonds who accompany tlie grain junks from a distance, and combine 

 with the sailors in unlawful acts, let the officers of government that are 

 attached to each vessel present regular returns of those on board, containing 

 a description of the age, appearance, and other particulars of each person, 

 and let every man have a badge or mark round his middle, in order that 

 when the vessel comes to an anchor he may be duly registered. Should 

 the officers on duty be guilty of remissness they will be dismissed and 

 punished. 



" When the vessels reacli the narrow and crowded parts of the canal, at 

 Soo-chow, Chang-cho'iV, Cliin-choiv, and Yang-c/iotc* let the military officers 

 station themselves by rotation on the banks of the river, in order to restrain 

 the disorderly conduct of the crews, and to prevent their ill-using and op- 

 pressing private merchants and individuals. When the grain junks enter 

 any particular district, let the civil and military authorities of that district, 

 attended by their soldiers and followers, resort to the spot, and exert them- 

 selves in quickening the progress of the vessels, as well as in the preserva- 

 tion of order.t Let the chief superintendent, assisted by the Leang-kaou X 

 and the military under him, exercise a rigid control, in order that the vio- 

 lent may be kept in awe, the progress of the vessels be attended with order, 

 and commercial intercourse remain unmolested. 



" Khin^tsze." 



* The three first of these cities are to the south of the Yang-tsze-lceang, and the last to the 

 north of it : their wealth and population are the causes of the canal being greatly crowded in 

 their neighbourhood. There is every reason to suppose that the Kcang is navigable by the 

 largest ships as far as Kwa-chorv, where it is crossed by the canal. 



f It is a rule on the canal that all private vessels should make way for the grain junks, and 

 the people in the grain junks frequently abuse the privilege. 



\ Officer who has charge of the government stores. 



