CHINA. 



Ill 



permitted to touch and take in or land mer- 

 (li.-iinliM- ur passengers. The chief interest 

 attiu-lii-s to the port oflchang, placed high up 

 on tin- {.'ivat river of China 1,000 miles from 

 thr sea. It is practically the highest point to 

 which steamers can hope to ascend the Yang- 

 tM-ki:in;r, for, although there is an immense 

 volume i if water in the river for many hun- 

 tlreils of miles above Ichang, the river flows 

 through a series of formidable rapids, which 

 will probably do more than even the exclusive 

 policy of the Chinese Government to keep for- 

 eign steam enterprise out of the promising 

 region of Szechuen. The prospects of trade 

 at Ichang were fully re- 

 ported on by a commis- 

 sion from the Chamber 

 of Commerce at Shang- 

 hai, which visited that 

 and other places in 1869. 

 From that report it ap- 

 peared that Ichang is 

 likely to form the entre- 

 pot and the connecting 

 link between two rich 

 areas the valley of the 

 Yang-tse-kiang, with its 

 laborious millions, on 

 the one side, and on the 

 other the province of 

 Szechuen, which all trav- 

 elers unite in extolling 

 as the land of plenty. 

 The principal entrepot 

 at present is not Ichang, 

 but a place about sixty 

 miles lower down the 

 river, named Shasi, where the Shanghai dele- 

 gates estimated the " shipping in port " at 

 40,000 tons; but Shasi lies low, and is devoid 

 of all interest save a purely commercial one, 

 while Ichang is described as charmingly situ- 

 ated and possessing sanitary advantages which 

 are not to be overlooked in selecting a resi- 

 dence in the interior of a continent. 



The first line of railroad in China was for- 

 mally opened on June 80th. It extends from 

 Shanghai to Woosung, a distance of eleven 

 miles. The line runs along the borders of the 

 river Van Poo, of which the navigation be- 

 tween Shanghai and Woosung is impeded by a 

 sand-bank. It was proposed some time ago by 

 the foreign merchants at Shanghai to build a 

 railroad from that place to Woosung ; but the 

 Chinese authorities refused to grant the neces- 

 sary permission. After having exhausted ev- 

 ery possible means to obtain the required per- 

 mission, it was determined, without consulting 

 the Chinese, to form a company for exploring 

 the forbidden route. The requisite capital 

 was subscribed without delay ; and, on the sur- 

 vey being made, it appeared that, with the ex- 

 ception of three little creeks which it would 

 be necessary to bridge over, and a few hollows 

 which would have to be filled up, the line pre- 

 sented no engineering difficulties of any kind. 



It was then determined to go on, At all rinks, 

 with the railroad. The governor of the dis- 

 trict was prevailed upon to give his authoriza- 

 tion for the making of a " suitable road," 

 which he did the more willingly inasmuch as 

 large numbers of work-people bad constantly 

 to make the journey from Woosung to Shang- 

 hai. Then the land had to be bought ; also 

 the right of building bridges over the creeks. 

 The Chinese proprietors were afraid to sell 

 without first obtaining the sanction of the au- 

 thorities : but as some sort of road was want- 

 ed by every one, no objection was made to the 

 proposed purchase. Having acquired the own- 



CANTON, PROM THE TEMPLE OP THE PIVE GENII. 



ership of the land on which it was intended 

 to construct the railway, the Shanghai mer- 

 chants sent to England for rails, which in due 

 time arrived. Meanwhile the wood-work had 

 been completed, and in the middle of January 

 last the engineers began to lay the rails down. 

 Still the officials looked calmly on; until, on 

 the 16th of March, it was found possible to 

 make a trial-trip along the line of railway 

 three miles in length. The English directors 

 and shareholders traveled in the carriages, and 

 the luggage-vans were filled with Chinese, who 

 seemed to make the journey with great satis- 

 faction to themselves. When the governor of 

 the district was informed that the railway was 

 partly completed, and that engines were run- 

 ning over a portion of the line, he at first 

 treated the report with contempt. But it was 

 confirmed again and again by eye-witnesses; 

 and ultimately he went out to see for himself, 

 and, in presence of an excited crowd, ordered 

 the rails to be taken up. The chairman of the 

 company, however, begged him, before requir- 

 ing the execution of such an extreme measure, 

 to consider the matter in private ; and the two 

 went together to the government-house, where 

 the governor's own permission to construct a 

 " suitable road " was shown to him. The dis- 

 cussion was thus narrowed to the question 



