YANGTZE NOTES. — THE CLEAR WATER RIVER. 191 



game was quite plentiful. The cover was of much the same nature as that hitherto 

 experienced though heavier and denser, which naturally militated against flushing the birds 

 with any great chance of success. Deer were reported by the natives to be very plentiful 

 in the hills towards the East, that is towards Ningkwofu. Here a broad road runs, so the 

 natives have it, direct to that City. 



The stream now begins to grow gradually and visibly narrower, and as a natural 

 consequence runs much faster. Rapids become more frequent and more and more difficult 

 to engineer. On both sides of the stream the cover is very inviting and suggestive, and 

 gets thicker as the hills are approached. Here we begin to draw near to the City of Mat'ou 

 {^ J@) a^t the base of some huge snow capped mountains. The covers hereabout are extremely 

 dense and a safe harbour for innumerable partridges. So dense are they, in fact, that often 

 they are practically unworkable. The surrounding scenery is ideal. 



After clearing Mat'ou a very stiff rapid stops further navigation except for the very 

 lightest native craft. 25 It further up stream is a well known copper mine. Progress hence 

 can only be made on foot. 



In a south-westerly direction are range upon range of low rolling hills where big game 

 and wild beasts are reported to abound, and natives affirm that children often fall victims to 

 the latter, probably wolves and leopards. There is little or no vegetation or cultivation in 

 the neighbourhood, and what little there may be is walled in and guarded at night. 



The return journey down stream can be made in about one-third of the time of the 

 upward journey. It took 10 days, inclusive of short stoppages, to struggle up the 105 //' from 

 Wan-chih to Mat'ou. Travelling at night was quite out of the question because of the 

 dangerous rapids. 



The usual craft employed in the navigation of the upper reaches of the stream is a flat- 

 bottomed, very broad vessel, better described, perhaps, as a raft with a house built upon it. 

 The crew consists of from ten to a dozen men, whose only work is poling. Mules may be 

 hired, but $4 a day is demanded for their hire. 



As one would certainly have better control over a small crew than over a large one it 

 might be advisable, under certain circumstances, to engage several small boats for the 

 further journey. These boats, however, afford but the meagrest shelter to either passengers 

 or crew in hard weather, being only covered with bamboo matting, and open at each end. 

 They may, however, be made passably comfortable with carpets, rugs and deck matting 

 from one's own houseboat. 



Boat hire is expensive, ranging from $6 to $8 a day for the larger craft, and from $0.75 

 to $1.20 for the smaller. In payment the natives here will only take copper cash or the one 

 cent copper coin. Silver they regard with suspicion, and dollar bank notes they will not 

 take at any price. At Hwangchih dollars were exchanged at 125 copper one cent coins 

 per dollar. All through the trip the natives were found to be civil, obliging and quite 

 friendly, especially amongst the hills— invariable characteristics of these hill men. On the 

 other hand there would appear to be something demoralizing about the plain-dwellers, 

 possibly because of their being more constantly under the vicious influence of town life. 

 The jargon of our Shanghai coolies was not easily intelligible to them but after a time all 

 pulled well together. 



