174 PREJUDICES AGAINST FOO-CHEW-FOO 



which passed up this river in the month of Feb- 

 ruary on their way to Peking, were (exclusive of 

 stoppages in certain towns) about seventeen days on 

 their passage from Foo-chew-foo to Pu-ching-hien, 

 and seven days on their return in the month of 

 September and November. They met with rocks 

 and falls, and one boat was wrecked. 



Here, then, we see nothing but a laborious 

 current to stem, and a descent requiring care and 

 a certain amount of skill. There may also be falls 

 and rapids, over which pilotage may be necessary, 

 dangers to which the teas are already exposed in 

 passing the She-pa-tan, or eighteen cataracts, in the 

 province of Kiang-sy, where pilots are hired, and 

 where the principal part of the damage takes place 

 on their transit to Canton. But whatever these 

 dangers may be, Mr. Alcock observes, " they are 

 made light of by the best informed. The loss of 

 a boat is of rare occurrence, and generally attri- 

 buted to carelessness, or the untrustworthy state 

 of the boat." * Moreover, the tea-men are ready 

 to conclude bargains in tea, taking all risk and 

 cost of transport on themselves, and to deliver 

 them at fixed prices at any part of the river where 

 it may best suit a ship of burden to lie for her 

 cargo (page 10.) ; and this at a rate much less 

 than the same can be purchased at Canton (page 

 8. ib.). 



* Parliamentary papers on the returns of the China trade, 

 January, 1847, p. 8. 



