YANOTZE RIVER 151 



general would overtake me, but I did not 

 see him until the next morning, when I 

 found his boat near mine at the lower end of 

 Wade's island. He came on board and said 

 that I had alarmed the surrounding country 

 and that he had happened along just in time 

 to be held responsible. The alarm was 

 caused in this way : About five miles from 

 the mouth of the Tai-ping-fu river there are 

 two bridges made of boats a hundred yards 

 or more apart. They are for the convenience 

 of the residents of the towns situated on 

 opposite banks of the river, and are made so 

 as to open in the middle for the free passage 

 of junks and other boats. The current at 

 this point is very strong, about three miles 

 an hour, and as my houseboat approached 

 the first bridge I gave notice and the keeper 

 opened the way and as I passed through I 

 threw him a "cumsho". When within 

 twenty yards of the other bridge the proper 

 notice was given but the keeper of this 

 bridge would not open the way. The cur- 

 rent was too strong to stop the large house- 

 boat so, with head on, we charged the bridge 

 and took away a part of it. When the 

 collision took place I was standing on deck 

 and the houseboat trembled like a leaf. One 



