30 LU-KAN GOBGE 



Oil proceeding the next morning the Ta-tung Eapid 

 was reached and safely passed, it not being very difR- 

 cuh in the hnv state of the river, but is dangerous when 

 tlie water is rising, and also when it is high. The river 

 here widens out considerably, and most of the dangers 

 of the rapids were exposed, many of the huge granite 

 boulders being twenty feet above the water. These are 

 entirely submerged in the spring and smnmer, and a 

 curious thing to l)e noticed here, as well as at other 

 rapids on the river, is the way in which deep scores are 

 cut and large holes worn in the hard rocks, the former 

 h\ the bamboo tracking ropes of generations of boat- 

 men, and the latter made by the constant use of the 

 steel-shod Ijamboo pole in the same place in fending 

 the boats off. It may be here mentioned that many of 

 the large junks that pass up this rapid have a crew of 

 as many as eighty men. 



The scenery is very wild and rocky, and after a 

 hard day's work the boat was made fast for the night 

 at about five miles below the celebrated Sin-tan Eaj^id. 

 Starting early the next morning the Lu-kan Gorge was 

 passed through, the river now taking a sharp turn to 

 the south, and then, rounding a steep rocky cliff, almost 

 immediately turns to the westward again. This pro- 

 duces a curious effect on ascending the river, as at first 

 o-lance one is apt to think that further progress is 



