SJN-TAN HAP ID 87 



impossible. The scenery is very fine, as may be seen 

 from tlie illustration. The goriie is not lon_i>-, but is 

 dark and gloomy, and soon breaks into a more open 

 country. Here on the left bank a vein of shale about 

 two yards thick crops up, and is worked by the natives. 

 Cormorants ma}' be seen nesting among the crags. Sin- 

 tan was reached at about twelve o'clock, and I saw for 

 the first time this notorious rapid. The boat I was in 

 was too old to venture to make the ascent, and, more- 

 over, was not fitted with the necessary Ijeams. It was 

 low water now, and the most dangerous time at the 

 rapid, for when the river rises sampans aiul junks may 

 be seen ascending and descending in comparatively 

 smooth water. There is, I believe, sufiicient water for 

 a light-draught steamer at all times, but at some little 

 distance out. I gathered from the natives that when 

 the river is at its lowest some of the rOcks are visible 

 above the surface. 



The most dangerous part is in the centre, where 

 there are man}^ whirlpools, and there is great annual 

 loss of life from drowning. The large junks have at 

 low water to be lightened before passing up, part of 

 the cargo being carried by coolies to the other end of 

 the rapid, where it is re-stowed. Most of the population 

 get their living by tracking and transporting cargoes. 



On April 2 I hired a sampan above the rapid and 



