LOSS OF TltEASUUE 59 



a sum, and yet there are thousands so engaged in the 

 upper parts of the river. 



The next day, the wind having moderated, I was 

 able to continue my return voyage up the river, and 

 arrived at Sha-shih at about 3 i\.m. Proceeding up- 

 wards again the next day, I stopped at what is called 

 the Tiger's Tooth Gorge. This is not a gorge in the 

 proper sense of the word at all, but simply some hills 

 which come close to the river banks. On the right 

 bank there is a curious natural bridge at a considerable 

 elevation, so high that from the river the sky may be 

 seen underneath it. Some years ago a junk laden with 

 a large quantity of shoe silver, the property of the 

 Government, was wrecked near here ; but although 

 many attempts were made to recover her valuable cargo 

 they all proved fruitless, not a single piece of silver 

 being ever recovered. 



I found on my return that my wife was suffering 

 from a severe attack of fever. She was, indeed, so 

 seriously ill that I considered it necessary to take her 

 to Shanghai for medical advice, and we therefore em- 

 barked in the next steamer for Hankow. Provided 

 that the shoals near Sunday Island are passed without 

 the boat getting aground, the passage usually takes 

 about three days, but if the steamer should happen to 

 get ashore, she may stop there for some days. At 



