ARRIVAL AT CHUNG-KING 89 



morrow. Tlie country now is j^etting more hilly, but 

 not very interesting*. Very few trees are seen. The 

 thermometer 79° to-day, and rain fell in the evening. 



Apinl 21. — Arrived at Chung-king at noon. Took 

 chairs on landing, as it was not wise for Europeans to 

 walk in the streets at that time. A long and uncom- 

 fortable journey, taking nearly three quarters of an 

 hour, principally up flights of steps, brought us to the 

 house of Mr. Cockburn, the Ikitish Resident, who had 

 passed nearly three years in this disagreeable place. 



This is a very large and important city, being the 

 principal centre for the Yunnan and Sze-chuen trade, 

 many hundreds of junks trading from here as far down 

 as Ichang and Sha-shih. It is a great place also for the 

 distribution of foreign manufactured goods throughout 

 these provinces. 



At Chung-king a considerable change was made in 

 my crew. I had among them some men who had been 

 with me to Chang-3^ang, and whom I had trained as col- 

 lectors. These I kept, as the}^ would be again very 

 useful, but the remainder, with the exception of the 

 lowban, were discharged, and in their places men from 

 Chung-king were engaged, as they were better ac- 

 quainted with the upper parts of the river. These 

 signed an agreement to take the boat to Kia-ting-fu in 

 eighteen days, and in getting men, it is always neces- 



