98 PING- SHAN 



panied Mrs. Eiley on lier journey down the river. The 

 population of the town is considerable, there being 

 64,000 registered houses. There is a very picturesque 

 temple on the opposite bank of the Min Eiver, built in a 

 grove of trees. A very bad rapid was reported to exist 

 just above the town, l)ut from what I heard, I hoped 

 to reach Kia-ting-fu in seven days. 



At no considerable distance up the Yang-tze above 

 Sui-fu is Ping-shan, beyond which I was informed the 

 river is not considered to be navigable. Very deep and 

 narrow gorges are found, and the rapids are impassable. 

 Small local boats and sampans ply between them, but 

 nothing except timber rafts attempt to pass down. 

 Very little is known about this part of the river, and the 

 navigation of these rafts is considered to be so dangerous 

 that it is a regular part of the contract for the crews to 

 be provided with their coffins. Ping-shan is also an 

 outpost of the Imperial troops, who have constant 

 trouble with the Lolos. 



On May 8 a start was made from Sui-fu, the boat 

 being towed by seventy coolies through the long rapid 

 just above the town. The towing path was on the left 

 bank, and I saw for the first time fishing cormorants 

 used. Unfortunately they were some distance away, 

 but they were perfectly tame and well under command, 

 being used from long bamboo rafts, each raft having 



