212 FLOODED BIVEBS 



terrific thunderstorm, accompanied by a deluge of rain, 

 caused the river to rise so rapidly that the boat could 

 not return to the other side. I found shelter in a 

 hut that luckily happened to be near. The numerous 

 watercourses filled almost immediately, and poured 

 torrents into the already swollen river. Later in the 

 day the weather cleared, and I pushed on to a village 

 near the Ya Eiver and about fifteen li from Ya-chow-fu. 

 The remainder of the coolies with baggage had been 

 unable to cross, so I was forced to leave them behind. 

 I heard that a sampan had been swamped in the river 

 and that several lives had been lost. 



July 30. — The road now led across the river, which 

 was so swollen as to be dangerous to cross, it having 

 rained heavily during the night. At about noon it sub- 

 sided a little and the passage across was made. 



Directly afterwards a heavy rain stopped all progress, 

 as the coolies could not work. Shelter was found in a 

 hut in a small village called Cha-pa built on a steep 

 rocky knoll on the river bank and reached by steps cut 

 in the rock. The banks here are precipitous but 

 vegetation is seen in every possil)le place on the face of 

 the cliffs. 



July 31. — A thick mist in the morning. After 

 travelling fifteen li, the country became hilty and rice 

 was cultivated in terraces. The river had now to be 



