226 CHINESE PILOTS 



Here Messrs. Wellwood and Warner, both mission- 

 aries, came on board to see me. We overtook at this 

 2)hace two hundred soldiers who had passed down the 

 Min Kiver from Cheng-tu a few days previously, and 

 were on their way to Lolo-ping, at which place there 

 had been a Lolo raid, further disturbances being ex- 

 pected, as the Lolos, according to their invariable 

 custom, had given notice that they intended to make 

 further plundering excursions into the Chinese territory. 

 Leaving Sui-fu on September 6, I found the Yang- 

 tze still very high, this being too early in the season 

 for it to run low. Several dangerous places were en- 

 countered during the day, but all were passed in safety. 

 The strength of the current here at this time of the 

 year would render it impossible, in my opinion, for any 

 steamer to get up against it, unless of exceptional power 

 and speed. The reefs also are very dangerous, often 

 running out into the river just where a sharp bend 

 occurs, requiring a very handy vessel and great skill in 

 management to avoid disaster. The Chinese pilots are 

 very clever in navigating the native boats through such 

 places, but still, accidents are frequent. 



On the night of the 7 th, the boat was secured off 

 the town of Ba-sa-tou, celebrated for its distilleries, 

 where native spirit, known as samshew, is produced in 

 large quantities. Here I saw the last of the long, narrow 



