A, S. Bickmore—Journey through China. 5 
It is so dangerous ascending this river, on account of rob- 
bers, that boats leave Wuchau only when several are ready to 
go and can keep together and afford each other mutual assist- 
ance in case of an attack. As an additional protection, the 
Mandarin offered to send a small gunboat along with us, but 
when we were ready to go, only one policeman appeared and 
he carried no arms. 
The boats used on this river are quite different from those 
seen at Canton. They have flat bottoms and curve up high 
at the bow and stern, that the helmsman and a man on look- 
out forward may see some distance ahead and avoid the rocks, 
as they come down with the rapid current, 
The principal article carried up the river by these boats is 
salt, which is a govérnment monopoly ; and, notwithstanding 
our boatmen all agreed not to bring a particle on board, they 
did buy a considerable quantity, and tried to hide most of it in 
our part of the boat. We very plainly informed them they 
had not kept their agreement, and if they left it there it would 
instantly go overboard. They finally, as near as I could ascer- 
tain, bought a permit for a part of it and smuggled through 
the rest, This smuggling is so common, that I was repeatedly 
informed that the Mandarin boats, which are not liable to be 
searched by the custom-house officers because they carry high 
officials, never fail to improve every opportunity to avoid pay- 
ing the regular tax. 
As we passed along these rivers, every day or two we came to 
a small house with two poles in front, each bearing a large 
triangular flag. There we were obliged to stop, and allow our 
boat to be séarched by fierce looking fellows, each armed with 
a long stick pomted with iron. Ascending this Cassia river is 
little better than dragging a boat up one continued series of 
rapids ; and though ours drew but five or six inches, it seemed 
sometimes as if our boatmen would be quite unable to get her 
along any farther. This fact indicates the shallowness of the 
Stream, and also the unfavorable fact, that steamers can never ~ 
be used on this river. The boatmen at Wuchau calculate to 
on Kweilin in fourteen days, but to go all the way back in 
four, 
_For the first hundred miles we passed only small, scattered 
s, each having on the top of the highest hill near it a 
es, ~ 
