556 Attempted visit -to the [Oct. 



perceived that the road-way, connecting the piers, had fallen in at 

 two places, through hoth of which boats under sail were able to pass. 

 We selected what appeared to be the widest, and got safely through ; 

 but Mr. Stevens observed, that the stones, which had fallen in, were 

 but a trifle below the surface, and narrowed the passage so as to leave 

 very little to spare beyond the width of our boat. We were now 

 so far ahead of the war boats, that a fisherman ventured alongside 

 to sell us fish. At \ past 11a. m., we came to anchor, that the people 

 might refresh themselves ; and the tide having turned against us, we 

 remained at anchor till 4 in the evening. The war boats, in the 

 mean time, came up, and a civil enquiry was brought from one of them 

 as to what nation we belonged, whither we were bound, and 

 with what object. Mr. Gutzlaff, in reply, stated, that wc wished to 

 ascend the river, to see tea plants growing, to talk with tea mer- 

 chants, and to ramble amongst the hills. No objection was made, but 

 that the river was rapid and dangerous. When we weighed, however, 

 these war boats weighed also, and after we had come to at night, they 

 came up and took their station near us. We weighed early on the 

 morning of the 10th, the drizzling rain still continuing, and the 

 thermometer at 57° ; but having no boats in sight, to serve for our 

 guidance, we thought it better to come to anchor again, and let the 

 people have breakfast; as we weighed, the war boats weighed, and 

 when we again anchored, they too came to an anchor. Before we 

 set out the second time, two other war boats came up, which made 

 at first, as if they intended to run foul of us, but showed no other 

 marks of opposition, and we pushed on. I now reminded my friends 

 of my uniform declaration, that I would not attempt to force my way 

 if any actual resistance was offered, and that I even questioned the 

 expediency of proceeding at all, if we were to be continually under 

 the eyes of the government officers. However, as we greatly out- 

 sailed them, and might possibly wear out their vigilance, we resolved 

 to persevere. As we advanced, we found that none of the boats 

 going up the river would answer our questions, the people sometimes 

 clapping their hands on their mouths, or answering, that they durst 

 not give us any information. After having got a long way ahead 

 of the war-boats, however, we found the people communicative and 

 friendly. We were told of several rapids on the Min river, which 

 could not be passed without a very strong wind, and of other places 

 where the current was not only violent, but the stream too shallow 

 to float our boat. We had in fact already reached a place, where 

 the stream, swollen by the hill torrents, that conveyed the rain, which 

 had fallen during the last 30 hours, was so rapid, that with a light 



