Entry into the " Upper Yang-tse" Region 33 



owing to the arched mats, which cover the central portion 

 of the boat, and which form a tunnel about twenty-two feet 

 long, under which we squat, producing a most cutting 

 draught, which I have not yet found means effectually to 

 exclude. Fortunately we are enjoying a continuance of 

 bright spring weather ; in fact, we have jumped suddenly from 

 winter into summer. Distance : 120 li — thirty geographical 

 miles ; in all from Shasze, forty-five. 



Wednesday, March \/^th. — Off at six a.m., tracking in a 

 dead calm, with a bright warm sunshine. The river has at 

 length entirely lost its monotonous alluvial scenery, and the 

 reach we now passed through was bounded on either side 

 with low wooded hills, the gentle slopes to the water's edge 

 at their feet being bright with the young spring wheat. The 

 reach had the appearance of a placid lake, from which the 

 warm sun was fast displacing the morning mist. We entered 

 a new climate — Shui-tu (Water-earth), as it is called by the 

 Chinese — bright clear water and a rich red soil, the former, 

 for the first time after leaving Shanghai, sweet and drinkable 

 without filtering. This water comes mainly from Szechuan, 

 there being no affluent of importance between this and 

 Fu-chow, 400 mUes higher up. A week back the field sown 

 with wheat showed nothing but the black alluvial soil ; here, 

 the plant is already six inches above the ground. In May, 

 when the river rises, the clear colour disappears and much 

 of this lower land is flooded, at times too early to allow of 

 the wheat harvest all being reaped. We passed the walled 

 district city of I-tu, situated upon a small affluent called the 

 Ching Chiang, or Clear River, which takes its rise in the 

 province of Hu-Nan to the south. The small river is a 

 true affluent, its waters flowing constantly into the Yang-tse, 

 although there was no preceptible current as we passed its 

 mouth. The high land of Ichang now appeared, but was 



