Entrance to the Bellows Gorge 8i 



Yunnan. These delegates from the local magistracy (Ya- 

 men) now attend every foreigner travelling in the "Four 

 Streams " province, merchant or missionary alike. 



Wu-Shan was our Lao-ta's home, and we discharged, on 

 his account, from the bottom of the boat, four bales of 

 native cotton-cloth, six sacks of rice, and several packages 

 of incense, which he had taken advantage of the presence of 

 the foreigner (dreaded by the officials), in his boat, to bring 

 up from Shasze without paying tax at the numerous Li-kin 

 stations we had passed on our voyage up. The sun was 

 now getting powerful, and I was glad to regain the shelter 

 of the boat, and enjoy our frugal dinner quietly moored in 

 the calm bay off the town. 



Distance, no li; say, twenty-seven miles. 



Saturday, March 24//^, 1883. — Seventh day in the gorges. 

 Off at dawn, and proceeded up the small rapid just above 

 the town, the " Siao mao-rh,'' or " Kitten," running five to 

 six knots ; and then, four miles farther up, the " Hsia ma 

 tan," or " Get-down-from-horse rapid," running seven to 

 eight knots. This rapid, like many others, where not due 

 to a reef of hard rocks in situ, is caused by the debris 

 brought down from the mountains by a small side stream 

 issuing out of a narrow glen. Up this glen is a wonderful 

 cavern, called the " Lao-lung-Tung," or Old Dragon cave, in 

 passing which mounted men are supposed to descend from 

 their steeds and do obeisance. Hence the curious name of 

 the rapid. 



Five miles above Wu-Shan the valley closes in again, and 

 we enter the " Feng-hsiang," or " Bellows," gorge, so-called 

 from the imaginary resemblance of a prominence on the 

 entrance cliff to a Chinese blacksmith's bellows, which is an 

 oblong wooden box. This is the last of the great gorges. 

 Its vertical walls, which appear to run up from 1500 to 



