Gorge of the Eight Cliffs loi 



sand-hills, the former looking as though but yesterday a 

 cartload of Brobdignagian paving-stones, varying in size 

 from a house to a dog-kennel, had ibeen shunted off the 

 mountain ridge behind. I was recalled to the boat as we 

 were entering the " Pa ngai hsia," or " Gorge of the Eight 

 Cliffs." This is a bed of hard grey sandstone, through 

 which the river has cut itself an even channel about 300 

 yards in width, and thirty li — say, six miles — in length. The 

 cliffs are perpendicular, fluted by innumerable " pot-holes," 

 and generally worn into rugged, fantastic outlines. The 

 gorge sweeps round in a curve, the stream entering it with 

 an easterly, and leaving it with a northerly course. My 

 boatman informed me that the gorge had no bottom. At 

 top the cliff extends an almost level surface of one to two 

 hundred yards, to the feet of the broken mountains which 

 rise from and behind it. The summit of the cliffs is only 

 forty feet above the present level, and in the summer rise 

 they are entirely hidden, the water then reaching to the 

 bordering mountains. At such a time the down-goingjunks 

 are indebted alone to the force of the current for keeping 

 them in the channel. 



This curious gorge terminates in a wide ridge of the 

 same formation, of the same height, and with the same level 

 top ; but instead of one grand channel, the river finds its 

 way through it in five small ones. All through this gorge 

 a chilling wind blew, and I caught a severe cold. We had 

 four men to tow along the top of the now dry cliff, with 

 one following behind to clear the tow-line — no easy task, as 

 it implies climbing to the edge of the slippery rocks. 

 Rounding one of the projecting points we again met with 

 the mishap known as " Ta chang," i.e. " break adrift," but 

 which I should rather translate, " taking charge." I was, as 

 at all difficult places, lying in the central hold under the 



