Changes in the River-bed 245 



slightly into the river in a rocky point, which faces the 

 tortoise head, and has likewise its corresponding eddy 

 behind it. This rock had its surmounting pavilion, the 

 famous Hoa Hoa Lo, a substantial four-storied tower 

 standing on a forest of high wooden pillars, and said to 

 date from the Ming dynasty. Lamentable to narrate, this 

 tower, the most conspicuous and picturesque object in the 

 view across the river from the English bund, was (in 1884) 

 utterly destroyed by fire, and this untoward disturbance of 

 the snake will, it is feared, produce results disastrous to the 

 three cities. Already, in the following winter, an enormous 

 sandbank, over a mile in length, rose up in a few days, and 

 the deep water off the Hankow bund suddenly became dry 

 land. This land extended nearly halfway across the river, 

 and was rapidly covered with temporary shops for the 

 supply of the wants of the passing junk population, while 

 the foreign steamers, which had previously discharged their 

 cargoes alongside the bund (a fine stone quay fifty feet in 

 height), had to anchor half a mile away. Fortunately for 

 the port, however, this bank was cut away again by the 

 current in the following year. The river water being so 

 highly charged with sedimentary matter, it is only necessary 

 to put some impediment in the way of the current, such as 

 will produce still water, to insure a deposition of the silt, 

 which in a short time will assume vast dimensions. In this 

 instance, a freshet in the Han, meeting the main stream at 

 right angles, acted as a dam, and caused this bank to form 

 below it. 



The Yang-tse lifeboats are the only honest Government 

 organization I have ever met with in China. They were 

 set out in their present form, and stationed at each 

 dangerous spot all the way from Ichang to Chung-king, by 

 one " Admiral " Ho, who has his head-quarters at Ichang, 



