Fight with the Rapids 289 



passengers, and knocked the helmsman overboard. The man 

 was fortunately rescued unhurt, and so a great danger to our 

 progress averted, while I was warned not to leave the deck 

 again while under way. We moored for the night, tying up 

 to the bank at the entrance of the Yao-tsa-ho, the river of 

 piled rocks, having made thirty miles in six hours. On the 

 following day we negotiated with great ease the little races 

 that run round the jutting-out points of this stretch of river, 

 so difficult to jmiks to tow past for want of points of vantage 

 for the trackers, and affording most precarious foothold. 

 We got through the fierce Otter Rapid — a rapid with breaking 

 waves, but with wide channels of deep water between the 

 reefs — with much trouble and after repeated attempts, on one 

 occasion swept bodily astern and broadside on to a high 

 reef — which we just cleared by hastily changing our course 

 and heading straight down river. At last we got through, 

 and then followed up a long smooth reach with swift current, 

 crossing and recrossing to pick out the easiest water, until 

 we came to the Kung ling Rapid. This rapid has narrow 

 winding channels amongst the rocks scattered across the 

 river, so we tied up below it and engaged a T'an sze, or 

 "rapid expert," to pilot us through. When the old man 

 came on board and realized it was a steamer, which would 

 go through without being towed, he tried to bolt and hide 

 himself, and our attendant officials on the gunboat had to 

 use much " persuasion " to induce him to stay. Eventually, 

 he took up his position on the platform I had built for the 

 bow-sweep projecting over the bows, and directed the 

 steeringby his arms with the greatest aplomb and certainty ; 

 the noise of the rapids renders shouting useless. From 

 here on we steamed through the Niu-kan Gorge, its gigantic 

 walls threatening to crush us in the fading light, and just 



