296 Throilgh the Yang-tse Gorges 



the two young firemen under him. At the start, one tow-line 

 snapped off; but we got up successfully, the other two lines 

 holding well, in twelve anxious minutes. In summer, as the 

 water rises, the falls disappear, the rapid is changed into a 

 race, and junks move up and down without serious difficulty. 

 Arrived in the smooth water above we felt jubilant, 

 believing that now this dangerous obstacle had been over- 

 come, our reaching Chung-king was no longer a matter of 

 doubt. In this we were somewhat premature, as will be 

 seen later. 



From the New Rapid to Wan Hien we steamed without 

 difficulty through the race of the Eight Genii Gorge, having 

 spent twelve days, including detentions, in covering the 250 

 miles of this, the first half of our voyage. 



From Wan Hien onwards to Chung-king the valley widens 

 out, the shores are less precipitous, and, although the walls, 

 as well as the bed of the river, are still composed of rocks 

 and huge banks of boulders, the current is easier and the 

 numerous rapids are more manageable. Hence we accom- 

 plished this second stage of the journey in about half the 

 time we had spent over the first stage. We got along 

 better with our tows, — though once again fouling our pro- 

 peller, owing to the carelessness of the gun-boat crew, — 

 dropping them at rare intervals, mostly in shallow places 

 where the clear water raced over a boulder bottom, the 

 grinding of the boulders below being distinctly audible. 

 Occasionally half a dozen men from our tender would have 

 to jump ashore with a line and help us over a tight spot, 

 often for a few yards only at a time. But for the accident 

 to our propeller, this would not have been necessary. Then, 

 again, our pumps got choked with sand, and necessitated 

 constant stoppages. At times we despaired of ever reaching 



