SIN-TAN RAPID 37 
impossible. The scenery is very fine, as may be seen 
from the illustration. The gorge is not long, but is 
dark and gloomy, and soon breaks into a more open 
country. Here on the left bank a vein of shale about 
two yards thick crops up, and is worked by the natives. 
Cormorants may be seen nesting among the crags. Sin- 
tan was reached at about twelve o’clock, and I saw for 
the first time this notorious rapid. The boat I was in 
was too old to venture to make the ascent, and, more- 
over, was not fitted with the necessary beams. It was 
low water now, and the most dangerous time at the 
rapid, for when the river rises sampans and junks may 
be seen ascending and descending in comparatively 
smooth water. There is, I believe, sufficient water for 
a light-draught steamer at all times, but at some little 
distance out. I gathered from the natives that when 
the river is at its lowest some of the rocks are visible 
above the surface. 
The most dangerous part is in the centre, where 
there are many whirlpools, and there is great annual 
loss of life from drowning. The large junks have at 
low water to be lightened before passing up, part of 
the cargo being carried by coolies to the other end of 
the rapid, where it is re-stowed. Most of the population 
get their living by tracking and transporting cargoes. 
On April 21 hired a sampan above the rapid and 
