LOSS OF TREASURE 59 
a sum, and yet there are thousands so engaged in the 
upper parts of the river. 
The next day, the wind having moderated, I was 
able to continue my return voyage up the river, and 
arrived at Sha-shih at about 3 p.u. Proceeding up- 
wards again the next day, I stopped at what is called 
the Tiger’s Tooth Gorge. This is not a gorge in the 
proper sense of the word at all, but simply some hills 
which come close to the river banks. On the right 
bank there is a curious natural bridge at a considerable 
elevation, so high that from the river the sky may be 
seen underneath it. Some years ago a junk laden with 
a large quantity of shoe silver, the property of the 
Government, was wrecked near here; but although 
many attempts were made to recover her valuable cargo 
they all proved fruitless, not a single piece of silver 
being ever recovered. 
I found on my return that my wife was suffering 
from a severe attack of fever. She was, indeed, so 
seriously ill that I considered it necessary to take her 
to Shanghai for medical advice, and we therefore em- 
barked in the next steamer for Hankow. Provided 
that the shoals near Sunday Island are passed without 
the boat getting aground, the passage usually takes 
about three days, but if the steamer should happen to 
get ashore, she may stop there for some days. At 
