78 WU-SHAN GORGE 
night. The weather had been fine during the day; 
thermometer 80°. 
On April 2 got under way at 5 a.m. The weather 
was lovely, but the wind light and baffling, causing 
much hard work for the trackers and crew. <A small 
rapid was passed during the day, and a gorge entered 
in which the boat was secured to the bank for the night. 
On shore I found a fine variety of wild rose, the flower 
being large and of a crimson colour. The scarcity of 
birds was remarkable. It was certainly nesting time, 
and they might be expected to be more in seclusion ; 
but one rarely caught sight of a solitary specimen, with 
the exception of the small white heron, which is plenti- 
ful on the banks of the river. The Chinese do not 
destroy or trap them to any extent, and they do not 
appear to have many natural enemies. 
On April 3 I got under way at 4.30 a.m. with a fair 
wind, and proceeded through the Wu-shan Gorge. This 
is the longest in the river, being twenty mileslong. The 
hills here are about 2,000 feet high in places on each 
side, but breaking out here and there into more 
open country, and the scenery very fine, the land 
being cultivated where possible; but the population is 
sparse. The boat was made fast.to the shore at the 
head of this gorge for the night, being now 560 li from 
Ichang and 1,400 from Chung-king. Several rapids 
