Proceedings of Learned Societies. 395 



of Sze-chuen (hitherto known to Europeans only by the reports 

 of the Jesuit missionaries), and is 1800 miles above Shanghai. 

 Up to this expedition, only 900 miles of the river have been 

 known. 



The paper gave a most interesting account of the river valley, 

 and described the mountainous country through which the river 

 flows in its upper and middle course to 360 miles above Han-kow. 

 It was shown how, by means of the tributaries of this river, water 

 communication is kept up between the ports at the mouth, and the 

 north-west provinces, Canton and Pekin. With the last mentioned 

 place, intercourse is carried on by means of the imperial canal, 

 which crosses the river at Ching-kiang-foo. 



The alluvial soil of the river-valley above the Tong-ting lake, 

 produces wheat, beans, and millet in abundance. In its higher 

 course the river passes through deep gorges, where the bed is 

 narrow and the water very deep. In one of these, the E-chang 

 gorge, the cliffs rise abruptly above the river to a height of 500 

 feet. The mountains are covered with oak, fir, and cedar trees. 

 The hill sides are subject to terrace cultivation, and for a long dis- 

 tance, about 200 miles, the principal objects of culture appeared to 

 be the poppy and tobacco. The sands of the river are washed for 

 gold, and coal and iron are worked to a considerable extent. 



The lower part of the Tang-tse-kiang was in the hands of the 

 Taepings, and everywhere evidences were seen of the desolation and 

 utter ruin that they had brought along with them. The city of 

 Nankin, which had a popidation of 600,000, was reduced to about 

 2000 inhabitants. The town was in ruins, the far-famed Porcelain 

 Tower a heap of fragments, and the gardens and fields overgrown 

 with weeds. 



Farther up the river, where the people were undisturbed, there 

 was a dense population, and all the evidences of Chinese industry. 

 But on reaching the province of Sze-chuen, the travellers found 

 another insurrection — totally unconnected with that of the Tae-pings 

 — which rendered it impossible for them to proceed, Almost at the 

 farthest point reached, the party were met by some native Chris- 

 tians, who welcomed them, and took them to their service in a 

 little chapel, meanly furnished. For this the excuse was made that 

 the rebels of Sze-chuen were unfavourable to the Christians. 



The results of the journey may be summed up as follows : 1800 

 miles of the river had been ascended, that is, 900 miles farther than 

 any European, except the Jesuit missionaries, had been ; coal in 

 very large quantity had been found, enough to supply all steamers 

 that should be engaged in the navigation of the river ; the river had 

 been found to be navigable for small steamers up to the point 

 reached by the exploring party ; the whole of the valley had been 

 found fertile, producing corn, tea, silk, and opium ; and lastly, it 

 had been found that the province of Yunnan forms the right bank 

 of the river, and is not, as it has been represented on older maps, 

 about 100 miles to the south of it. 



The imperial rule is by no means general in China. In the 

 east there is the rebellion of the Taepings ; in the south there are 



