SHANGHAI SETTLEMENTS 95 



In ancient times the stream now known as the Soochow 

 Creek was far wider than the Huangpu is at present. One 

 has but to stand in the Public Garden, and note the direction 

 of the bend of the river there, to see which was the master 

 stream in the beginning. The Woosung Kiver, or Soochow 

 Creek, is in fact recorded in native annals as having been 

 miles wide. Natural causes would account for its silting up, 

 but that action may have been accelerated by the work of a. 

 statesman, Huang Hsieh, who, in the second century B.C. 

 improved the course of the Huangpu. To such an extent 

 was this accomplished that Huang should, probably, have 

 received far more honour for his achievement than he now 

 does. True, the Huangpu bears his name, but unfortunately 

 the character for his surname and the character for "yellow" 

 are identical. So to the ordinary man, the Huangpu is "the 

 yellow reach" and not "Huang's reach." The "pu" 

 character (?i), here differs from that of the Whampoa (M *F§), 

 at Canton. That is simply a "reach," whereas ours may 

 also be translated by "bank." Probably we have here but 

 a native case similar to that shown by our own word, "dyke," 

 which may mean either the ditch or the bank made by the 

 excavation. 



To our local natives the Soochow Creek is still the Lao 

 Kong, or old river, and foreigners should be interested in the 

 fact that if they pass along the Grand Canal between Soo- 

 chow and Kahshing, they may, close to Ka-pu-chiao, and 

 about six li north of Ng-kong, at a place where an outlet from 

 the Tahu crosses the canal, see a little island on which is 

 erected a tablet with an inscription, Fen Shui Teng, 

 ( ft 7k M ), meaning "Dividing Waters Mound." The site 

 is one of much interest. Three streams converge to it, one 

 from Soochow, a second from Kahshing, both flowing along 

 the canal, while the third comes as has been said from the 

 lake. Naturally there must be an outlet. There are in 

 fact two, for this is the birthplace of our well-known local 

 twins, the Huangpu and the Soochow Creek. 



In the name Siccawei (f& % M), we have a far less 

 common affix than either the "du" or the "chiao. " The 

 "wei" in that name is translated by Giles, "whirling, tur- 

 bulent waters," and such things are very possible in deltaic.' 

 streams. But there is another and far more peaceful 

 rendering. The Hsu or Si Family "Wei" might have been 

 nothing more than a spring, a possession in admirable keep- 

 ing with the character of the family to which the famous 

 Paul Hsu belonged. 



Our road names deserve a moment's notice. It was 

 said at the beginning of our survey that words contain 



