RIVER PROBLEMS IN CHINA 3 



the one method as compared with the other, and the im- 

 mediate protection, simplicity and lack of difficulty which 

 dyke construction gives weigh heavily to its credit. 



The chief difficulty in China in the dyke question is 

 that in order to get the maximum area of land the dykes 

 are placed so close to the winter channel that the cross 

 section between the dykes in the flood season is barely 

 sufficient. The difficulty of protecting the dykes when the 

 deep channel cuts a loop towards them is also serious, and 

 the advantage of laying out river training works in smooth 

 curves has not been appreciated. Some consideration should 

 also be given to the enormous amount of energy, expense and 

 co-ordination required to build and maintain a system of 

 dykes which taken altogether probably exceeds in bulk all 

 the railway embankments in the world. 



Still another factor in the problem is the fact that 

 while it is desired to shut out the water during the flood 

 period, it is necessary to be able to admit prescribed quan- 

 tities of water for agricultural purposes throughout the 

 growing season. Furthermore in such places as are possible 

 the high economy of water transport has led to the utilization 

 of every possible water course for navigation and the con- 

 struction of numerous canals. In this province of Kiangsu 

 alone there are over five thousand miles of canals. 



Inland navigation has been developed in China to an 

 extent which is almost without parallel in history and at the 

 present moment comparatively frail vessels successfully ply 

 through rapids in gorges in the Yangtse, Han and West 

 Rivers which few European watermen could care to tackle. 



Finally we come to the question of foreign trade and 

 its corollary, the mechanically propelled ship. Experience 

 shows that it is the highest economy to carry cargoes in the 

 largest possible ships both in the sea and in the inland 

 waters. The interior waterways of China are mostly shallow, 

 especially during the winter and the harbours are in most 

 cases obstructed by bars, which are serious hindrances to 

 large steamers. 



Add to all this the fact that the rapidly growing indus- 

 trial development of the world will sooner or later influence 

 China towards the exploitation of her very considerable 

 sources of water power in the mountains and it will be seen 

 that China's rivers present some problems of the highest 

 importance and interest. 



We will therefore proceed to consider the principal rivers 

 and give some idea of what are or may be the features to be 

 noticed. 



