8 RIVER PROBLEMS IN CHINA 



south and the Wei to the north. The former drains the 

 eastern side of the Honan hills and the former the south east 

 part of Shansi. Both are subject to violent fluctuations of 

 level by reason of the summer intensity of the rainfall and 

 the rapid descent from their sources to the plain and this 

 has been aggravated by deforestation. In addition to this, 

 however, the Yellow River has formerly usurped their old 

 channels and raised their beds so much that the Huai has 

 been forced into a system of lakes and, via the Grand Canal, 

 into the Yangtse, and the Wei has been forced into the Hai 

 Ho at Tientsin. 



The Huai, owing to its inadequate means of discharge, 

 is almost annually flooding large areas of agricultural land. 



As is well known the American Eed Cross Society has 

 advised on the problem of the Huai, and it is considered 

 that by the joint improvement of the Grand Canal, con- 

 struction of channels and the proper control of the lake 

 reservoirs that some 2| million mow of land can be 

 reclaimed. 



The Grand Canal consists of four sections : 



(1) Hangchow to Chinkiang on the Yangtse. 



(2) Yangchow on the Yangtse to the Yellow River. 



(3) The Yellow River to Tientsin. 



(4) Tientsin to Tungchow. 



The first and fourth sections have no relation to the 

 Yellow River. 



The second section is fed by the River and also by the 

 west running rivers from the Shantung mountains. There 

 are some overflow weirs which allow surplus water to run to 

 the sea but these are not sufficient. The current towards 

 the Yangtse is very considerable. From Tsing Kiang Pu 

 where it crosses the old bed of the Yellow River to the 

 Yellow River the control of the water is uncertain. 



The third section, from the Yellow River to Lin Tsing 

 Chou is similarly defective, but from the last named place 

 to Tientsin the canal is really the Wei River and runs 

 normally except in so far as it may be swollen by rain or 

 overfilled by the Y r ellow River. The latter seems to have 

 happened this last year. 



The canal was orginally built for the transport of tribute 

 rice. Seeing that all contributions to the Central Govern- 

 ment can be more conveniently sent by sea or rail, it has 

 ceased to serve its ostensible purpose and the Government 

 is no longer strongly interested in it. Nevertheless it must 

 be conserved for two reasons : 



First, it is a valuable means of water communication 

 which can be made much more so. 



