316 



TSIEN-TANG RIVER. 



Chap. XV. 



CHAPTEE XV. 



The Tsien-tang river — Its eagre or " bore " — Appearance it presents 



— Effects it produces — Superstitions of the natives — City of Kan- 

 poo — Mentioned by Marco Polo — Its decay as a maritime port — 

 Another source of wealth — Its inhabitants — Village of Luh-le- 

 heen — Engage canal boats — Pass through borders of silk country 



— City of Yuen-hwa — Supposed emporium for " Yuen-fa " silk — 

 Geology of isolated hills — City of Ping-hoo — Way to manage 

 Chinese crowds — Shops and gardens — A dangerous position — 

 Arrive at Shanghae. 



The Tsien-tang river, wliich flows past the city of 

 Hang-chow-foo and empties itself into tlie bay we 

 had just crossed, is formed of two branches, which 

 unite at the old town of Yen-chow, about one hun- 

 dred and twenty miles from its mouth. The more 

 southerly branch has its numerous sources amongst 

 the mountains bordering on Fokien, and amongst 

 some hills north-west of the town of Chang-shan, 

 where the three provinces of Ohekiang, Kiangse, 

 and Gnan-hwuy meet. The other branch rises in 

 the north-west, amongst the green-tea hills of 

 Hwuy-chow. On former occasions * I had jour- 

 neyed to the source of both these branches, and 

 found them navigable for country flat-bottomed 

 boats ioi upwards of two hundred miles from 

 Hang-chow. These boats bring down all the tea 



See ' Journey to the Tea Countries of China and India.' 



