Chap. XVI. LAKES AND MARSHY COUNTRY. 



337 



When I awoke at daybreak on the following 

 morning we were already under way, and sailing 

 with a fair wind across the lake. It was not diffi- 

 cult to perceive the justice of the remarks made 

 by the boatmen the evening before ; indeed, it 

 seemed a difficult matter to find our way in broad 

 daylight. This is a most extraordinary part of 

 the country : the lake, or rather lakes, extend in 

 all directions for many miles, sometimes so narrow 

 as to have the appearance of canals, and then 

 again expanding into large sheets of water. Every- 

 where the shores are low, and have a most irre- 

 gular outline formed by a succession of reed-covered 

 capes and deep bays. 



After sailing for a distance of six or eight miles 

 we came to what appeared at first sight to be a 

 canal leading out of the lake. It proved, however, 

 to be merely a neck of water which led into 

 another lake equal in size to that which we had 

 just crossed. And so we went on during the 

 whole day through this dreary region. The low 

 marshy shores seemed to be thinly inhabited, 

 although in the neighbourhood of the richest and 

 most populous part of the Chinese empire ; indeed, 

 almost the only sign of the place being inhabited 

 by human beings was, strange to say, the numerous 

 coffins and graves of the dead, which were con- 

 tinually coming into view as we sailed along. 

 It is not improbable, however, that many of 

 these had been brought from other districts to 

 those lucky spots and laid down, or interred 



