ClIAP. VII. 
TRADE OF SHANGHAE. 
97 
attracting a large share of public attention. No other 
town with which I am acquainted possesses such advan- 
tages : it is the great gate— the principal entrance, in 
fact — to the Chinese empire. In going up the river 
towards the town a forest of masts meets the eye, and 
shows at once that it is a place of vast native trade. 
Junks come here from all parts of the coast, not only 
from, the southern provinces, but also from Shantung 
and Peechelee : there are also a considerable number 
annually from Singapore and the Malay Islands. The 
convenience of inland transit is also unrivalled in any 
part of the world. The country, being as it were the 
valley of the Yang-tse-kiang, is one vast plain, intersected 
by many beautiful rivers, and these again joined and 
crossed by canals, many of then nearly natural, and 
others stupendous works of art. Owing to the level 
nature of the country, the tide ebbs and flows a great 
distance inland, thus assisting the natives in the trans- 
mission of their exports to Shanghae, or their imports 
to the most distant parts of the country. The port of 
Shanghae swarms with boats of all sizes, employed in 
this inland traffic ; and the traveller continually meets 
them, and gets a glimpse of their sails over the land, at 
every step of his progress in the interior. Since the 
port has been opened, these boats bring down large 
quantities of tea and silk to supply the wants of our 
merchants who have established themselves here, and 
return loaded with the manufactures of Europe and 
America, which they have taken in exchange. Our 
plain cotton goods are most in demand amongst the 
Chinese, because they can dye them in their own 
VOL. I. F 
