CiiAP. XVII. 
THE RIVER MIN— MINGAN. 
281 
The scenery at the mouth of the Min and towards 
Foo-chow-foo is striking and beautiful. The river itself 
varies much in width and depth, according to the 
district through which it flows. Near its mouth, and at 
some parts where the country between it and the hills is 
flat, it is not less than a mile in width ; but at other 
parts, where the mountains come almost to the water's 
edge, the river is narrow, deep, and rapid. There are 
two or three such places between the mouth of the Min 
and the city of Foo-chow-foo. The whole of this district 
is hilly, many of the mountains being at least 3000 feet 
high ; and at this season of the year, when thunder- 
storms were almost of daily occurrence, the effects pro- 
duced by them amongst these mountains were grand 
and sublime. 
It is evident that the Chinese greatly dreaded our 
visiting this place during the war. I observed that 
forts had been built on all the most commanding posi- 
tions on the sides of the river ; but most of them 
were now without guns, and had already become dilapi- 
dated. 
The little town and fortress of Mingan, a few miles 
up the river, is beautifully situated on a hill sloping 
down to the water ; and the position is so strong by 
nature, that, if manned with English troops, it could 
defend the pass against the strongest force. 
A few miles below the city the river is blocked up, 
almost all the way across, with stones and old junks, 
which are covered at high water. I believe the intended 
plan of defence was to wreck all our vessels on this 
barrier, and destroy our men by batteries erected near it ! 
