154 
QUA-TCHOW. 
the imperial canal. It is neither carried through any mountain or 
over any valley. * 
As a vast drain to marshes and lakes, and to the destructive over- 
flowings of the Yellow river, it has higher claims to our admiration. 
Previous to its construction, the greater part of the provinces of Shan- 
tong and Kiang-nan, filled with lakes and marshes, from the Wan-lio 
to the Yang-tse-kiang, must at all seasons have been an uninhabitable 
swamp ; and during the inundations of the Yellow river, one enor- 
mous lake. The canal being carried through their lowest part, and 
communicating by numerous floodgates with the surrounding water, 
has rendered them more or less subservient to the purposes of man. 
During our route from Tien-sing to Qua-tchow, the banks of the 
canal had exhibited no production of much interest, excepting the 
peculiar aquatic vegetables afforded by the swamps to their almost 
amphibious inhabitants. Besides the Nelumbium, the Trapa bicomis , 
resembling in most respects the European plant of the same generic 
name, was extensively cultivated, and afforded a considerable vege- 
table support to the Chinese peasants. Its roots are sold in the 
markets as nuts are in Europe, and were constantly supplied to our 
tables. The root of the Scirpus tubei'osus was also sold in this part 
of China, and was more highly esteemed than the Trapa ; but the 
plant was not seen growing. 
The rice fields on the banks of the canal had in some places 
abounded with snakes of two species, the largest of which resembled 
very closely the common snake of this country. It was found from 
three to six feet in length. The smaller one was transversely striped 
# Ce canal qu’on appelle Yu-leang-ho , c’est a dire, canal a porter les denrees, ou bien 
Yu-ho, qni signifie Canal Royal, est sans doute merveilleux par sa longueur, qui est de plus 
de 160 de nos grandes lieues, et encore plus par Pegalite du terrain ou il a ete fait. Dans 
une si grande etendue de pays il n’y a ni montagne qu’il ait fallu applanir ou percer ; ni 
carrieres de pierres, ou de rochers, qu’on ait ete oblige de couper ou de creuser.” 
Du Halde, tom. i. p. 33. 
