223 
1861.1 Notes on the Elver Yang-tse-Kiang. 
Specimens of mineralogy, ferns and insects have been collected 
and forwarded to England. 
The country above Hankow is flat, large tracts on both banks 
being flooded in March, but a low range of hills crosses the river 
shortly above the junction of the Han with the Yang-tse ; about ten 
miles above Hankow, on the left bank, are some low grassy hills 
admirably suited for the encampment of a large body of troops ; 
the situation is dry and airy, with the river close at hand and a creek 
running into the country. Ten miles higher up two hills called Ta- 
kin-shan or the great, and Siau-kin-shan or the little golden hill, are 
passed on the left bank, the little hill being the largest ; near these 
are hills on both banks, after which the country near the river again 
becomes flat, though low ranges are visible at some distance inland ; 
the river here averages a mile in width ; numbers of trading junks 
were seen on their way between Honan and Hankow via the Tung- 
ting lake ; most of the boats come from Hiang-tang and Sun-chu 
(foo) in Ilounan and some few from Chungking in Sz’chuan ; some 
boats roughly constructed, their top sides being of deal planks un- 
planed and unvarnished, furnished with matting sails, bring coals 
from Tow-king (foo) , a town in the interior of Hounan ; when these 
boats reach Hankow, after discharging their cargo, they are broken 
up and sold for the wood. 
Numerous timber rafts are also brought down the lake to the 
Yang-tse ; they are made in divisions with huts built on them for 
their conductors ; a division can be sold at any place without in- 
terfering with the rest of the raft, and the rafts being connected, 
like a train of boats, can turn the sharp bends of the small rivers 
they have to descend to the lake. 
At the village of Lo-ji-kow, the rebels had left their traces ; a 
small temple and some of the buildings were in ruins ; these fanatical 
savages destroy everything they come across, their only idea being 
utterly to obliterate all traces of the Tartar government and to 
begin “ de novo a few years will leave them nothing to govern 
even if they succeed in destroying the Tartar dynasty, which I much 
doubt ; already many of them are said to be heartily tired of rebellion, 
and would doubtless return to their allegiance if they thought they 
could do so with safety to themselves, but rebels can expect no 
