233 
1861.] Notes on the River Yanrj-lse- Kianj. 
and dangerous ; when the river is high, small powerful steamers of 
light draught might ascend the rapids, hut the safest plan would 
possibly he to tow them up ; of these rapids there are eight, though 
some are called so merely from the water running rapidly over a 
shallow near one shore, while near the other the stream is deep and 
still, running perhaps 7 miles an hour ; the largest country boats 
ascending are about 120 feet long by 15 broad, drawing, when loaded, 
under three feet ; they come down without difficulty merely by 
keeping in mid stream, the channel being apparently free from 
obstructions, and should the commerce of the Upper Yang-tse pre- 
sent sufficient advantages to compensate for the risk attending the 
navigation of this part of the river, steamers will doubtless ho 
taken up and down in safety ; it is difficult for a military officer to 
give an opinion on such a subject, but the obstacles appear to me 
by no means insuperable ; at a short distance from the shore the 
water is deep, and the object of having vessels of light draught is 
to enable them to come close to the side, and to prevent the current 
from taking so much hold of them ; any number of hands are always 
procurable at the rapids, men living there whose business it is to 
assist boats on their way up, and among whom good pilots would 
certainly he found ; it would not be easy to anchor in all places on 
account of the rocky nature of the bottom and the depth of water, 
but many sandy bays are to be found where a vessel would lie snugly. 
The road from Quaichow to Ching-tu was reported impracticable 
for baggage animals ; the regular road strikes across from Wan, a 
town a short distance up the River. The Authorities at Quaichow 
had heard of the existence of a Treaty between England and China, 
but had never seen a copy ; the Prefect was supplied with one 
by us. 
Mexican dollars had been readily taken on the river as far as 
lehang at 1,000 cash each ; at Quaichow, having no more dollars, 
Sycee silver was exchanged at 1,720 cash per tael, hut the Sz’chuen, 
Hankow and Shanghae weights differ in the following proportions 
100 Sz’chuan taels = 101.6 Shanghae taels. 
100 „ „ — 102.48 Hankow „ 
Wan was said to he 360 li or about 110 miles above Quaichow ; 
in this part of the country, a day’s march, whatever its actual 
distance, is called 100 li, and the li may therefore be taken as a 
