1S61.] Notes on the Iliver Ycmg-tse-Kiang. 235 
our going by water to Ghung-king, which we were obliged to do ; he 
had copies of the Treaty, which he called that of Prince Kung ; it 
was not seen posted anywhere. 
About six miles above Wan, the ranges of hills become less rugged, 
the river being about half a mile wide ; farther on, gold is washed 
for on the shingly flats ; the river is bordered by many precipitous 
rocks, but they do not rise from the water’s edge. 
At the village of Ilulin we found some native Roman Catholics ; 
they appeared delighted to see that foreigners were travelling about 
the country without even disguising their dress and with no attempt 
at concealment ; they complained that the authorities treated them 
badly, and that not long since they had raised a mob on them, who 
had burnt and plundered their chapel ; our arrival was made the 
occasion of a general holiday ; we were invited to a feast, and salutes 
and crackers fired in our honour. 
Before reaching the town of Chung-show the river is tortuous, 
varying in breadth from 200 yards to three quarters of a mile ; in 
the narrow part the stream is strong, but in the channel is no where 
broken into rapids ; about 25 miles above Chung are many rocks in 
the river, some of which, in the middle of April, are about five feet 
above water, others just visible, and probably others hidden ; later 
in the season, these would all be covered, and the navigation would 
be difficult without a good pilot ; men who know the river well are 
to be found in all the towns ; the crags by the river side and the hills 
would afford marks by which a pilot would know his situation. 
Above Wan with wheat, barley, and peas, the poppy and tobacco 
were every where seen ; at an island named from the day on which 
we passed it, “ St. George’s” island, the island itself and the whole 
surrounding country to the tops of the highest hills, were covered 
with poppy, and from this place to Chung-king, a distance of about 76 
miles, with the exception of a few patches of wheat and tobacco 
near the villages, nothing but poppy was grown as far as could be 
seen on both sides of the river ; the crop is over by the end of May, 
and is immediately followed by sugar-cane, indian-corn, and cotton ; in 
the poppy districts rice was growing only near the villages. 
From the entrance to the gorges above Ichang, the scenery is very 
grand ; here the appearance of the country is very fine though not 
so imposing as below Quaichow ; the villages and their inhabitants 
2 n 
