1861.] 
245 
Notes on the River Tang-tse-Kiang. 
there would be no difficulty about carriage, but we should have a 
mountainous country to cross before reaching it, and there was no 
possibility of procuring carriage at Ping-shan ; he said that travellers 
would be plundered by the tribes unless under the protection of a 
chief ; it was impossible to make out the limits of their country, 
but its western boundary cannot be far from the frontiers of Burmah 
and Assam. 
The country round Ping-shan is hilly and fertile ; silk is produced 
in considerable quantities ; indian corn, rice, sugar cane, and turmeric 
are cultivated on the hills, and the cactus grows to a large size ; 
water snakes and eels caught in the rice fields are eaten by the boat- 
men and villagers. 
The boundary of Yunnan is passed just below Ping-shan, though 
we could not clearly ascertain where ; the country on the South bank 
of the river opposite the town, was said by the Prefect to be in that 
province. 
On both sides of the river the whole way from Yochow and even 
from Hankow to Ping-shan, the country is destitute of cattle with 
the exception of a few sheep and goats at Yochow, and goats in a 
few places ; buffaloes and ponies were seen at times, but their number 
is small, nor does the country appear thickly populated; should an 
expedition, hostile or otherwise, ever ascend the river, the whole of 
their supplies would have to be carried with them ; a few fowls, 
eggs, fish and a considerable amount of flour, salt and vegetables 
would be procurable ; the towns would accommodate a large number 
of men, but few places are fit for encamping, the ground near the 
towns being covered with grave mounds ; the hills above Hankow 
have been before alluded to ; the people generally burn charcoal, 
except in the coal districts ; fire wood is grubbed up about the 
country and brought in boats to the towns ; there would be difficulty 
in obtaining it in large quantities. 
The people are, wherever we met them, a quiet inoffensive race, 
but as the rebels increase in numbers they find it necessary to com- 
bine for their own safety, the government giving them no aid ; in 
fact wherever the imperialist troops are in the field against the 
insurgents, the people are worse off than when left to protect them- 
selves, being plundered by both parties ; in the districts above Chang 
(show) hien they are keeping the rebels off and have outposts 
in the river, lookout stations on the highest hills, and redoubts in 
2 i 2 
