202 
LOCKHART ON THE YANG-TSE-KIANG, &c. [April 26, 1858. 
and of Dr. Williams’s ‘ Middle Kingdom,’ as well as of several native 
authorities and native maps. 
He begins by showing the paramount importance of the Yang-tse- 
Kiang River as an inlet into the Chinese empire. It traverses the 
whole of its centre, it passes through its most fertile provinces, at 
least 100,000,000 of people live upon its banks, and it is the high- 
way of an immense commerce. He contrasts it with the Hoang-ho, 
or Yellow River, which, turbid and rapid, and constantly bursting 
its banks and devastating its neighbourhood, is called by the Chinese 
61 The grief of the sons of Hon.” 
The Yang-tse-Kiang rises in Tibet, and enters China at the 
richest metallurgical province of the whole empire, from which 
point down to the sea its course and tributaries are traced in Mr. 
Lockhart’s paper. Between the provinces of Hu-nan and Hu-pe, 
where coal and iron are extensively worked, its volume is doubled 
by numerous affluents that drain an enormous territory on either 
hand. Three immense cities lie close together at the confluence of 
the Hankiang, 500 miles from the sea, where the river has a breadth 
of from two to three miles, and depth of water amply sufficient for 
vessels of from 300 to 400 tons. The names of these cities are 
Wouchang-fu, Han -yang, and Han-chow. Before the late rebellion 
they contained between them 5,000,000 of people. The great 
barter trade between the northern and southern provinces of China 
passes through Han-chow, and the traffic from the three cities is 
immense, and reaches in all directions to the most distant parts of 
China. Mr. Lockhart considers that access to this district ought 
certainly to be secured to us : it appears to be the most important 
mart in Asia ; half the Manchester and Leeds goods that are sent to 
China have already found their way there. If a line of European 
commerce were opened, sea-going ships would leave their cargoes 
at Shanghae, and steamers would be employed up the river. 
At 400 miles from the sea the tides are perceptible : the large 
American steam-frigate Susquehanna reached a point 300 miles from 
the sea, and the British fleet in 1842 anchored off Nankin, the old 
capital of China, which is 200 miles from the coast. 
The volume of water in the Yang-tse-Kiang is much greater in 
summer than in winter, owing to the melting of the snows and the 
heavy rains. 
The Hoang-ho, or Yellow River, is rapid, tortuous, and turbid 
with mud, deposit of which has raised its bed to a greater 
height than the country through which it flows. It is useless for 
navigation. The continual repairs necessary to keep its banks in 
tolerable security create an immense drain upon the Imperial 
