THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
4*5 
and laid out in rice fields; but as we advanced, it rofe gra- 1?7g . 
dually into hills of confiderable declivity, the fides of which t December ; 
are cut into terraces, and planted with fweet potatoes, fu- 
gar-canes, yams, plantains, and the cotton-tree. We faw 
many lofty pagodas , fcattered over the country, and feveral 
towns at a diftance, fome of which appeared to be of a con¬ 
fiderable fize. 
We did not arrive at Wampu, which is only nine leagues 
from the Bocca Tygris, till the 18th, our progrefs having Saturday ig, 
been retarded by contrary winds, and the lightnefs of the 
veffel. Wampu is a fmall Chinefe town, off which the 
fhips of the different nations, who trade here, lie, in order 
to take in their lading. The river, higher up, is faid by 
M. Sonnerat not to be deep enough to admit heavy-laden 
veffels, even if the policy of the Chinefe had fuffered the 
Europeans to navigate them up to Canton; but this cir- 
cumflance I cannot take upon me to decide on, as no ftran- 
ger, I believe, has been permitted to inform himfelf-with 
certainty of the truth. The fmall iflands, that lie oppofite 
to the town, are allotted to the feveral factories, who have 
built warehoufes for the reception of the merchandize that 
is brought down from Canton. 
From Wampu, I immediately proceeded in a fampane , 
or Chinefe boat, to Canton, which is about two leagues 
and a half higher up the river. Thefe boats are the neateft 
and moft convenient for paffengers I ever faw. They are 
of various fizes, almoft flat at the bottom, very broad 
upon the beam, and narrow at the head and ftern, which 
are raifed and ornamented ; the middle, where we fat, was 
arched over with a roof of bamboo, which may be raifed 
or lowered at pleafure; in the fides were fmall windows 
with fhutters, and the apartment was furniflied with hand- 
Vol. III. 3 l fome 
