rice was beginning to spring. We saw plenty of sugar-cane, but none in the ground. The "Tung-shu" tree was still very common. The weather was now becoming oppressive, although the thermometer seldom stood over 71° at noon, and ranged from 56° to 62° at sunrise; but by the 21st of April we had the temperature in the shade above 80°. There was usually little or no wind, and the atmosphere was thick and hazy, which caused us to feel the heat more than we otherwise should have done. All meteorological details will be found in the Appendix, where it will be observed that readings of the thermometer were made four times daily; the barometer, which was an aneroid, was recorded thrice, and the wind and weather were always noted five times during the day; but the latter have been condensed so as to bring them within a limited space. Specimen pages of the Expedition 'Log' and 'Field Book' have also been appended, to give an idea of the mode in which we kept our records, and to enable those who are particularly interested in the subject to judge of the degree of dependence to be placed on our observations, and as a hint to future travellers. I may mention that every part of the river navigated by us was sketched in the manner shown on the page of 'Field Book;' in pencil on the spot, but inked in always within twenty-four hours; and no additions or embellishments have been since added. The Log' contains information picked up by all the members of the expedition, besides which each kept his own private note-book. Nothing was left to memory, and the little difficulty I now find in collecting facts is a proof of the fulness of those records. I should, however, have missed many of the minor incidents of our journey, if Dr. Barton had not kindly placed at my disposal all his private notes, and being now in this country he has afforded me the most valuable assistance in many ways. I am moreover indebted to Lieut.-Colonel Sarel for several valuable observations which he has for

N

warded to me from India, where he is now serving, besides a pamphlet, entitled 'Notes on the Yang-tsze Kiang from Hankow to Ping-shan,' which he published at Hong-kong for distribution among his friends, and which has been read before the Royal Geographical Society. This, though it contains nothing more than is recorded in the 'Log,' a copy of which Lieut.-Colonel Sarel made each day, has been of some assistance to me in arranging my own notes. Mr. Schereschewsky, the missionary gentleman who accompanied our party, moreover placed at my disposal some of his observations on the people with whom we came in contact, and my best thanks are due to him on that score. My readers will I hope excuse me for these few remarks, which I have placed here, where they are applicable, rather than lengthen out a preface which few would read, and no one recollect.

The breadth of the river at Wan was, at the time we passed up, within a few feet of 550 yards; but just opposite the place there then existed an extensive shingle-bed, which being covered at high water, the width of the river would be increased very considerably. Just above, however, the stream is contracted very much by rocks which jut out from either bank. We carried a line of soundings across in a north-east direction from our anchorage off the middle of the town, and found the depth to increase from three and a quarter to nine fathoms, and then gradually decrease again to the other shore. On the chart, which is on the point of publication by Mr. Arrowsmith from our survey, all the soundings will be found inserted, and the nature of the banks, the shoals, rocks, and country adjoining the river, laid down as accurately as was possible under the circumstances. The reduced scale of the map of the river attached to this work of course precludes the possibility of showing anything more than the general features.

Some Christian Chinese discovered themselves to us at

СНАР. Х.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES.

179

Wan, and, taking Mr. Schereschewsky for a padre, they prostrated themselves before him, but he raised them up and quickly gave them to understand that such was not the fashion in our religion. They appeared much affected at meeting with Christians of another nation, and really seemed to have some sparks of religion in them. There is little doubt that the Roman Catholics have done much more in China than the world gives them credit for, and from this place upwards we observed numerous Christians among the Chinese. They used to make themselves known to us by the sign of the Cross, and seemed always to look upon us in the light of superior beings. The number of Christians in the province of Sz'chuan is said to be about one hundred thousand. There are two bishops, and we had subsequently the pleasure of meeting one of them as well as two of his priests, and my remembrance of them will ever be associated with the idea of missionaries indeed. To such men as these, who leave their country and friends with the sole object of carrying salvation to a heathen people, whose dress and habits they adopt, and among whom they live, often in a manner which would not be coveted by the very lowest among an European population, to say nothing of the risk of their lives, and the tortures of which they must ever stand in danger-cut off from all intercourse with the outer world, with none of the luxuries and few even of the necessaries of European civilization-is due a meed of praise which I am unworthy to proclaim, and will therefore only refer to the contrast between them and the Protestant missionaries. Located among the European and American communities at the open ports on the coast, the latter live in all the ease and comfort of civilized society, surrounded by their wives and families, with dwellings equal, and often much superior, to what they have been accustomed to in their own country; they are in constant communication with all civilized parts of the world, by a regular mail

What is the reason of

service; and I believe I shall not be wrong when I say there is not a single Protestant missionary a hundred miles distant from an European settlement. I am informed, however, that some Protestant German missionaries are adopting the Roman Catholic plan, and intend to penetrate into the interior disguised as natives; but I have not had the pleasure of meeting any of them. this? It may be said that to disguise oneself in native clothes and travel through the country would be a species of deceit incompatible with the sacred office. I have always thought that Huc was a little severe on Protestant missionaries when he referred to "the Bibles prudently deposited by the Methodists on the sea-shore." The Abbé doubtless held that the end justifies the means; but on the other hand, Protestants urge that if their heads were in danger they would be forced to deny their calling and nationality without the advantage of "mental reservation;" while Huc himself allows that for a "long pilgrimage" to "terminate in some ditch behind the ramparts of a Chinese town," is not "the martyrdom that missionaries sigh after."

But what with mandarins, missionaries, and mistakes, I have run on so far that I must leave our voyage above Wan to be commenced in another chapter.

Two hundred miles lay between us and Chung-king on the morning of the 18th April as we left Wan. It was our thirtythird day on the Upper Yang-tsze, and over two months since we had left Shanghai. The first few miles our course was a little east of south, after which we entered a long reach of the river in a south-westerly direction, in which we passed a short rapid called Hu-tan. The Chinese affixes which we found most common were "tan" or "chi," each of which signifies "rapid;""hia" meaning "gorge," and "shun" "village." The river was nearly half a mile in width in many places, with extensive sand and shingle flats, intermixed with reefs of rock, where were numerous gold-diggings; and the hills being less confused, and assuming more the form of ranges, gave a more open and pleasing appearance to the scenery. Some high hills were observed away to the southeast. The rock was a grey sandstone, which was occasionally scattered in blocks along the banks in great confusion. Near the tops of some of the hills were temples hollowed out in the cliffs, and approached by flights of steps. The door of one could only be reached by a ladder hanging vertically some sixty or seventy feet. We anchored for the night about fourteen miles above Wan, at the small village of Ta-chi-kow, where the latitude was determined.

The next day was one of great interest. The river varied considerably in width, but with no rapids, and only a few strong places. The general direction was S.S.W., and parallel