CHAPTER XIII.

CHUNG-KING.

SECOND only to Ching-tu in a political way, Chung-king is the most important place in the province of Sz'chuan, while as a trading mart it stands on an equality with the largest cities of the empire; and situated as it is in the centre of the most populous and thriving part of that fertile province, and at a point on the greatest highway of China whence radiate rivers and other means of communication towards all parts of the country, it enjoys an enormous amount of mercantile business. Hence converge all the products of Sz'chuan, to be distributed in various directions; and through it must pass all the imports to supply the demands of this populous province. It is in the west of China what Hankow is of the centre, Shanghai of the coast, and Canton of the south; within its walls northern and southern productions, as well as eastern and western, interchange.

Chung-king is composed of two walled cities, each of the first order, Chung-king (foo) and Li-min (foo); the former on the left, and the latter on the right, bank of the river Ho-tow, at its junction with the Yang-tsze. The present population, from reports of the Roman Catholic missionaries, is about 200,000, of whom between two and three thousand are Christians, besides 500 Mussulman families; but I find it stated in a French translation of a Chinese geographical account of Sz'chuan, that the number of inhabitants at the commencement of the present dynasty was not quite thirty

six thousand. Within the limits of the jurisdiction of the two foos are eleven prefectures of the second order, hiens.

Both Chung-king proper, and Li-min, are situated on high ground, which still rises as it recedes from the banks of the Yang-tsze; and their walls enclose large areas, which, as is the case with so many other cities, are not entirely occupied by houses. In Li-min there is a large pagoda, and an “outlook" is built on the highest point within its walls, while others are perched on commanding situations outside, for use during the disturbed state of the country.

The Yang-tsze at this place is about 800 yards wide, which is the width of the Thames at London Bridge, and very deep; above, it is narrowed to 300 yards by the existence of large shingle flats and beds of rock near the south wall of Chungking (foo), but during high water these are covered, and a width of two-thirds of a mile of water must exist, and will in part account for Abbé Huc's exaggerated description of the river at this point. The Ho-tow is at its mouth about 130 yards wide, and enters the main stream with a strong current, which, when we were first there at the end of May, was clear water, contrasting greatly with the chocolate-coloured Yangtsze; and could be traced for a considerable distance down, before it became altogether lost in the latter. This river receives two tributaries not far above, and thereby drains a very large extent of country, bringing some of its waters. even from the province of Kan-su, and the mountain region of Tibet. It is one way by which you may approach within an easy distance of Ching-tu, and is much used for commercial purposes, being said to be navigable for the largesized inland junks up to Shun-king, even when the water is low.

The country to the west of Chung-king, as far as can be seen from the river, is a good deal broken, though without any high hills; but to the eastward, that is, on the opposite side

СНАР. ХІІІ.

THE "PINNACLE PAGODA."

213 of the river, there is a continuous line of hills ranged northby-east, and south-by-west, with numerous small peaks and ridges, varying from 500 to 700 feet above the river, and at their nearest part about a mile and a half from the town. The principal rock of which this range is composed is a grey sandstone, which is general throughout the coal districts; but owing to the upheaval of the strata, limestone crops out and both coal and lime are obtained from these hills. The strata, wherever observed, ran directly in the line of the range, and dipped about 75° or 80° to the west. Specimens of each-the coal, the lime, and the rock-were collected. The great eastern road from Chung-king ascends these hills by a succession of stone steps. There is a collection of temples on the summit of one point, and there are a number of other joss-houses scattered about, as well as some pretty dwellings on the slopes facing Chung-king and the river.

On descending the river at the beginning of June, when we were delayed here some days without occupation, the Doctor and myself ascended these hills, and made a visit to the "Pinnacle pagoda." We mounted the steep slope by means of the flights of steps, and on the road passed a number of eating-shops, such as are usual near any large town, where the coolies, or porters, halt and refresh themselves after a long and weary journey, and where, before they set out on another, they loiter about and spend their cash in liquor until, from necessity, they are forced to leave. At one house the road passes through an archway, and is sheltered by a roof; here we found a large bucket of hot tea, with a bamboo ladle floating in it, ready for the use of any passing traveller who might desire to refresh himself with a draught; and by the number of inscriptions we were led to believe that this was a place of gratuitous refreshment, erected and kept up by some philanthropic individual. Such things are not uncommon in China, and a rich person thinks a public

donation of this kind a very honourable act; in the same way that drinking-fountains have become all the rage in England of late years; but we are behind the Chinese in this respect, for our fountains do not spout forth tea. We found some places on the river where public ferries are kept up in like manner.

On the road we met numbers of coolies loaded with coal, grain, and other produce, and others were passing both ways with human freights-fat Chinamen in sedan-chairs. Sometimes the chairs were followed by long strings of ponies carrying baggage, being the travelling party of some mandarin or rich gentleman; and a number of boats were kept constantly employed in carrying these passengers over the river to and from the town opposite the Taiping Gate. The cattle wore straw shoes to prevent their slipping on the wet ground, in the same way as is customary in Northern Japan. We continued our walk to the pagoda, which being situated on one of the highest points near Chung-king, a good view of the surrounding country is obtained from it. To the eastward are more ranges of hills, of a similar nature to that on which the pagoda stands, while the space intervening was occupied by a fertile valley, terraced out in the most symmetrical manner, and the crops, now in their best spring colours, spread an uniform green over the whole landscape. Dotted about were the cottages of the labourers, with usually a clump of graceful bamboo and one or two larger trees alongside each quiet homestead. A couple of hawks soared above our heads, seeming to look upon us as intruders, while a crow sat perched at a respectful distance, awaiting the scraps of food that we might leave behind us, having perhaps in his head the idea that, like the people of the country, we had come to make offerings at the shrines of our ancestors. A little boy ran out from a solitary house hard by, and showed us up to the top of the pagoda, whence we took some bearings,

and noted the features of the surrounding country. When we descended we found an old shaven-headed priest in his grey cloak awaiting us, and by invitation we followed him to his house. It was one of the usual form, built round a square, enclosing a covered court, and with a doorway of some pretensions. The old gentleman was surrounded by a fine troop of fowls of a choice breed; a hang-dog looking cur snarled at us as we entered; and a couple of pigs seemed to be as contented, and as well cared for, as the inmates of an Irish cabin. Besides the priest two other men made their appearance, one coming out from a little side room rubbing his eyes, as if he had been taking an unusually late nap; but we saw no women, so we inferred that the old shaven-pated gentleman was a monk; who, while guarding the pagoda and sacred ground in its vicinity, devoted his spare time to farming, and had borrowed the little boy from some family to keep him company in his lonely habitation. We were presented with some very nasty hot water intended to represent tea; pipes and tobacco were handed to us, and we sat down to rest ourselves in the shade of the portico, and enjoy the refreshing coolness of the air of this elevated region. The Doctor's dog, "Bill"—and I must beg his pardon for not introducing him before-attracted a good deal of attention. He was a setter, and his hanging ears were always a great curiosity to the Chinamen, only accustomed to the cocked-up forms of those of their own dogs; and being of quiet disposition, he never got himself into trouble, but allowed the children to play with him and maul him about to their hearts' content. Sometimes, however, we made use of him to keep the people off, by pretending that he was a very savage brute; and by opening his jaws and displaying a fine array of white teeth, we kept alive the notion of his ferocity. Poor "Bill!" he still remains in a distant land, roaming about the settlement at Shanghai with a fine brass collar, on