appearance of comfort and prosperity that we had seen lower down. The soil on the higher ground was often stony, but nearer the river generally of a sandy nature. The cedar was now a common tree, and a few small pines appeared on some of the hill-sides, with bamboo, ash, and other trees as before. We were forced to wait a few hours at Na-chi for the mandarin to come up after his shipwreck, as he had to press another boat into his service.

The next day took us generally on a west course, with ranges of hills to the southward, rising to six hundred feet, and running parallel with the river: in the afternoon we rounded a sharp point, near which there were some extensive beds of shingle; this we named "Gingall Point." The Doctor and myself were ashore, walking ahead of the boats, and as we came up to the point we observed, on the top of the bank, a flag flying; and we immediately ascended to see what it meant. We found that we had come on an Imperialist outpost, or outlying picket of soldiers, stationed there for the purpose of giving the alarm by running off as soon as any body of rebels might heave in sight. They were housed in a little hut, their arms being one sword, one chopper, two old matchlocks, a spear, one banner, and a gingall. This last was evidently what they prided themselves on, for, after they recovered from their first fright on taking us for "tu-feh" (rebels), they seemed only too glad to exhibit this curious piece of ordnance for our edification. It was an iron barrel about six or seven feet in length, the butt-end fitting into a sort of gun-stock, and pivoted on a tripod stand. The whole picket was there, consisting of three men, very shabbily dressed; and I could not discern who was the officer, sergeant or corporal, for the only difference among them was that one wore some European-made brass buttons on his jacket, on which was the device of a lion rampant, and a death's head or star, with the names of the manufacturers on

the back, "W. and T. Smith, treble gilt." Each seemed to be in command; possibly they were all Brigadier-Generals, Brigade-Majors, or something of the sort, but they didn't look like it. We explained to them that we should like to see some practice with their artillery, on which the bombardier, as he seemed to be, went to the powder-magazine, which was an old sack carefully tied up and lying under a bed in the hut, and brought forth the charge in a teacup. Then he mounted on a stool and poured the powder in at the muzzle; the gingall was thumped on the ground, and, with a long bamboo, which served as a ramrod, they rammed the powder home. A little of the already soft powder was then mealed, and the touch-hole filled with it. One man then held on tight to the butt, while another coming out with a hot poker discharged the weapon, the effect of which in noise and smoke was marvellous; but the poor fellow who had been doing the marksman was knocked heels over head backwards. He seemed, however, quite accustomed to that sort of thing, for, picking himself up in a minute, he performed what I certainly took for the coup d'état of the whole proceeding; suddenly swinging round the gingall on its swivel, he applied his mouth to the muzzle and blew violently down it, which sent the remaining sparks flying out of the vent, and then swung it back into its former position, by which manœuvre he nearly knocked my companion off his legs. The piece was then left with its muzzle inclined well upwards, so that any rain which might fall would trickle nicely down the barrel, and accumulate at the breech. The picket seemed to be without any shot for their gingall, for we tried to get them to put one in, so that we might fire across the bows of our junks, in order to test the courage of the boat coolies; probably shot are not used in the warfare of the interior: our after experience was favourable to this supposition.

On the 16th we passed Kiang-an (hien), near which one of

the party went ashore with his gun and bagged some fowls, as we were hard up for food, and the boys could not succeed in getting any. This summary proceeding may appear to some unwarrantable, but under the circumstances it was absolutely necessary, and the people being well paid for what were taken could not but be satisfied. It was the only time that we were obliged to resort to such means of obtaining subsistence, and the principal reason was, I believe, that the gentleman who spoke the language did not care to trouble himself in interpreting for the commissariat department, although I do not recollect his ever refusing his dinner. Kiang-an is a small place, and, as we passed on as quickly as possible, I had no opportunity of ascertaining whether the river laid down on Chinese maps as falling into the Yangtsze at this place existed or not. There was an arm of the main river close to the town, which, during high water, is probably connected with the river above and forms an island; but as there was no perceptible current in it, I was led to doubt the existence of a tributary. The native maps are, however, most likely right, and there may be a small one. In the afternoon we arrived near Nan-ki: before rounding the point there is a rapid between the main shore and an island, which we named "Barton Island." A fine old pagoda stands on a bluff overlooking the rapid, and another at about a mile distant inland. It was a beautiful spot. Nan-ki is a walled town situated on the north side of the river, on one of those remarkable bends which are so conspicuous in this part. It is an ordinary-looking place, and we remained there only for the night.

After leaving Nan-ki we only anchored once, and that was at the open town of Li-chuang-pa, before we reached Sü-chow, at the mouth of the "Min," on the 18th of May, our sixtythird day from the confluence of the stream from the Tungting Lake with the Yang-tsze Kiang.

CHAPTER XV.

SU-CHOW AND THE WESTERN REBELS.

WISHING to defer the subject until I should bring the reader well into the districts infested by them, I have omitted all reference to the Sz'chuan rebels in the chapter which has just closed; but it must not, therefore, be supposed that on our voyage we heard nothing of them, for the whole way above Chung-king there was one continual flow of reports of the depredations and atrocities committed by these lawless. bands. Day after day we heard the same story, that they had possession of the river just above, and that it would be impossible for us to proceed much farther; but at the end of each succeeding twenty-four hours of our journey we found ourselves. no nearer to them; the remains of the plundered boats and the murdered crews were nowhere to be seen, and the visions of rebels, which had been aroused in our brains each day grew dimmer and dimmer, till at last we ceased altogether to believe in the phantom "Tu-feh." The people of the districts through which we passed were in great consternation at all these reports, and we found that on account of the weakness of the Imperial power they had formed associations for their own protection. These combinations were to protect themselves against the Imperialist braves as much as against the rebels; for, as the levies of the Imperial government are entitled to but very little pay,-and that little, by the time it has passed through the hands of those in authority, dwindles down to nothing,-they are forced for their own support to live on the people of the districts in which they

...

may be quartered; and, being in general a set of the greatest vagabonds in the country, they are not content with simply subsisting on the people, but plunder, pillage, and destroy everything that lies in their way, so that their track is marked by murder and rapine; they leave behind them the stain of blood, and sounds of lamentation and woe follow their retiring footsteps. The words of Scripture come forcibly to the mind when contemplating the devastations of these locust-like hordes-" And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt very grievous were they." Persons may talk as much as they choose about Chinese rebels in general, of whom they know nothing, and Taipings in particular, of whom they know very little, and against whom it is now the fashion to be very much prejudiced; but in my experience I have not found that, after the war has begun in any section of the country, they do a whit more harm than the Imperialists; and the consequence is, that, wherever the Imperialist troops are in the field against the insurgents, the people are worse off than when left to protect themselves, being plundered by both parties: hence the combinations for mutual protection referred to.

In the narrative of our progress I have mentioned both the frequency of redoubts and walled enclosures, and the numerous "outlooks" along the river; and I might have mentioned that the picket at "Gingall Point" was not the only armed force which we saw; for at the towns, some of which had their gates closed in anticipation of attack, there were numbers of soldiers, and at different places along the river we found small out-stations, at one or two of which we were questioned; and the authorities seemed rather suspicious of us. Such places were always marked by a number of spears stuck in the ground, having three-cornered flags with scolloped or jagged edges flying from them, and occasionally a gingall or two; but these camp colours usually far exceeded