passed up, banks which were then twenty feet out of water were now only from four to six; sand-flats, and the low shelving points, were covered; and the whole of this level district was but a few feet raised above the river. The current, however, was not strong. The temperature of the water was taken nearly every day, and showed a steady heat of 74°.

The reader will, I feel sure, be glad if I skip the diary of the next few days on this uninteresting portion of the river; suffice it to say, that, owing to foul winds and unfavourable weather, we did not reach the junction of the outlet of the Tung-ting Lake till the 25th. Our occupation in coming down was confined to correcting or confirming the survey made in the upward voyage, sounding for shoals, in which the important "Boulder Shoal" was not forgotten, and noting the rise of the water and the extent of country inundated, as already mentioned.* But it astonished us to find the dyke country so much below the height of the river, when the only protection in many places were very poor patched-up embankments. In fact, no embankment can exist for many years in this part of the river, unless in the first instance it is built a long way back from the bank, because year by year the current eats away the alluvial soil on one side, while low mud and sand flats silt up on the other, causing considerable alteration in the river's course in a few years. The common crop in June on the dyke-land was rice, while there were large beds of reeds at some places outside the embankment. Much of the land which was growing young wheat in March was under water; but the wheat had been gathered before the summer floods. The rise of the water at the "Tung-ting outlet" was twenty feet at least over its March level; and the water from the lake

See Chap. VI.

itself was whitish when compared with the muddy current of the "Kin-ho." The temperature of the water of the river a couple of miles above the junction was 7710, while that of the outlet was 80°. A strong current set down the outlet, and we were informed that the Tung-ting Lake was unusually high this year; which it is to be hoped was the fact, for there was very little dry land to be found anywhere on the west side of the outlet; however, these annual floods must have a very fertilizing effect on the land.

On the afternoon of the 25th of June we got into a snug little harbour at the "Red Cliffs," on the eastern or left bank of the "Tung-ting Outlet," and opposite the Kin-ho-kow, or mouth of the "Gold River," which the Upper Yang-tsze is called. The presence of gulls and terns indicated our proximity to the largest sheet of fresh water in China, and we were just seven hundred and eleven geographical miles from Shanghai, or, in round numbers, over eight hundred statute miles from the mouth of the Yang-tsze Kiang. Here our voyage of exploration ended. After a sojourn of one hundred and eleven days on a river hitherto practically unknown to Europeans, we had returned to the point which had been reached by Admiral Hope. During our absence an United States naval expedition had also ascended thus far, but, instead of continuing up the Yang-tsze, it had followed on the Admiral's track to Yo-chow,* where, by way of being able to say that the Stars and Stripes had gone the farthest, one vessel was sent about fifteen miles into the Tung-ting Lake. Another party which I ought to mention had also been here; it was the expedition composed of Mr. Robert Thorburn, Dr. Dickson, and the Rev. Messrs. Bonney and Beach, who left Canton in April, and, crossing over the "Meling Pass," came down the Heng Kiang into

* See Chap. V.

this lake, and thence descended the Yang-tsze to Hankow ;a narrative of which interesting journey appeared in the columns of the North China Herald.' I have thought proper to mention these several expeditions, because this point was never before 1861 reached by any Europeans, excepting always the Jesuit missionaries, who have been, I suppose, all over the empire; while our party ascended the Yang-tsze more than nine hundred and sixty statute miles above, and were the first undisguised Europeans in the western province of Sz'chuan. But our labours were now finished; and we had only to retrace our steps down the known waters of the lower river to reach the limits of European civilization.

Large camps of troops were observed on the hills to the east of Yo-chow, and we were informed that a body of Taiping rebels was not more than 180 li distant in the province of Hoo-nan, where they were then fighting; and that the camps which we saw were those of a large Imperialist army which was collected at Yo-chow. The evening before we had heard a good deal of firing, and this was accounted for by the arrival of a general who had come to take the command. If Yo-chow should fall into the hands of the rebels, it would interfere very much with trade, because all the teas collected from around the Tung-ting Lake have to pass that place, and the Sz'chuan junks on their upward voyage also go by that route. The night of the 25th turning out clear, I was enabled to determine the latitude at the "Red Cliffs," from which the "Lui-ku" temple bore by compass 76°, Yo-chow sevenstoried pagoda 203°, and the "Camel's Hump" 305°; which, with the longitude from the Admiralty charts, gives a good position of departure for the survey of the upper river.

We got under way and left the mouth of the " Upper Yang-tsze" at half-past four on the morning of the 26th. The

breeze was right ahead all day, but, the junk being in light trim, we made pretty good way in tacking. The long straight reach carried us through the pass between the cliffs abreast of Ling-hiang (hien), and at half-past twelve we were off Sing-ti, where, hoisting our colours on a tall bamboo which had been fastened at the head of our junk's mast, we were allowed to pass the Custom-house without interference. A little before five we passed the village of Lo-gi-kow, and at 7.45 P.M. anchored about ten miles below, making fifty miles during the day. The appearance of the river was entirely different from what it was when we passed up in March. None of the low lands were now to be seen; and the only remaining signs of them were, portions of the embankment, half-submerged houses, and groups of trees dotted about like islands in one great sea. On the right bank, however, the Kiun mountains, and others which stretch farther down the river, formed a background to the waste of waters; but on the left bank a clear horizon was in some parts visible.

The river was, as in March, crowded with craft of many sizes and descriptions; and, as it was a fair wind for those going the contrary way to ourselves, we met very great numbers. In going up they keep in close to the banks out of the strength of the current, and in some places make cuts across country where it is sufficiently overflowed. There were also always a great number in sight beating down like ourselves; and it was very interesting to observe the different descriptions of craft, and their relative sailing qualities. There were the heavy, square-bowed Sz'chuan junks, now sailing under two masts, which they never do on the upper river; the clipper-like boats from the Tung-ting Lake; and the large trading junks from Hoo-nan. Beside these were a few rough-looking vessels, with matting sails in place of cotton these last were coal-junks from Pao-king, which are only put together sufficiently strong to last one voyage, being