V.—CLIMBING THE RIVER

Otago Witness, Issue 2522, 16 July 1902, Page 79

V.— CLIMBING THE RIVER

May 31. — We have sought by means of photography and sketching to give something like an idea of the sceneries in these gorges, but their magnificence and beauty are not to be transmitted by pen, pencil, or camera. With the camera one seems to be far away, and thus the scene is diminished, as the grandeur is most in evidence on getting pretty near and looking up to see the walls rising up beside .you two or three thousand feet: at times it appears on glancing ahead as if you were about to entei some caves. It is dark in here, and lonely, to be on board a little craft folded in the arm of Nature. The east wind, which is the most prevailing wind in these gorges, has not come yet, though, to be sure, the men have whistled enough for it. Ste_amboats will, I dare say, run here some day, but I am glad to have had the opportunity of travelling up through the gorges slowly, when one has Lad time to look carefully upon every object till the scene, lias taken such a hold of one as to be indelibly printed on the mind. Though so wonderful to behold, these, scenes are but a part of the great Creator's handiwork. It is 11 weeks since I took my departure from Wellington, and during aU this time I have tried td travel as fast as I could, yet am only 1300 mileß from Shanghai. 9.30. — While the men had their breakfast I tried to climb up a little bit on the rock. (Prom there I could see, half-way up the perpendicular mountain on the other side, a cave, and near it -what with glasses I found to be a coffin. On inquhy the men told me it contained the remains of a verr ancient sage. The coffin is made of iron, and placed on a very narrow ledge, about 1500 ft from the present water level, and perhaps 500 ft from the top. People who come to worship at this grave are let down by a rope, and from this act acquire great merit. Great caves abound everywhere in places to which the only access is by rope?. From where we are lying I can see a stout bamboo rope hanging down to one very large cave. These caves have from time immemorial bsen the abode of rebels and pirates, and public opinion at the present time is very ripe for a rebellion which the Chinese think will shake the whole Empire. It is to begin, they say, during the eighth moon feast — i.e., in September, and the opinion among foreigners is that if it does break out it will mean foreign intervention, and as a consequence the breaking up of the Empire. If these caves were manned, all traffic would be stopped on the river during times of rebellion. June 1. — For the most part of the 30th we had to lie still, but only after a very determined effort to get up a series of smaller rapids stretching about a mile, just above the border of Hupeh and Si Chuon provinces ; but ~wheu within 50 yards of still water, after many hours of what to u.s appeared inhuman work, the bamboo ropes snapped, and down we went, losing all that we had gained. After this we moored, waiting for a strong east wind. Yesterday being the Chinese fifth moon feast, the men were glad that no wind sprang up, for that meant a day of rest, which most of them spent very innocently — viz. . in sleeping. My friend the professor, whose heart is set upon the vegetation of very high altitudes, climbed a lofty mountain, where lie collected grains from some of those farms which on dull days seem to be resting on the clouds. Having been for three years professor of Uchang Agricultural College, and thus through extensive collections well acquainted with Chinese vegetation. he is now, on behalf of Ins Government, making a tour to collect such seeds as maygrow to better advantage. His climb down a grade of 60deg had nearly ended all his expeditions. I myself had a touch of influenza, and had to stay in. This morning we started early, under <a fair wind, but had to lay up again about 12, after doing only four miles. Our days on board are ~by no means dull and weary, as l>oth of us arc pretty well occupied all the day long, although we miss our walks on shore, which, of course, interferes -with our appetite. My friend is busy writing for the greater part of his time, or dissecting plants, and when I pause in my work he gives me lectures on plants, which I very much enjoy. We rise early enough, usually at daybreak, and after our hour of devotions settle down, my work consisting (besides Bible study) of Greek and Chinese, the latter pretty constantly, for on my arrival in Tibet I shall have *■© give up all 9Nt £urn te jjh 3 ti "fine. l°iHfl r"r "° < Lfi flwc W av \

is interspersed with sight-seeing and photography, and in the evenings I am being forced to see sick people, who even come from companion boats. The captain of one of the lifeboats took very ill. suffering acute pains all over. For three days he was lying in his .boat helpless, and then they came to me. A very simple medicine, and with his implicit faith in its efficacy he is all right again, and very grateful indeed. A captain from one of the junks, after eight days' illness, sent for me, and seeing him with a temperature of 104deg, I could not but try to do what I could. So it is with several, and I am glad to know that in all the cases the medicines given (which consist of B. and W. and O. tabloids) have proved successful.

Saw a dead body a little down the river, close to the road. Judging from the appearance, it had been lying there for some weeks, but among all the people passing, with a village not two miles away, no one ever thought of having it removed. Another body floated past us this afternoon.

It is very hard to get any good vegetables among these mountains. Three times a day I have rice, beans, salted turnip, and now and then pork ; but. with good digestive organs, the food has in it all the nourishment you need. Since leaving T-Chang I have given up milk and

sugar with my tea. foi the simple icison that condensed niiik I found did nut miprove it, and sugar spoiled it.

June 4. — After nearly five days in the Wu-Shan Gorge (30 miles) we came out safely early this morning, and passed the city of that name just at the head of the gorge ; it is situated at the mouth, of a small river, which here causes a very bad whulpool and water race. We moored above the town for breakfast, and while there saw a junk with its hull under water, but still flouting, come down the rapid at the rate of five miles an hour Two of the liftboats were trying to get the wreck to the beach. This boat, it appears, has my captain's oil on board— that is, the case 1 * which he found it better to unload at I -Chang. He has now gone down the liver to see about his oil, which will mean an extra delay. We have just ascended the treacherous Siao-Miao-rih (Small Kitten) rapid, but we can hear the roaring of Hsia-ma (Get-down-from-the-horse) rapid above us. The weather is very hot.

Evening. — The very tiling I expected happened. The captain went back to see about his oil, and had also the face to send up for my card to enable him to get it off the hands of the salvage people by making out that the oil belonged to me. I refused, of course. Knowing, however, that the haggling about money would mean a long delay lor us, I had to go down and see about it, which meant a walk in the broiling midday sun of 16 miles there and back. After some tea-drinking with, all the parties, and kiang-li (preaching reason), I gained my point, which was a righteous one, and five of the men came back with me, leaving llie captain and one man to come on later. Half-way back all my corajlVlion£ stopped. j& a littis ism Uk £VK>ke

opium, and there we wasted an hour. I had a rest during that time drinking tea — how many cups I don't know. On reaching the boat we started off. and made a few miles before night.

June 5. — Since leaving Wu-Shan Gorge we have had open country, with very fine farms and fruit orchards on the gentle slopes of the mountains. The river is very wide here, but in front of ns we have a lovely sight, the . river again narrowing in, with steep cliffs on both sides, forming the opening into the Feng-Siang (Wind Box) Gorge. Two thousand feet up the south head is a temple, just on a narrow ledge overhanging the river. June 7. — We had it very calm through the Wind Box Gorge, and progress was consequently very slow, crossing and recrossing the river to get the benefit of the contrary eddies or here and there to let the trackers in shore pull whenever possible. In many places the work was not fit for men. My friend has often said since coming upon this journey how glad he is not to have been born a Chinaman ; never before did he realise it so much. About 12 noon yesterday we got to the end of the gorge, which for about half a mile narrows down to 200 yds, with perpendicular rocks on both sides, some rising, according to Government travellers, to 2000 ft.

We stu-k to the side a« (Jose u<~ j/o^jible. in t lifer back eddy, and the men, Mitii Looks on long bamboos, are pulling up the boat. When near the outlet we are told to look out for the "Heavenly Ladder,"" and sure enough it vas there: a zig-zag pattern of square holes 4in x 4in cut deep into the perpendicular rock on the south. Tlieic aie '•onie bundled* of them, the cliff being 700 ft or 800 ft high. This "laddei"' is the standing evidence of the marvellous feat of the General Meng Leang, who, during the Three Kingdoms-, invaded the Western Kingdom (about 250 a.i> ). Coming up with his. fleet he met with no resistance till he reached the outlet of this goige. There the opposing army simply locked him out by heavy chains stretched across the nver — a device easily carried out, as in the middle of the river is a rock about 50ft square, projecting just now as many feet above the water, with only about 100 yards to each Dank of the river. Finding his progress thus suddenly stopped, he calmly withdrew into the gorge, and, being determined not to give in to the fiist obstruction, when he saw no other way of conquering the enemy but to scale the walls, he soon put his men to work to cut these holes. Beams were inserted, and after months of hard work he saw his ladder completed. His soldiers scaled the cliff, and surprised the enemy unprepared, the result being a complete victory. Such is the written story of this conquest, and the ladder is there, on undoubted witness as to its truth. Large tablets abound there which also tell of this feat.

We arrived at Kuei Chow Fu about 2.30. On both sides of the river between the gorge and the city are several villages entirely engaged in salt manufacture from salt made which is etroajdx charged mLh.

it from salt-springs. The mud is washed and boiled, etc., with plenty of fresh water ; this is then caused to evaporate by the sun's rays and artificial heat, the salt lemaining. At Kuei Chow I saw for the first time Chinese singing-girls. This is quite native. During the whole evening several boats with these girls moved about, they singing the while to the accompaniment of a one-stringed violin. Several of the large junks engaged them to sing, and the price was 100 cash for fhree songs (2id). I cannot say much in praise of their singing, but the Chinese seemed to enjoy it very much. The night was very hot and oppressive. After early breakfast I left the boat and went up to town, where I preached twice to very attentive congregations. This before 8 o'clock. I walked on, and caught the boat a few miles up the river. My birthday to-day.

June 8 — We went up with a very strong wind yesterday. We had two severe rapids, the Lan Tan (Difficult Rapid) and the Miao Ch'i (Angry Rapid), which we passed through safely. At 1 p.m. to-day we arrived at Sin Lung Tan (New Dragon Rapid). We have just got through now (5.50).- This is the worst rapid on the i iver. It wa« -only formed &»«r years a«o, through an earth-slip on the north side, when quite a hill slid into the river, narrowing it down to 50ft, through which the whole Yang Tsi had to pass. This stoppage meant also a flood above the rapid, and cut short all traffic, goods having to be carried from the boats below to the boats above. Several boats tried to get up. but the^e attempts the first year cost 70 lives, wherenpon a stop was put to it, and arrangements made to clear the channel. The work was first done by the Chinese authorities, but with their usual slowness, and in a very slipshod way. They were also afraid of the dragon who is siippost;d to have charge of this rocky deep, and no one would ever dare to use dynamite on him. The official in charge of the work is said to have inquired of the dragon as to me reason why the rapid was made, but he was snubbed, the dragon telling him. 'You mind your business and T will .mind mine." After this the work was almost relinquished, till foreigners petitioned the Government, and, not being afraid of the dragon, blew him up (if he was there), thus making the rapid navigable, though by no means clearing it. The local people say that since, it has been re-opened for traffic (i.e.. during the last two year*), between 800 and 1000 lives have been lost here. A short time ago one down steamer went down with 100 men on board, boat and all. Looking down on tho whirlpools from the road on the hill, it is easy to imagine how a boat can be swallowed up. In the face of this one is thankful to God for bein£ safe above. Many merchants go to the expense of having their goods carried up over the rapid.

The trackers here consist of men, women, and children. It was vexy hard to witness the many women with "their small feet catching their line on to the towing rope, and then pulling with all their might : children too as young as three years earning their living by this work. While these hundreds are piilling several men with heavy bamboo sfcicks are driving them on, giving very nasty cuts, which one is surprised to see them take without a murmur.

June 13. — We had a very slow bit of travelling ere we got into Wan Hsien city. Veiy strong head wiud and several small rapids hindered our progress. Early on Monday morning we could see the city p.igoda, a tower with 15 storeys, erected on a very favourable place. Mr B. and I walked up through the town, a typical Si Chnan town, with good streets laid w itli heavy granite blocks. All of the business is done in the suburbs. Inside the wall you find very few houses. A small river luns between the town and the suburbs, but it is well bridged. The view from the lower bridge is a very fine one, consisting of a fine waterfall, which in the summer rains must be a magnificent sight. Above it is a circular bridge, very high, the radius. I should say. 40ft. This bridge is covered. Above that again is a natural bridge, and in the background rises a perpendicular rock about 1500 ft high, on fhe top of w Inch is> a very old fort. These fort* a iv — or. rather, were — places of refuge during the rebellions, and coming up the last few days we saw plenty of them on the top of tlie mountains, all. of couTse. in lbiiio. We found our iva\ to the C.I M. bouse, and .spent a bappy afternoon and evening with Mr and Mrs D. and children, which we enjoyed very much. On further consideration my friend has made up his mind io go on with me as far as Chung King by boat, and there is now a likelihood of my 'laving his company right j^n to the end of the journey.

The weather is very hot, and mosquitoes have m-ide their appearance even on board the bo.tt, and tiy their bost to interfere with our peace. I tried my best, in all the arguments I knew, to persuade the captain to leave yesterday, but although he proini.«ed to do so. we found ourselves >.»Jely moored in the evening between big boats <md below high locks, which all meant for u«- a very hot aDd uncomfortable night The excuse was that they could not find the men. We left, however, this morning about 5. and have made a good half-day's work, but aie now lying below a rapid awaiting our turn to g< tup AVnh big junks on -both sides, we gel at times some terrible shocks, caused by whirlpoolsand their Ruction The boats are brought together with a tremendous ciasli; bnt Chinese junks are very elastic, and give everywhere, accommodating themselves to the varied circumstances and conditions under which they move.

June 15. — As we lay £.t the rapid it really seemed as if we were to be broken up before leaving. The boat above us came down upon us repeatedly, not without damage. 1 could not help associating it all with the "ram," the ancient .war-machine. We in our turn came down upon the one below, and so on. The boat before us started off about 5 p.m., and had just entered the rapid, when with a jerk her three heavy bamboo ropes snapped one after another,

and down she went several miles amid stream ere they got control of her and brought lier round. The river l«iow r though narrow and swift, was clear of rocks, hence there Mas not muo!» danger. "We managed to get- up safely over the worst part. bui Jin the second one of our ropes snapped, and .it- wouM have gone ill with us had it noi been for the swiftness of our water boy, who jumped into the raging water with a new line. This he inon had round a rock, and we were safe, thank God. While lying there I took a photo of a big junk 20 yards away, smashed almost to firewood. Everything on board had been taken ashore^ and there the men camped in a tent made out of their sails and mats.

Yesterday afternoon we met two large down-streamers which appeared to be rather uncomfortably near each other. In view of the rapid ahead of them, towards which they were going at a speed of at least six miles, there could be but one result — viz., what in Chinese is Ta-lua, a fight. As we watched the tw > craft with over 200 men on board both reeling over, it was a relief to find them extricating themselves at the bottom of the rapid. However, the one which we could best follow with our glasses was sinking fast ; they managed to get her into the back eddy, and we soon saw the men safe on the bank. The goods and boat were, I fear, severely damaged. We lost Sight- of the other bortt as it lounded tho reek, where it -too- -would probably catch the eddy. This a down-river boat always finds it easier to do than an up-river boat, as the latter requires to get her head turned.

We anchored last night at a very lonely place under a hill, calm and hot. with plenty of mosquitoes. I sat up on the roof of the boat till past 10 talking to several of the men, and watching the rest on the forepart of the boi't. Four or five were smoking opium, others eating, some vigorously fanning themselves, trying to go to sleep. Surely these men are to be pitied in their work, when in days like these from 4 a.m. to 7 and 8 p.m. they are at it, working hard under a broiling sun. Viewing all this day after day I have learnt to look upon steam on this river as a God-sent blessing, comparing favourably with the great work of extinguishing slavery. Mr Little, whom we expect to see any day coining up this rivsx- with the first cargo and passenger steamer, is engaged in a purely mercantile venture, but for all that he is doing the work of a true philanthro* pist.

(To bo continued.)