Three Years in Western China
By Alexander Hosie and Murat Ukray
()
About this ebook
The most interesting part of China, from a geographical and ethnological point of view, is the West—geographically, because its recesses have not yet been thoroughly explored, and ethnologically, because a great part of it is peopled by races which are non-Chinese, and one at least of which, though nominally owing allegiance to the Great Khan, is in reality independent. It was my fortune to be stationed in Western China from 1882 to 1884, and, during these three years, I was enabled, in the performance of my duties, to collect information regarding the country and its people; and it is in the hope that this information may not be unacceptable that I venture to lay the following pages before the public.
Reports of the journeys which I made in Western China during the above years have already appeared in the shape of Parliamentary Papers; but, written as they were without any idea of publication and intended as mere trade notes, strung together from day to day on the march, they are not sufficiently connected to present a fair picture of this remote region.
That part of Western China, with which I am personally acquainted and with which I propose to deal, lies to the south, and embraces the provinces of Ssu-ch’uan, Kuei-chow and Yun-nan, which, interesting in themselves, have become of considerable importance since the extension of the Indian Empire to the frontier of China and the absorption of Tonquin by the French.
THE WAY THITHER.
The great highway to the West is the River Yang-tsze. By the Agreement of Chefoo of September, 1876, the port of Ichang, situated on the north bank of the Yang-tsze about a thousand miles from the sea, was opened to foreign trade and foreign steam navigation; and, by the same Agreement, the residence of a Consular Officer at the city of Ch’ung-k’ing, in Ssu-ch’uan, to watch the conditions of British trade, was provided for. It was to take up this post that I left Wuhu towards the end of October, 1881.
On arrival at Hankow, I discovered that the steamer, which had for some years been employed to run to Ichang, was undergoing extensive repairs at Shanghai, to better fit her for the navigation of the Upper Yang-tsze, and that another and larger steamer belonging to the same Company had just returned from Ichang with little hope, owing to the sudden fall of the river, of being then able to make another trip. A large quantity of cargo, however, which had accumulated at Hankow, induced the Company, much against the captain’s will, to send the steamer forward again; but, drawing only nine feet, she was unable, after a day’s journey, to push her way through six feet of sand and water, and had to return. After about a month’s delay, the smaller steamer arrived at Hankow, and, laden to six feet, reached Ichang with considerable difficulty on the 17th of December, the trip having occupied eight days.
On this section of the river, navigation commences at daybreak, and, unless there is good moonlight, ceases at dark. Owing to the shifting sands, which constitute the bed of the river, the channel is constantly changing, and it is not uncommon to find the passage, which the steamer took on the up passage, completely barred on the down trip. The consequence is that soundings have constantly to be taken, and delay is the result. This refers to the winter months only, when the river is low, as, during high water, little difficulty exists, and the distance has been covered in fifty hours.
The selection of Ichang as an open port has frequently been called in question, and it has been pointed out that Sha-shih, a town farther down the river and one of the six calling stations for steamers, would have been a
Related to Three Years in Western China
Related ebooks
Across Asia on a Bicycle: The Journey of Two American Students from Constantinople to Peking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThree Days on the Ohio River Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLondon Days: A Book of Reminiscences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom the Cape to Cairo: The First Traverse of Africa from South to North Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWith A Field Ambulance At Ypres, Being Letters Written March 7-August 15, 1915 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNotes of a Journey on the Upper Mekong, Siam Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Canal Pioneers: Canal Construction from 2,500 BC to the Early 20th Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Winter on the Nile Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Australian in China Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAcross Asia on a Bicycle Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Australian in China: Being the Narrative of a Quiet Journey Across China to Burma Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Treasures Ships. Ming China on the seas: history of the Fleet that could conquer the world and vanished into thin air Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFour Months Afoot in Spain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Red and Gold Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeven Legs Across the Seas: A Printer's Impressions of Many Lands Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNotes on a Tour Through the Western part of The State of New York Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFour Young Explorers or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChinese Junks and Other Native Craft Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuvla Bay And After [Illustrated Edition] Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ohio River Trade, 1788-1830 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Merchantman and the Pirate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThrough Siberia and Manchuria By Rail Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Epoch in History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe New York and Albany Post Road Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Paris to New York by Land Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRiver Road to China: The Search for the Source of the Mekong, 1866–73 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory of a Six Weeks' Tour: Through France,rs of Chamouni Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Woman's Journey Round the World: From Vienna to Brazil, Chili, Tahiti, China, Hindostan, Persia and Asia Minor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Asia Travel For You
The Last Yakuza: life and death in the Japanese underworld Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dishoom: The first ever cookbook from the much-loved Indian restaurant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tagalog for Beginners: An Introduction to Filipino, the National Language of the Philippines (Online Audio included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIndia - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lonely Planet Japan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kerala Kitchen, Expanded Edition: Recipes and Recollections from the Syrian Christians of South India Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Easy Thai: Learn to Speak Thai Quickly (Includes Downloadable Audio) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Vietnamese: Start Speaking Today. Absolute Beginner to Conversational Speaker Made Simple and Easy! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Really Happened In Wuhan: A Virus Like No Other, Countless Infections, Millions of Deaths Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Trip of One's Own: Hope, Heartbreak, and Why Traveling Solo Could Change Your Life Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Bushido Code - The Way Of The Warrior In Modern Times Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Japan - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBasic Tagalog: (Audio Recordings Included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Thailand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Holiday in North Korea: The Funniest/Worst Place on Earth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51000 Japanese Flash Cards: For Smart Phones and E-Readers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Korean for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Korean (Includes Free Online Audio) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basic Korean: Learn to Speak Korean in 19 Easy Lessons (Companion Online Audio and Dictionary) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/514 Days in Japan: A First-Timer’s Ultimate Japan Travel Guide Including Tours, Food, Japanese Culture and History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJapanese for Fun: A Practical Approach to Learning Japanese Quickly (Downloadable Audio Included) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History of Japan: Revised Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mandarin Chinese for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Chinese (Fully Romanized and Free Online Audio) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Three Years in Western China
0 ratings0 reviews