recent journey, by way of the West River, from
from Canton to Wu-chow-fu and back.
I have the honour to be,
Your Most Obedient. Humble Servant,
Within Rebingey
YOUR EXCELLENCY.
C.0.
Conclosure 4538
RECP
(REGP 2 MAT 17
I have to report that on Wednesday, the 23rd instant, with Your Excellency's permission, I left this Colony in company with Mr. WHITEHEAD at 8 a.m. in the SS. Honam to proceed to Wu-Chau-fu on the West River by way of Canton. We arrived at Canton at 3 p.m. and found Mr. BREDON, Commissioner in His Imperial Chinese Majesty's Customs, awaiting us. The original intention had been to start immediately on our arrival, but unfortunately Mr. BEAUCLERK, late Secretary of Legation at Peking, who was to make the fourth in the party, had missed the steamer at Hongkong, which meant a delay of 15 hours till the next steamer arrived. This delay was to be regretted as the time at our disposal was short enough as it was, and we could ill spare 15 hours of it.
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There are several creeks, intersecting the delta, connecting the Canton branch of the river with the main stream of the West River. Of these the three most navigable are (1) the Hamilton Creek, (distance 186 miles to Wu Chau-fu); (2) the Fatshan Creek, (distance 216 miles); and (3) the Saiwan Creek, (distance 165 miles). The water in the Saiwan Creek is very shallow at this time of the year, and only sampaus and boats of a similar draught can venture to go by it. The Fathshan Creek has plenty of water and is navigable, I believe, for river steamers at any time of the year; so is the Hamilton Creek, and this being the shorter route of the two, we elected to go by it. As the first part of our route was, there- fore, down the Canton River to enable us to get into this creek, we decided not to wait till Mr. BEAUCLERK arrived, but to drop down the river and take him off the steamer as she passed us.
We
We accordingly made a start at 10.30 pan, our mode of conveyance being two house-boats towed by the Customs steam-launch Fu Mun-tsai. slept in the house-boats and had our meals on the steam-launch. a bitterly cold night when we started, thermometer 37°.
It was We anchored
at the entrance of Hamilton Creek shortly after midnight, there to wait the arrival of Mr. BEAUCLERK's steamer. She arrived at 5.10 a.m., when we took him off, weighed anchor immediately, and proceeded on our journey. The next day, Thursday, the 24th, was a brilliantly fine day with a crisp north wind We found our- blowing-indeed, typical X'mas weather without the snow. selves still steaming through the Hamiltou Creek, or rather a continuation of it called the "Brick-kiln Creek." The width of the creek varied, in some parts narrowing down to as little as 50-60 feet, and then again in others widening out to as much as 4-500 feet. The surrounding country, which was not remark. able for its beauty, but flat, with a few hills of moderate size rising up bere and there, seemed well populated, and we passed many villages lining the river banks. A general air of prosperity pervaded everything, and as we passed junk after junk laden with all kinds of merchandise, one could not help being struck The passenger traffic with the amount of river traffic that seemed to be going on. seemed very large; huge junks, more like floating caravansaries, passing us time after time laden with Chinese passengers. The mode of propulsion of these junks is by a stern wheel worked on the principle of the treadmill by about ten to twelve coolies. The pace is not very great. The passenger traffic ought to be a source of great profit to the river steamers when the West River is opened up. The fare charged though will, at first, have to be very moderate in order to ent out the junks. What their exact tariff is, I regret to say I could not find out, but I was told, and I can rely on my information, that it was something ridiculously small, The last creek before arriving at the West River is called the Kum Chuck Creek