1842
Topography of Shantung.
XII. Lintsing chau; or the
臨淸州
انات
Department of Lintsing, contains also three districts.
Its chief town is situated in lat. 36° 55′ N., and about 45′ East of
1 夏津 Hiátsin, 2武城 Wúching,
Peking.
3邱縣 Kiú hien.
Shantung is well watered, nearly its whole surface being intersect- ed by rivers not far distant from each other. Some of these, as the Tútsing hố, which is the largest in the province, and the Yú hó, a branch of the Pei ho, rising in the southwestern part, run quite across it, emptying into the gulf of Chilí, and intersecting the Canal in their courses. Most of the rivers, however, are short, having their sources on those ridges which extend nearly through the whole length of the province, from east to west. The Grand Canal commences at Lintsing chau; from this point north to Tientsin, the communica- tion is along the channel of a branch of the Pei ho. From this town its course is southeasterly to the province of Kiángsú, inter- secting two or three lakes or marshes. According to native maps, the bays and harbors are numerous along the whole coast, which, except at one or two points, is almost entirely unknown to foreigners. The northern and western parts of Shantung, bordering on Chilí and Hónán, and also the southern frontiers, bordering on Kiangsú, are low grounds, with only here and there a few hills and knolls. The chain of ridges, sometimes rising into high mountains, having their highest summits about midway between the northern and southern borders of the province, give a pleasing diversity to its surface and climate. From the main chain many small ridges and spurs branch off, some northward, others southward, towards the sea.
Speaking of the appearance of the country when passing from Chilí into Shantung, Davis says, "The low flat country through which we had hitherto journeyed all the way from Peking, at this autumnal season, had proved very unhealthy to many of our number, and I myself was at last laid up in all the luxury of a severe tertian. The country still continued its uniformly flat appearance, but we were soon to perceive an alteration at the point where the Cháh-hó, 'the river of flood-gates,'-that is, the Canal, commences its course through a region where the inequalities of surface render those artifi- cial aids necessary. He also observes, "Everything appeared to wear a more prosperous and wealthy aspect as we advanced into the
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