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BRIEF GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION
OF THE
PROVINCES AND DEPENDENCIES
OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE.
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CHIALI 直隸
Province of Chihlí
ur as it is alyo called Peh Chibli
has had its ́northern boundaries grently extended; the name Chikli de- notes that it is the superintending province. This region was aus ciently called Yin and Yen, and is now the capital province of the empire. The seacoast forms the boundary from Shántung province to the Great Wall, which for a short distance divides Chihlí. Thence ‘a palisade is the separating line to the river Hwang hot. This river marks the northern boundary of the province from the palisade to its source among the peaks of the Inner Hing-agóu Then the boundary runs nearly due east and west in lat. 42° 30′ N. The western boundary running nearly north and south extends over more than seven and a half degrees of latitude, and divides Chihlí from Shansi and Houin. The western parts of the province are flat and slope towards the sea, but the country towards Shánsí rises and 'is hilly
There are two lakes in the east and south divisions of the province. The Grand Canal passes through the east part, and falls into the Pei ho in lat. 39° 11′ N. and long, Ø° 48′ E of Peking. The Pei ho takes its rise a little beyond the Great Wall, and disembogues into the gulf of Pehchihli. It has no tides but flows very rapidly. The entrance to the Pei ho is rather shallow, in consequence of a bar which stretches for a considerable distance into thẹ sea,
The provinces in China are divided into districts and departments called fú, ting, chau and kien. A fú is a large portion or depart- ment of a province under the general control of one civil officer immediately subordinate to the figurų, or lieutenant-governor. A ting is a division of a province smaller than af, and either like it governed by an officer immediately subject to the heads of the
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