1850.
Topography of Sz'chuen.
395
the most fertile parts of the province. The chief town lies at the junction of the R. Min with the Yángtsz', and consequently all the trade of the capital and other large cities passes through it. The variety of its fruits and productions is great, and the commerce cen- tred in its towns renders this department among the most important in the province. The surface of the country is hilly, and even moun- tainous in some parts, but the genial climate enables the inhabitants to avail of all its natural capabilities.
VI. The department of Chungking is the next to Chingtí in importance, and exceeds it in commercial activity. Its western bor- ders adjoin the preceding, and reach to Kweichau on the south, while on the north it is conterminous with Shunking fú, thus comprising an area of nearly 20,000 square miles of the best lands, through which the Yangtsz' rolls on its way to the ocean. A visitor in 1798 thus describes the chief town: Chungking is the best fortified by nature and art of all the cities in this region. Built on a hill, it is defended on one side by steep rocks, and lies at the junction of a large river (the Kiáling) which here joins the Yángtsz' from the north; these two streams bathing its walls, form its strongest defenses, especially on the northern side. The walls are solidly built, and fully able to resist the cannon of the country; one of the heavy guns on them appears to be of European manufacture. The authorities have placed a great store of pots full of lime near the gates, to be thrown down on an enemy to blind the attacking party. This city is regarded with reason as one of the safest in this region, and in times of trouble it is the refuge of the people from the surrounding country." Another visitor estimates its population at a million of souls. The fruit called lichi, and the mowtan flower (Paonia mowlan) from this region, are famous for their excellence, but the vegetable, animal and mineral productions are generally abundant and of good quality. Trunks and baskets of bamboo are made here, which are much prized.
Mines of coal occur in this department, the mode of working which is thus noticed by a traveler.:-
“The passage by which the mines are entered is frequently over a league in length, usually very narrow, and almoet horizontal. I have seen many of these pits of which the cpening was not over eighteen inches or two feet square, a complete fox-hole, into which you would never think a man would venture to introduce himself. The miners penetrate into these gloomy caverns, crawling and groping their way like beasts of burden; they get 80 or 100 pounds of coal each time, with whichithey fill a long kind of box guard- ed with iron. It is often difficult to drag this box on wheels from the in- equality of the ground, and then they haul it along by main strength, for the Chinese are very ignorant of mechanics. To avoid hurting themselves in