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boulders, impassable: but, as we neared, it was apparent that there was a narrow winding channel through the limestone ridges which jutted across the river from either bank. The Fu-po-t'an or Ta-t'an is a succession of three bad rapids separated by lesser rapids, with a total length of about 3 miles. This rapid forms the greatest danger to navigation on the West River for steamers or junks during the low-water season. In the lowest rapid, called The Ploughshare' from its shape, the peril is the rock known as Kua Tai, so called presumably because the rudder hangs round the bank. The channel is 24 feet wide. In the middle rapid the Ch'a Lu rock is the danger, and our boat actually struck this a slanting blow which stove in a plank. In the upper rapid there are two channels, the right hand being the easier. Steaming our best--9 knots--and with six of the crew poling their hardest with long bamboo shoulder poles we just, but only just, ascended it.
At the top of the Fu po t'an stands the Drum Rock in the stream. Just above on the left bank is the fine temple, Fu po miao. We saluted the temple with three blasts, ond received a salvo of five crackers in return, while the bouze bowed politely in certain anticipation of favours to come, It is curious to relate that descending in December 1909 by native boat, the strong wind drove us against the Ch'a Lu rock. The stern grounded with our bows still in the channel of the furious current. The skill of the pilot and the coolness of the crew extricated the boat from a seemingly hopeless position. Two special pilots, at 4d. each, had been taken for the run through the rapid. It has been proposed to improve the Pan t'an and the Ta'tan.
Mr. Eldridge, of Imperial Maritime Customs, was sent up to survey and report, I understand that he believes the Pan fan could be made safe by the expenditure of 100,000 taels. He appears to be doubtful about interfering with the Ta t'an, unless the Provincial are prepared to spend a large sum of money. Bearing in mind the fact that it is hazardous to interfere with "living water." I believe that the upper parts of the Ta t'an could be improved by some blasting. The lower and most dangerous bit-- The Ploughshare"-would undoubtedly cost a very large sum of money, as it requires blasting over a wide area, and embankments would be needed in order to train the channel, which might otherwise silt up.
Twenty-seven miles above Nanning is the Kam ling rapid, which is difficult From Nanning on account of the tortuous channel among partially submerged rocks. to Pose, with this exception, the river presents no serious difficulties to steam navigation, in so far as rapids go, although at dead low-water season (January) the channels are narrow and shallow, in many places 2 feet deep only. It is very probable, however, that a small motor boat, 60 feet long, could run with profit and little risk from April to December. High speed is unnecessary anywhere along the West River. I estimate that the rate of the fastest rapid between Wuchou and Pose at any time of the year does not exceed knots. It does not follow, however, that a boat doing 12 knots could surmount this rapid. The rapids are generally formed by the narrowing of the river-bed by rocks and shingle banks. The surface of the water is forced into a tongue. The greatest speed is at the tip of the tongue or lower end, but it is the base or upper end which the steamer finds so difficult to ascend. The reason is, I think, because the tongue is an inclined plane of water, and, should the stretch above the rapid be wide and deep, the volume of the water pouring down the rapid is sufficient to check the passage of any craft trusting to speed alone. What is required is a lifting power to raise the boat up the inclined plane of water. This would be supplied either by a hawser fastened to a rock above the rapid or to a point on shore, or if the water be sufficiently shallow to allow of them by shoulder poles pushed by the crew on board.
In the West River the water is comparatively shallow. This explains the In the Yang-tsze rapids use of the narrow platforms running all round the boats. the water is deeper, and the boats do not therefore carry the platform. Generally speaking, the rapids on the West River, with the exception of the Ta t'an and perhaps the Pan t'an at dead low water, are nothing like as formidable to negotiate as the worst rapids on the stretch between Ichang and Chungking.
Nanning, the most important town in the province of Kuanghsi from a commercial point of view, lies on the north bank of the river 330 miles (1,105 ) above Wuchow. The town was formally opened to trade and a branch of the Imperial Maritime Customs established there at the beginning of 1907. During my visit in January 1907 work was in full swing on the new settlement located about a mile below the city. The business quarter is above the city. The ground had been levelled, roads marked out and sites ready for apportionment; 600 coolies were busily engaged in building the bund. The location of the settlement was chosen on the advice of the Imperial Maritime Customs. The situation, however, is unfortunate,
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not only on account of its distance from the business quarter, but also on account of the attacks of the river at high water. As a matter of fact, the ancient town stood much in the position occupied by the settlement and appears to have removed on account of the subsidence of the river banks. In August 190; the hund collapsed. It has been temporarily patched up again, but it is doubtful if it will stand the attacks of the river for any length of time. The Chinese Settlement Land Office has been built and there is a flimsy mat-shed erection of a Chinese theatre. There are no other buildings in the settlement. The commissioner of customs lives in the Land Office. Last summer he found some difficulty in procuring an adequate supply of tubs in which to catch the rain-water as it leaked through the root. The treasurer of the province who, during his secret investigations of the secret societies at Nanning was temporarily occupying the ground floor complained that the rain, which had soaked the upper floors, dripped on to him below; 120,000 taels is the sum mentioned to me as having been frittered away on the scheme. The total absence of Chinese merchants is a melancholy illustration of their want of confidence in their own officials.
The trade of Nanning has slowly but steadily increased during the last three years, and there appears reason to hope it will develop more freely.
Lungchou.-Langehou, the treaty port on the Kuanghsi-Tongking frontier, appears to be an absolute failure from a commercial point of view. I was assured by a competent authority that there is not sufficient trade to keep one junk in constuut employment between Lungehou and Nanning. Lungchou is on the Tso-chiang, the southern branch of the West River. The journey is about ten days by junk. The port was visited in 1908 by a British and subsequently by a German gun-boat. The junction of the Tso chiang with the West River is at San chiang k'ou. A Chinese fort is being erected at this point. It is proposed to station 250 men there, ostensibly as a guard against pirates but really, extraordinary as the idea may be, as an advanced post of Nanning in case of a sudden inroad of French troops.
The foreign trade of Nanning, and the native, too, except that of a local and petty description, is in the hands of the Cantonese merchants at Nanning. The Chamber of Commerce is very influential, and controls public opinion, A recent meeting of this body presided over by the taotai and attended by all the officials, will serve to show that Nanning is becoming Cantonised. A young Cantonese merchant, in reply to the taotai's speech, which contained suggestions for the development of commercial prosperity, declared openly that the best method was for the officials to leave the merchants alone. Everyone knew, he said, that the aim of the officials was to get office, and fill their money-bags at the expense of the merchants and the people. The meeting broke up in some confusion. It is folerably certain that three years ago no Nanning merchant would have dared to have been so presumptuously outspoken. In the Chamber of Commerce a scroll has been hung in a conspicuous place. The scroll is inscribed with the text of the governor's telegram repudiating the action of the magistrate, a Cantonese, in having compelled a Cantonesc merchant to kneel before bim. The magistrate was transferred, and the Nanning Chamber of Commerce called upon other Cantonese to disown him as a fellow-provincial. It is noteworthy that a telegram received from the Tien-tsin Chamber of Commerce urging steps to be taken to assist in the redemption of the foreign indemuities did not even come up for discussion in the Nanning Chamber of Commerce. The merchants appeared to be unwilling to withdraw capital from their provincial trade in order to finance a loan the interest on which would be repaid to them by means of additional burdens on trade.
Trade. The principal exports of Kuanghsi are essential oils (aniseed and cassia), oil (groundnut, tea, and wood), hides, star anisced, groundnuts, cattle and pigs, indigo, raw silk, and timber.
The principle imports are cotton yarn, cotton piece goods, kerosene oil, sugar, and Chinese tobacco.
The increase in the cultivation of groundouts and mulberry trees is very marked, especially in the country between Nanning and Wuchow.
The ruined towns on the banks of the West River testify to the flourishing trade before the Taiping rebellion, and the Mahommedan rebellion in Yünnan.
Tin mines to the west of Wuchow are doing well, and if only the officials will abstain from interference, Chinese capitalists at Hong Kong and elsewhere will proceed to develop other mines. There are gold mines near En-lun-hsien.
The increased security of life and property along the river route, together with the increase in population and cultivation combine to improve the future prospects of the West River route. I was impressed by the marked improvement in the efficiency
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