s in full cry," each with the coupling over his shoulder
and all singing in chorus, the junk they are towing often a quarter of a
mile astern of them. When a rapid intervenes they strain like bondmen at
the towrope; the line creaks under the enormous tension but holds fast.
On board the junk, a drum tattoo is beaten and fire-crackers let off,
and a dozen men with long ironshod bamboos sheer the vessel off the
rocks as foot by foot it is drawn past the obstruction. Contrast with
this toilsome slowness the speed of the junk bound down-stream. Its mast
is shipped; its prodigious bow-sweep projects like a low bowsprit; the
after deck is covered as far as midships with arched mat-roof; coils of
bamboo rope are hanging under the awning; a score or more of boatmen,
standing to their work and singing to keep time, work the yulos, as
looking like a modern whaleback the junk races down the rapids.

Kweichou-fu, 146 miles from Ichang, is one of the largest cities on the
Upper Yangtse. Just before it is the Feng-hsiang Gorge the "Windbox
Gorge" where the mountains have been again cleft in twain to let pass
the river; this is the last of the great gorges of the Yangtse.

We had left the province of Hupeh. Kweichou is the first prefectural
city that the traveller meets in Szechuen; for that reason my laoban
required me to give him my passport that he might take it ashore and
have it viseed by the magistrate. While he was away two Customs
officials searched my boat for contraband goods. When he returned, he
had to pay a squeeze at the Customs station. We clawed with our hooked
bamboos round the sterns of a hundred Szechuen junks, and were again
arrested at a likin boat, and more cash passed from my laoban to the
officials in charge. We went on again, when a third time we came face on
to a likin-barrier, and a third time my laoban was squeezed. After this
we were permitted to continue our journey. For the rest of the day
whenever the laoban caught my eye he raised three fingers and with a
rueful shake of the head said "Kweichou haikwan (customs) no good"; and
then he swore, no doubt.

My little boat was the smallest on the river. In sailing it could hold
its own with all but the long ferry boats or tenders which accompany the
larger junks to land the trackers and towline. These boats carry a huge
square sail set vertically from sheer legs, and are very fast. But in
rowing, poling, and tracking we could beat the river.

Anping was pa