New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-04
ON THE YANG-TSE-KIANG.
CIIINAS GREAT HIGHWAY OF TRADE AND
TRAVEL
SHANGHAI. Sentember |.


TRAVEL
Shanghai, September /.
If the IIoang-Io or yellow River, be properly
called the Woe of China, the Yang-Tse-Kiang may
as fttingly De named It's JOY. 1t is the wealth
and glory Of the Empire. II Is to China what the
Nile has been 70 Egypt, what the Mississippi Is TO
America, what the Amazon will be to Brazil.
Flowing more than 5000 miles, from Thibet 10
the Pacific it waters and drains 100000 square
miles of the most fertile lands earth. Its
shores are dotted with great cities and ts current
Is semmed by scores and hundreds of the finest
vessels in the world The largest ocean steamers
ply it's waters for hundreds of miles. while the
lines Of rlver,steamers that are used exclusively
upon 1t are comparable in size and appointments
with the best OF those on the Mississippi or on
Long Island Sound. This river, indeed, is the
great highway of trade, and has on It's shores five
great treaty ports, to which the Imperial Gov
eminent was as ready TO admit foreigners IS TO
any ports on the coast An unenviable notoriety
has been given to the river in late years by the
fact that all the anti-foreign riots have occurred
on it's shores. This Is only natural. Of course,
since it is only on its shores that foreigners are
permitted to live in the interior of China But it
deserves to rank among the favorite routes of
travel in the world and the visitor TO China
should no more miss a voyage up it than one
would neglect the Rhine in Germany or the llud-
son in the United States.
There is no river that may be traversed more
pleasantly. The river steamers are of enormous
size and great speed, and are equipped with every
thing that modern ingenuity has devised for the
safety and comfort of the passengers. One pc
culiar feature of them is chat the forward part
of each is set apart exclusively for the use OF
81 ENtr
pean passenger has his quarters In what Is de-
cidcdly the pleasantest part of the boat, entirely
seouestered from the unattractive thrOng of
natives These steamers allowed to run up
the river only as far as IChHng, the fnrthcst
of the treaty ports" But that is something
more than 1000 miles from the mouth of the
river and In that distance one has a magnificent
WOW of the interior of China Then IL he wishes
70 30 beyond he can do so in house-ooat or
Junk. That will not be as pleasant as the Journey
in the steamer, but it will be by no means un'
pleasant. and it will place before the voyagers
eyes some of the most impressive scenery In the
world.
Shanghai is not properly on the Yang-Tse al
though IL is commonly considered to be at ltS
mouth 1t lies few miles up the Woo-oung'
which is tributary of the Yang-Tse. From ohang-
hal the steamers start on their long trips up the
oroot stream. Their first landing is ut Chin
Kianr. the first Of the treaty ports" reached In
qoing no the river and the scene of the anti
foreign riots of 1888. 1t is a large city, with a
very small foreign population. Indeed, the only
foreigners are few missionaries, whose houses
are In the suburbs, few merchants, ana the
custom-house officers. 1t takes about twenty
honrs TO make the run from Shanghai TO Chln-
Ktoog. and then, O few hours later, the boat
$50 l,o YooC iDfp
in the whole Empire. This is Nanldn, the ancient
canital the name of which is talisman TO every
old porcelain collector in the world. 1t was here
that the wonderful porcelain pagOda stood, which
was some time ago utterly demolished. The city
contains. however innumerable interesting build
inrs and is richly imbued with memories OF
Gordon.
Two great works here command especial at
+ont,on One is the old city wall, now partly IN
ruirs. More than twenty-five miles of 1t may
ret be seen however, as good as new 1t Is about
fifty feet high and ten or twelve feet thick, ana Is
built entirely Of bricks The bricks were con-
tributed by every province of the Empire, and
nnon each individual brick of all the millions IN
the wall was plainly stamped the name OF the
proyince whence it came. These names are now
perfectly legible on all the bricks on both faces
OF the wall The other striking feature is the
tomb of the last Emperor of the Ming dynasty,
who reioned in Nankin five centuries ago. The
tomb is o huge pyramid of rocks and earth more
than a hundred feet high ard is several miles out
of the city. The pathway 10 it is the most won
dernl in the world. At the beginning are two
giant stone statues of armed men, fifteen feet high
They face each other one on each side or the path
which is perhaps twelve feet wide. Twenty yards
beyond are two lfe.slzed stone elephants, similarly
facing each other And SO on. for nearly mile,
are statues of animals OF various kinds, In pairs,
all hewn out of solid rock. They are the efligies
of all the most powerful and most useful beings
in the world, standing faithful aud unwearying
sentinels along the pathway to the dead monarchs
throne. At the end Of this pathway Is walled
enclosure, within which Is II temple rooted with
yellow tiles And behind that is the pyramid in
which the Emperor's dust rcposcs For centuries
the place has fallen into decay. The Tartar
Government will not do even the poor honor Of
repairs to the tomb OF the sovereign whom it over
threw In tile Tipping war the rebels sought to
rcnovate the place and pay IL homage And IL
is said that during the last few months many I'M
usual tributes of respect have been paid to the
sepulchrc The pathway has been repaired, the
statues cleaned and adorned, and other marks Of
homage paid 10 the grave of the last monarch oil
the dynasty which the secret societies OF china
hope some day to restore 10 the Dragon Throne.
Wuhu, where rioting has recently occurred,
the next port is dirty little place, sixty miles
above Nankin. Three times chat distance is the
next, Kin-Kiang, also a small and unsavorN place.
1t is rather important, however, MS the centre of
fine porcelain and silverware manufacture Then
one goes on $50 miles further TO Han-kow, one
of the greatest cities Of the Empire. IL is the
centre of the tea trade, and has the most splendid
waterfront on all the river. For q mile and half
there is great granite wall along the bank, from
its foundation 10 its coping near(y fifty feet high
The city stands on point of land at the june
ton of the Yang-Tse and Han rivers, and has more
TIM annearanca NJ a Furonean city than any