New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-17
UP THE YANG-TSE.
ADVENTUROUS ENGLISH EXPEDITION
OF 1861
he Pail Mall Gazette.

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Tse-Kiang which like gigantic serpent ",
giles out Of the far north OF mysterious nue.
loops down toward Burmah and then MAKES q
,vritbine course across the greatest breadth OF
China; this together with the attention tHe
peoples Of the world are giving AT tne iohiei,s
TO all things connected with the Far East ieilus
a neculiar interest to the records of the hrst
expedition to explore the upper reaches OF Ihe
river exactly thlrty-seven years ago Inc
public has all but forgotten the doings OF .he
adventurous hand that made IT'S way up .ne
mighty river for distance of l.soO miles, tne
latter half Of which had never been openly nav
igatcd by Europeans.
This expedition to the upper reaches OF the
Yang-Tse was q private enterprise, ana Orlsl-
mated In the adventurous minds of two oillcers
who had played part in the war win S'i 1,
These were aforementioned II. a SdIel' II VI
Lancers and Captain Thomas w. Blaklston' r.
A.. the latter at that time one or the phE slIdIy
strongest men in the British Army win thess
two daring souls DIR. Alfred Barton associated
himself. and when the exploration proper began
the three were so fortunate as To enlist the III
terest OF the Rev. Mr. Schere schewsky' an
American missionary, who knew tne cuSton'
and language Of the natives as few did at the
time. Sir Hope Grant told OF four Sikhs TO
accompany tho party and these men, sepoys OF
the 18th Punjab Infantry. proved themselves as
Sikhs ever do. faithful and trustworthy: For tne
first part Of the journey the members n the niue
expedition were passengers. Vice NciHiraI III
James Hope dropping them only When ne was
forced TO turn back 123 sea miles above Han
kow or "A little more than eight hundred miles
from The sea. Captain Blakiston, who atter-
ward, in Five Months on the Yang lNe puo-
shed valuable work on the doings ana ex-
perences OF the expedition. gave most anus
ing account OF the establishing or consuls AZ
various points The river had just been opened
TO foreign trade by the Tlen-Tsin treaty. ana n
squadron. commanded by Sir James Hope. con-
sisting of Her MaJestys ships Centaur. water
man, Attalante. Bouncer. Coromandel, Havoc.
Copper and Banterer. made for up the river to
survey and 10 plant consuls where IL was
thought these would DO most good. The squad
rom with a observation-disclosures not too often dis
81 in, of
to various merchants and traders. 80 that no
time might be lost IN securing share OF any
commerce that was fated TO fall into the HANDS
OF Europeans.
AN UNORTHODOX SALUTE.
UnIuckily the Yang-Tse had not been laid on,
on The charts with all the accuracy OF inc
Thames. and one by one the leading ships round
rest upon unsupported sandoanks. IN the deep
disgust OF ,hsir enterprisng officers WHO wished
10 20 along and see all the sights or the show
But gallant few ships struggled on; and when
they came 20 salrtinG the Union Jack suddenly
broken from q hastily erected flagstaff over a
newly established consulate. they made as brave
n fist Of IL as could be wished for. Captain
Blakiston describes the scene well. Tho first gun
Of the Attaante went puff; the second went
puff" Hang those old Dutch popguns: they
are three times wide al the muzzle as they
should be- The third does not go off at all;
run is made with the redhot poker to No. t.
feeling which No. explodes with tremendous
bang. then topples over and reclines carelessly
on the deck 81 say, gunner. what did you put
In mat gun NOtnlnH, BIT. OI couFS" not
That Is the reason no doubt II kicked 10 ter
ribly. Nos. and 6 are let off," which makes
five guns ~ the salute, No. , not having eN-
ploded. No. l IS loaded again. but objects 70
reply to the command Fire" No. ia not
ready. Try No. ; again. No. It's no use. he
won't go. the brute hangs In the breeding.
Then pause certainly more than the orthodox
interval for salute 1ring-aftor which. two others
being got ready and fred the seven guns are
mnde complete-ITer Malestys representative Is
established and the British flag saluted
la. sf., . 70
Hankow. A. this place the upper Yang Use ex-
petition really became important II took to a
native passenger boat. which Sir James Hope.
wishing TO DO all in his power 20 kelp tho ad-
venturers along consented 70 tow far
YO-Chow, a place near 20 the Tung Ting lakes.
There the Coromandel and Bounccr. the only
two ships to ascend high turned round and
headed FOR the model settlement" Shanghai.
and "hosting red ensign In the Junk" the sx-
ploration party, now cast on their own resources.
dipped goodby.
Captain Blakiston tells that the purpose OF
the expedition was by taking advantage of n
clause in the treaty OF Tien- Tsin 90 have passed
through China. thence into Thihct and across
the Himalayas into Northwestern India" But
this ambitious scheme was knocked on the
head owing 20 The civil strife raging In the
western part Of China. The T'cu-Tsin treaty
all very fine for a certain distance up
river but 10 the west the Wild men were paying
no attention to any treaty that did not AT the
mornent draw blood. However, the four Euro
peans. their four Sikhg and few Chinese ser
wants were not forced 20 turn back until they
had mappe0
plored river and made many Important discov-
cries and observations. which have, been Of the
greatest value to officials and traders who touch
upon the fruitful valley OF the Yang Use Klang.
From the confluence ~ the winters ~ the Tung-
Ting Lake and the Yang-Tse- Klang upward 10
the farthest point reached the names OF the VII
lagos the banks were ascertained and noted.
the distances between each measured, some
thing regarding their trade was learned. careful
geological researches were made. Colonel Sarel
made n collection OF the ferns found. meteor
oOica sah pilei mil "a
log written up day by day. and n field
book. fun OF all sorts Of useful Information and
speculation. attended to. 80 that when the ex-
petition again reached civilization. ferns and
logs and all were placed In the hands Of experts
and prepared rs an appendix TO the most en-
PERTAINING book Captain Blakiston wrote and
Mr.. John Murray published the following year
that Is In 1860.
ADVENTURE BY BOAT
The date OF parting with the steamers was
March 49, 1861. The expedition carried little
baggage, and of this little ammunition was the
heaviest portion. For food they depended al
most entirely on the country they passed
through ana their guns, and they had with them
"a few small tents for shelter On the highlands Of
Thibet-highlands that never reached.
Drink? we took a supply Of brandy In two
small kegs besides which laid in
some beer the premature exhaustion OF
which will account for tho names OF No Beer
pear the chart much lower down than we
had anticipated"
AS TO the Yang Use Kiang boat on which they
started upon their voyage. Il a rather big
thing in n small way 80 feet long by 10 wide.
and dra wing from IL inches 70 feet OF water.
The principal means OF locOmoton was by
polling but one mast carried n dapidatcd
cotton sail much bc-bamhooed and Of the form
OF butter1y's wing. Captain and took
matters with Celestial serenity, happening
ashore to chat with their friends and return
ing desultory, notwithstanding the anxiety
OF their patrons the foreign devils. To the In
habitants OF the country through which the
expedition passed the white men and brown
Sikhs formed such a grand show Of nonstrosi-
ties a they had never before seen. and the two
gallant officers and their comps Mons were
bbed both in a friendly and unfrendly way
wherever they went The skhs rather liked