Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-08-23

the densely populated northern
provinces, where the boxers have thus
far been most active. Whole villages
cluster together in carving-out
chambers some of which extend back
more than 200 feet The capabilities Of
defense in country such as this.
where an invading army must neces-
sarily become lost and absolutely be-
WIldered in the tangle OF interlacing
ways, and where the defenders may
always remain concealed, or have in
umerable means of escape. is peculiarly
significant at this time, when con-
slderation is being given to a conquest
OF China. 1t may not be generally
known that the Chinese were the dis
coyerers Of coal as a fuel. The We
netian traveller Marco Polo says: 1T
is q fact that all over the country Of
Cahay (China) there is a kind OF black
stone existing in the beds Of the noun
tains which they dig out and burn like
drewood This stone burns better and
costs less"
The rivers OF China are her glory.
and there are few countries in the
world 50 well watered, and no o,ner
with such natural water transperta-
ton facilities. The three great rivers
are the Yang-ste-Kiaug (Chlld OF the
ocean, the Hoang Ho yellow river).
and the Gnu Kiang pearl river or
! Canton river. OF these the Ylng-tes
is much the largest, flowing through
extensive and fertile plains and finally
emptying into the Eastern sea, after
traversing a distance of over 1000
miles It's discharge is estimated A..
100000 cubic feet per second, The
banks OF the Yang-s5e are crowded
with towns and villages. the most
famous of which are Nankin and the
new treaty port Of HankOw. The
Hoang Ho or Yellow river is noted es-
| pecially for It's frequent and violent
foods. Its current is very rapid and
| its course siIuous, nearly approaching
in length the Yang-ste. The Pearl or
Canton river, while not nearly so large
as the others is stream of great i'm
portance, and innumerable vessels
trade upon it's waters At some points
it spreads into large lakes; in others II
passes between narrow gorges, which
if damned would afford large storage
capacity for irrigation. The Chinese,
however, have not practically worked
out irrigation in its different phases as
completely as would be expected Of
| such an agricultural people.
Irrigation, nevertheless, is practiced
to a considerable extent through the
use of the waters Of the Grand canal
and by wells. The Grand and Imperial
canal is a work Of great magnitude.
| # was constructed in the seventh
century and enlarged in the thirteenth
century 1t traverses the great plain
and flows with but slight current for
distance of 700 miles, While built
| for purposes of communication, its
waters are used largely for irrigation,
and thousands Of drains and creeks
have been made to connect with i.
along It's route.
The modes Of irrigation are ancient
and crude. One Of the most pictur-
esque is by means OF the water-wheel
which is used where the land to be
watered is we'll above the channel OF
the river. The wheel is turned by the
force Of the current, and is perhaps
80 feet high it's buckets being sections
Of bamboo which as they are raised by
the stately motion of the wheel, empty
their contents into troughs or bitches,
Hollow bamboo pipes or tubes are
sometimes used for distributing the
water over the fields they rest upon
wooden supports and branch in every
direction from the source Of supply
Tho chain pump is also a common
means Of lifting water, the chain
running up from the water on slam
and being provided with little buckets
at intervals, which as they reach the
highest point and begin to descend
discharge their contents These
machines are worked by buffalos, or
I sometimes by human labor, a man
working a crank with his feet some
thing after the manner of riding a
bicycle. The most primitive and
Ilaborious methods is the ancient well
sweep. such as is seen today on many
an old New England homestead
Springfield Republican.