Page:A wandering student in the Far East vol.1 - Zetland.djvu/118

74 the "New Glorious Rapid" formed by a landslide in 1896, and though improved by the engineer, still a terror at low water, and the following day drew up at the district town of Wan Hsien. From here there is a road direct to Ch'êng-tu, the capital of Ssŭch'uan, and from here likewise mails are despatched direct to Peking. West to Ch'ung-k'ing, and from there on for another 250 miles to Sui Fu on the Yang-tsze, and on again for 100 miles to Chia-ting Fu on the Min, steam navigation is possible, this stretch of water providing a scene for the activities of his Majesty's gunboats posted at Ch'ung-k'ing. On the latest map of Ssŭch'uan, recently issued by the intelligence branch of the British War Office, Wan Hsien is singled out as an example of an open port. As a matter of fact it is nothing of the sort, and draws its stock of foreign goods almost exclusively from Ch'ung-k'ing. These consist of English shirtings and black and coloured Italians from Manchester, for which I was informed there was a fair demand, and fancy goods from Germany and Japan. Beyond