Page:L. Richard's ... Comprehensive geography of the Chinese empire and dependencies ... translated into English, revised and enlarged (IA lrichardscompreh00rich).pdf/36

10 principally from the mountainous and less fertile nature of the country, and also from the various Mahomedan rebellions, which overran these regions. In regard to mining prospects, as we shall see subsequently, those latter are the richest in mineral deposits. Industry, perhaps, will give them a new lease of life and activity, which will place them for wealth in equal rank whith the others. These abound especially in agricultural productions.

'''Geological constitution. —''' We have seen above how the formation of the soil of the Chinese empire was effected. It is especially in the N. W. and in the W. that China has undergone the greatest upheaval. In the S. of the Yangtze-kiang 揚子江, the vast calcareous table-land developed there, sloped towards the E. sinking down however towards its centre, in the portion occupied by the Siang-kiang 湘江, a tributary of the Yangtze-kiang, and by several of the tributaries of the Si-kiang 西江: the Liu-kiang 柳江, Yuh-kiang 鬱江, and Tso-kiang 左江.

This calcareous table-land, nowadays much intersected by the rivers that flow through it, offers the most varied and fantastic features: table-lands, mountains, peaks, spurs, conical-shaped hills, pinnacles, and castellated forms. The parts that have offered the greatest resistance to the work of erosion are limestone, sand-stone, clay and the eruptive rocks. Those composed of slate, on the contrary, have been deeply indented, and in places completely eaten away by erosion. In the Western part of this region are abundant deposits of coal, occupying a quadrilateral, whose corners are Laok'ai 勞開, Yünnan Fu 雲南府, Tungchw'an Fu 東川府 and Kweiyang Fu 貴陽府.

The coast region of Kwantung 廣東, Fokien 福建, and Chêkiang 浙江 presents quite a different geological composition and belongs to another period. It is in great part composed of granite and porphyry, the granite prevailing along the coasts. Several islands are of volcanic formation.

To the N. of the Yangtze-kiang 揚子江, the geological constitution varies. In the N. W. the great upheavals, half covered with a layer of loess, prevail. They continue Eastwards, sloping down towards an immense alluvial plain, which partially encloses Shantung 山東, formerly an island, composed of azoic and primary rocks.

'''Orography or Mountain Systems. —' The massive and elevated table-land of Tibet'' forms the centre or backbone from which all the mountains of China branch off throughout the country.