Page:The Chinese Empire. A General & Missionary Survey.djvu/150

94 and Li Hung-chang; Weihaiwei, now in the occupation of the British, on the north coast; and Kiaochow, now in the hands of the Germans, on the south coast.

Since the year 1858 (1852 Hassenstein) the Yellow River (Hoang-ho, pronounced Whāng-ho) has found its way to the sea through the north-western plain of, returning to the old course it had deserted for a more southerly one fourteen hundred years before. The Yellow River is probably unique among the great rivers of the world, inasmuch as it is practically useless as a means of communication. The suspended matter, brought down from the loess plains of the north-west, which gives the stream its name, is deposited in its lower reaches, and thus the bed of the river has been gradually raised above the level of the surrounding country. Enormous embankments have been made to contain the immense volume of swiftly-flowing water, but these very frequently break down under the strain to which they are subjected in times of flood. The waters devastate the country, and, receding, leave behind a sandy silt that permanently deteriorates the soil. There are not any other rivers of importance in the province, but the Grand Canal, on its way from Canton to Peking, passes through the same section as does the Yellow River. The advent of the steamer and the lighthouse, by making coast traffic more practicable and more safe than formerly, have considerably reduced the importance of this artificial waterway, which is by far the longest in the world.

In the west-central part of the province, near the city of Taian Fu, to which it gives its name, stands Tai-shan (Mount Tai), one of the five sacred peaks of China whither the devout make pilgrimage.

The soil of has been exhausted through centuries of uninterrupted production without adequate compensation. Enriching material is poor in quality and insufficient in quantity; grazing is unknown, and the land never lies fallow, but produces a minimum of three crops in two years without intermission. The output consequently falls far short of what might be attained under better