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 the same narrow area, where the annual floods of the Yang- tsze-kiang deposit their alluvium on the margin of the ocean and raise up new land out of its bed.

The political as well as the commercial and physical history of this region is no less full of interest. In process of time the old Wu-sung-kiang became unnavigable ; and during the thirteenth century, a settlement was founded on the present site of Shanghai, to which trade was rapidly transferred by the closing of the old waterway: finally, in A. D. 1544, the settle- ment was converted into a walled city, as a defence against the repeated attacks of the Japanese. These Japanese raids, which date from A. D. 1361, when the Ming dynasty had just come to the throne, were not confined to this quarter, but distributed generally over the maritime provinces in the north. The Japanese, time after time, proved more than a match for their less warlike foes ; but the latter always managed, in the long run, to prevent the daring invaders from obtaining a per- manent foothold upon their coveted shores. These Chinese successes were sometimes secured by intrigue and diplomacy, or by fair promises and bribes ; the slow-moving ponderosities of Chinese warfare being only resorted to when all else had failed. To illustrate these two methods of repelling an invading force, I will relate the following story. In 1 543 when the Japanese had spoiled and laid waste no small extent of the country around Shanghai, the Chinese seeing that they were too feeble to fight against their enemies with success, had recourse to intrigue. Accordingly, the Governor-General of the province invited the Japanese leaders, Thsu-hai, Cheng-tung, Ma-yeh, and Wang-chen to come over to the side of the Chinese; promis- ing them the rewards of high rank and untold treasure, if such valiant leaders would but join the Imperial standard. Tempted