LITERATURE.

Patea Mail, 2 October 1880, Page 1 (Supplement)

LITERATURE.

‘THE RIVER OF GOLDEN SAND.’

The Narrative of a Journey through China and Eastern Tibet to Burmah, By Oapt. Gill, R.E. 2 Vols.

After a visit to the sea-ond of the Groat Wall, in the province of Po-chi-li, on the borders of Mongolia, Captain Gill started from Shanghai to sail up the Yang-izli-lt i an, in January, 1877, in company with Consul Baber, bound for service at Chungching, more than half-way up the great river. Partly by steamer, partly by boat, with a knowing old woman for skipper, and partly by land, Captain Gill reached the city of Chongtu, in the province of Szu-Clmen, a city which, under a somewhat different name, is famous as one of the many places visited by Marco Polo. This city Captain Gill made his headrpiarters for some time, and from it made what lie calls a ‘loop-cast towai'ds the Is or them Alps’—in other words, a journey northwards to the lofty mountains which divide Tibet proper from China. Here ho came into contact with the Mantzll and other seemingly aboriginal tribes. Returning to Chong-tu, Captain Gill, in company with Mr. Mesny, a gentleman in the Chinese service, travelled westward along the lofty and nigged plateau that comes southward from Tibet, to the Tibetan town of Batang, where they struck the Chin-sha, the ‘ River of Golden Sand,’ the upper course of the great Yaug-izu klang. Southward, more or less along the course of the river, Captain Gill made the gradual descent to the city of r.-d-li-fu, and thence across the Mekong and the Burmese border to Bhauio. While-much of Captain Gill’s route had been traversed- before, on some of the sections of it he gives us the first accurate information. Captain Gill is not enamoured of the Chinese, and ho stoutly combats many of the accepted opinions with regard to their intellectual char icteriatics. His account of the lady skipper of his boat on the Yang-tze, and of her various expedients, is amusing. This old lady was a widow, who, having lost three husbands under ambiguous circumstances, c mid not find a fourth. Her force of lung and of bad language was such that none of the coolies or boatmen could withstand her ; only during the ascent of the rapids did she yield her command to the pilot. A HOLE IX THi: LOAT. On one occasion the junk ran aground, and knocked ‘ a big hoio in her side ; but Jezebel, looking at it with unconcern, remarked, between the whilis of her pipe, ‘ Cotton woolby which unusually laconic observation she meant that the hole was to bo stulibd up with that material. . . They first put ou a

cataplasm of whitoy-brown paper, mud, and grains of rice, over which they nailed a piece of wood, and stuffed the interstices with cotton-wool and bamboo shavings. Ax, of course, when the hole was made the plunks wore driven inwards, this patch was put on inside. Tuo operation was a long one, and, extraordinary as the method may appear, it eventually proved tolerably effectual, although from the amount of bailing that was always subsequently necessary, Baber suggested that our vessel should be called the ‘Old Bailee.’ ’

‘ There is a peculiarity in the. market of I-ch’ang that was never perhaps Jioard of elsewhere ; for the price of things never varies, but when they are dear or cheap there are more or fever ounces to the pound !’ The most prominent characteristics of the Chinese race are, according to this author, its strong individuality and homogeneousness, its industry and passion foe economy, though the keen desire of each one to do everything for and by himself indisposes the Chinese to that combination and division of labour which is necessary to progress, lie also repeats the usual charge that they la?k originality, and are totally devoid of imagination and humour. There was a considerable didien’ty sometimes in finding coolies, especially in the poorer parts, for the author was invariably taken for a high oliicial, and it is the custom of that class never to pay for anything. In the districts over which the storm of the Mohammedan rebellion had passed, or where there was a mixture of the aboriginal races and more or less oppression by the local rulers, there seemed much poverty and distress. Mon, wemen, and children were employed in his service; on one occasion, to ensure their being paid, he forbade their dispersing, and the scene was a very sad one : KM PLOYED 3N SKIIVIUK. ‘They were crowded together, lying in heaps one on top of the other, and when the time came to make a clearance, it was with amazement that 1 watched them disentangle themselves and file oil' one by one. Amongst others there was a woman with a baby on her back which she had been carrying all day besides the load allotted to her’. Descending into the place beneath was a matter of no small diflicnlly: people were all huddled together. even on the stairs, and for a moment I could not help thinking of a London hall —but what a piteous travesty 1 on the ground, men, women, children, and babies in arms were so numerous that it was almost impossible to walk without treading on them. Some were sleeping ; others smoking or trying to dry their soaking clothes over the wood fires. The occasional flare of some dry splinter in the reeking atmosphere served but to make darkness visible, for the walls and ceiling were black with dirt and the smoke of years. It was one of the saddest scenes I ever saw. The poverty and misery of the people, and the hopeless state of almost brntishness in which they live, were painfully visible in the listless, expressionless faces, which were now and then lit up by some fitful flash that burst for a moment through the heavy smoke. I returned again to the upper room, and the trifling discomforts to myself were forgotten in the recollection of the yrevions scene below.’