This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 edition. Excerpt: ... the most miserable local craft. Mr. Parker gives us a different idea of the river leading from the north of Lung-ch'uan, beyond the hills, past Yen-chou to Hang-chow. Its trade in junks was equal to half that between Ch'ung-k'ing and, Sha-shih on the Yangtze. In order to reach Amoy from Hang-chow overland, a ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 edition. Excerpt: ... the most miserable local craft. Mr. Parker gives us a different idea of the river leading from the north of Lung-ch'uan, beyond the hills, past Yen-chou to Hang-chow. Its trade in junks was equal to half that between Ch'ung-k'ing and, Sha-shih on the Yangtze. In order to reach Amoy from Hang-chow overland, a traveller leaves his boat and the last branch of the Hang-chow River, in the neighbourhood of Lung-ch'iian; after a short passage across the hills he hires a boat again and, starting on the river of P'u-ch'eng on the boundary of Fukien,102 may continue his journey by water, with only one interruption, as far as Chang-chou or Amoy. In crossing the provincial frontier from the Fukien side near P'u-ch'eng, Mr. Parker abandoned the standard route leading north to connect with Hang-chow waters, but, in order to reach Wen-chow, went east to Lung-ch'uan. Between P'u-ch'eng and Lung-ch'iian he "found a thickly populated and prosperous country, and an excellent level road through the mountains." Everywhere in the neighbourhood of that city traces of wealth were seen in the shape of public works, such as "a beautifully paved, roofed and pavelled bridge," etc., although nowadays "the district produces almost nothing for export beyond 101 Journal of t/ie CM. of the R.A.S., Vol. XIX, p. 27 segq. 102 Parker, l.c, p. 87. lumber and bamboo, the latter being sent to Shao-hsing near Hangchow for use in the manufacture of fans." It may be concluded from all this that the district of Lungch'iian, which is now as poor as its neighbours, has had ample resources in former centuries; the account of a level road cut through the hills to P'u-ch-eng sounds like a wonder in such an out-of-the way corner of a Chinese province; and it leaves...
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