Home1797 Edition

KAN-TCHEOU-FOU

Volume 9 · 225 words · 1797 Edition

a flourishing town of China, in the province of Kiang-si. Its rivers, ports, riches, and population, all contribute to attract strangers. A day's journey from this city is a very rapid current, almost 20 leagues in length, which flows with great impetuosity over a number of scattered rocks that are level with the water. Travellers here are in great danger of being lost, unless they take care to be conducted by one of the pilots of the country; after this passage, the river becomes twice as large as the Seine at Rouen; it is continually covered with loaded barks and other vessels under sail.—Near the walls of the city is a very long bridge, composed of 130 boats joined together by strong iron chains. The custom-house is upon this bridge, where a receiver constantly resides to visit all barks, and examine if they have paid the duties imposed on the commodities with which they are loaded. Two or three moveable boats are so placed, that by their means the bridge can be opened or shut, to give or refuse a passage; and no barks are ever permitted to pass until they have been examined. In the territory belonging to this city, a great number of those valuable trees grow, from which varnish dillips. Its district is extensive, and contains 12 cities of the third class.