These boats ply between Hangchau and Sheong Shan and do all the interior transportation by water between these entrepôts in Chêhkiang and Kiangsi.
Sheong Shan is the important station of Chêhkiang, and Yuh-Shan is that of Kiangsi. The distance between the two entrepôts is about fifty li s, or about sixteen English miles, connected by one of the finest macadamized roads in China.
The road is about thirty feet wide, paved with slabs of granite and flanked with greenish-colored cobbles.
A fine stone arch which was erected as a landmark of the boundary line separating Chêhkiang and Kiangsi provinces, spans the whole width of the road.
On both sides of the keystone of the arch are carved four fine Chinese characters, painted in bright blue, viz. , Leang Hsing Tung Chu :
兩省通衢
This is one of the most notable archways through which the inter-provincial trade has been carried on for ages past. At the time when I crossed from Sheong Shan to Yuh-Shan, the river ports of Hankau, Kiukiang, Wuhu and Chinkiang were not opened to foreign trade and steamboats had not come in to play their part in the carrying trade of the interior of China. This magnificent thoroughfare was crowded with thousands of porters bearing merchandise of all kinds to and fro—exports and imports for distribution. It certainly presented an interesting sight to the traveller, as well as a profound topic of contemplation to a Chinese patriot.
The opening of the Yangtze River, which is navigable as far as Kingchau, on the borders of Szechwan province, commanding the trade of at least