than 3,000,000 ounces o f filver, equivalent to one million
fterling.
On approaching the Yang-tfe-kiang the appearance o f the
country improved, ju d as it had done in the vicinity o f the Ye llow
River. The town o f Sau-poo, extending along the quay of
the canal, confided o f houfes that were generally two dories
high, apparently well built, white-waihed with lime and kept
in neat and clean order. The inhabitants were alfo better
cloathed than we had hitherto been accuftomed to fee them. The
women were lefs ihy in their advances; their complexions were
much fairer and their features more foft and handfome than any
we had yet obferved in the northern provinces.
The walls and gates o f Yang-tchoo-foo bore marks o f great
antiquity, being partly in ruins and almoft entirely overgrown
with mofs and creeping plants. A thoufand veifels, at lead, o f
different defcriptions were lying under its walls. Here we remained
for the night; and the following morning, being the
cth o f November, we launched into the grand and beautiful river
called the Yang-tfe-kiang, which at this place was about two
miles in width ; but the current was fo gentle, that no oblation
to the prefiding deity was thought to be neceifary. The numerous
iflands rifing out of the river and covered with verdure,
the multitude o f fhips o f war, o f burden and o f pleafure, fome
gliding down the dream, others failing againd i t ; fome moving
by oars and others lying at anchor; the banks on either
fide covered with towns and houfes, as far as the eye could
reach, prefented a profpedt more varied and cheerful than any
that
r
that had hitherto occurred. Nor was the canal, on the oppofite
fide, lefs lively ; for two whole days we were continually paffing
among fleets o f veifels o f different confirmations and dimenfions,
thofe belonging to the revenue department being the larged, each
capable o f carrying, at lead, two hundred tons. Cities, towns
and villages were continued along the banks without intermif-
fion : and vad numbers o f done bridges were thrown acrofs the
canal, fome having one, fome two, and others three arches.
The face o f the country was beautifully diverfified with hill and
dale and every part o f it in the highed date o f cultivation.
The chief produce was that particular fpecies o f cotton, o f a
yellowifh tinge, known in Europe by the name o f nankin.
The fuburbs o f Sou-tcboo-foo employed us full three hours in
paffing before we reached the walls o f the city, where a multitude
o f veifels were lying at anchor. The numerous inhabitants
that appeared upon and without the walls o f this exten-
five city, were better drefled and feemed to be more contented
and cheerful, than we had yet obferved them in any other place.
For the mod part they were cloathed in filk. The ladies were
here drefled in petticoats and not in trowfers, as they had
hitherto appeared to the northward. The general' fafliion o f
the head-drefs was a black fatin cap with a triangular peak, the
point defcending to the root of the nofe, in the middle of
which, or about the centre o f the forehead, was a cryflal button.
The whole face and neck were waihed with a preparation
o f white lead and the cheeks highly rouged; and two Vermillion
fpots, like wafers, were particularly confpicuous, one
on the centre of the under lip and the other on the chin. Their
feet