Y a n g - choo.
S in g u l a r
V ESSELS.
T r a d e in
W o m e n .
T h e paffage over the Kyang from Nanquín, was in the time
o f Nieuhoff on a bridge compofed o f fourteen pontoons. The
pretty town of Jejenjeen is on the oppofite fide. He entered foori
after on the imperial canal, and paffed by Yang-choo, a great and
populous city, in Lat. 32° 25', flourifhing by its being the ftaple of
the fait trade; that ufeful article, made on the fea-fhores, is
brought here by the leffer canals, and by the fame means
tranfported to moil parts o f the empire; for they extend in
many directions wefiward, even to theborders of Tartary. The
canal is continued northward on the fide o f the great lake Kao-
yeou-hoo, the fame which Mr. Nieuhoff calls Piexe. Here the
•forms o f the veiTels are very lingular; they are called I.ongfcbon
or ferpentine, and áre ufed to carry fiih, quite to Peking. Thefe
are reprefented in form o f a ferpent; from the prow iffues the
head, on which is placed an idol, with fotne live ducks pendent;
from the item is fufpended a boy, who is playing all forts of
monkey tricks. The mails are decorated with numbers o f flags,
and ferpents appear cut or painted in every part. It is manned
with rowers, who with their broad oars, not -unlike paddles, go
with moít aítóniíhing celerity. It is incredible with what expe»
dition fiih are C o n v e y e d frefh to Peking, even from d i f t a n c e s of
fix hundred miles.
T h e city o f Yang-choo is infamous for its traffic in women.
It produces the mbit beautiful in all China, particularly for the
admirable fmallnefs o f their feet, and the fymmetry o f their
bodies. They are trained from their childhood in every accom-
pliihment, finging, dancing, painting, and compofing o f verfes,
but above all, in the practice o f every lafcivioiis attraction. Thefe
unfortunate
unfortunate women form a vail article o f commerce, and
the merchant panders difpofe o f them to every part o f the
empire.
T h e next city o f note is Kajutfiu; then follows Hoin-gan-foo, Kajutsiv..
feated on the river Hdai, near which are vaft embankments to
keep off the fury of the fea; all this neighborhood is marfhy,
yet extremely productive o f rice. The whole country may have
been gained from the watery element, yet it muft have been
many ages pail, for a field near Hoin-gan is diftinguifhed by the
numbers o f ancient tumuli. Many o f the towns appear like
Venice, built in the water, and fome even below.
Wbay-nganffoq, in Lat. 330 32', is one ; it is built below the W h a y - n o a n .
level o f the great canal, which is near that city, fupported by
ffrong dykes. Here, very properly, one of thofe mandarines re-
fides who has the charge o f the canal, and is called grand mailer
of the waters. Not far from the well o f it is the vail lake
Hohgtfe-boo, which juil- below the city is difcharged into the
great river Whang-bo or the Yellow River, which rifes in Lat. 3s9 r ivfr
north, amidil the mountains o f the far tars o f Kokonor, near the Whang-bo*
edge of the great defert Shamo or Gobi. Its courfe is about fix
hundred leagues, and the current fo violent, that it is impoffible
for a lhip to fail up the flream ; it is liable to great inundations j
infomuch that the inhabitants o f the low province o f Ilonan
are obliged to furround their cities, at a firiall diftance from their
walls, with a ftrong mound. Mr. Nieuhoff exemplified this in
his plate*. The waters are o f a yellow color, tinged with the
ftrata they pafs through, which is the origin o f the name. This
* A t p . 117.
river,