ontory; the sea is shallow and has many shoals. The waters
bordering the coast of Chih-li are partly frozen in winter; at 10 m.
from the shore the water is only 20 ft. deep. The proximity of Peking
gives its few ports importance; that of Taku is at the mouth of the
Peiho. In Shan-tung, deeply indented on its southern coast, are the
ports of Chi-fu, Wei-hai-wei and Tsing-tao (the last in Kiao-chow
bay). South of Shan-tung and north of the mouth of the Yangtsze huge
sandbanks border the coast, with narrow channels between them and the
shore. The estuary of the Yangtsze is 60 m. across; it contains
islands and sandbanks, but there is easy access to Wusung (Shanghai)
and other river ports. The bay of Hangchow, as broad at its entrance
as the Yangtsze estuary, forms the mouth of the Tsien-tang-kiang. The
Chusan and other groups of islands lie across the entrance of the bay.

South of Hang-chow bay the character of the coast alters. In place of
the alluvial plain, with flat, sandy and often marshy shores, the
coast is generally hilly, often rocky and abrupt; it abounds in small
indentations and possesses numerous excellent harbours; in this region
are Fu-chow, Amoy, Swatow, Hongkong, Macao, Canton and other
well-known ports. The whole of this coast is bordered by small
islands. Formosa lies opposite the S.E. coast, the channel between it
and Fu-kien province being about 100 m. wide. Formosa protects the
neighbouring regions of China from the typhoons experienced farther
north and farther south.

Deltaic Plain.

_Surface_.---As already indicated, one of the most noticeable features
in the surface of China is the immense deltaic plain in the
north-eastern portion of the country, which, curving round the
mountainous districts of Shan-tung, extends for about 700 m. in a
southerly direction from the neighbourhood of Peking and varies from
150 to 500 m. in breadth. This plain is the delta of the Yellow river
and, to some extent, that of the Yangtsze-kiang also. Beginning in the
prefecture of Yung-p'ing Fu, in the province of Chih-li, its outer
limit passes in a westerly direction as far as Ch'ang-p'ing Chow,
north-west of Peking. Thence running a south-south-westerly course it
passes westward of Cheng-ting Fu and Kwang-p'ing Fu till it reaches
the upper waters of the Wei river in Ho-nan. From this point it turns
westward and crosses the Hwang-ho or Yellow