uated on the Blue River are called the River Provinces.
The viceroy of two of these, namely Hupeh and Hunan, has more subjects
than any country in Europe, except Russia. The most westerly province of
China, Sze-chuan, traversed by the Blue River, is in area and population
equal to France. Europe shrinks up to nothing before such comparisons.

On the Blue River stands a series of famous old towns. Chungking is the
capital of Sze-chuan, and thus far European steamers ascend the river.
Hankow is the largest commercial town in the interior of China. Nanking,
near the mouth, was formerly the capital of China. South-west of Hankow
a large lake lies on the southern bank of the Blue River. _Hu_ means
lake in Chinese, _king_ is a capital city, _pe_ signifies north, and
_nan_ south. Peking, therefore, means the "northern capital," and
Nanking the "southern capital"; Hupeh signifies "north of the lake," and
Hunan "south of the lake."

The province of Hunan, south of the lake, is one of the most noteworthy
in all China. Its people are a vigorous and independent race, and make
the best soldiers in China. They are more hostile to foreigners than
other Chinese, and the capital of Hunan, Chang-sha, has been of old a
centre of opposition to foreigners and of revolutionary agitations.

Even large ocean liners ascend to Hankow, and smaller steamboats to the
capital of Sze-chuan. The latter are formidable competitors to the
junks, many thousands of which have from time immemorial provided for
the transport and traffic on the great river. There are many different
kinds of junk. Some are large, others small; some are built for the
lower, quieter waters of the river, others for the rapids in Hupeh and
Sze-chuan. But they are all well suited to their purpose, and are an
ornament to the grand beauty of the constantly changing landscape
through which the river has cut its valley.

In some districts the junks are built of cypress wood, in others of
oaken planks. This is to make the boats more elastic and supple, and to
diminish the risk of springing a leak among the rapids. Where the danger
is unusually great a pilot is taken on board, but still it is reckoned
that one junk in ten runs aground, and one in twenty is totally wrecked.
To go from Hankow to Chungking takes thirty-five days, and to come down
in the opposite direction with the stream only nine days. The voyage
down the river is much more dangerous, and on this voyage most of the
ship