The " New Rapid," as it is now called—although the old New Rapid in Hupeh, fifty miles above I-chang, still goes by that name, and was.till the landslip inYun-yang occurred in September, 1896, the most formidable obstacle on the Upper Yangtse—is still a mighty hindrance to the trade of Szechuan. When we passed through it on February 27, 1898, in the little steamer Leechuen, endeavouring to show the way to the larger steamers which would we hoped ere long travel between I-chang and Chungking, we found 327 junks laid up in the reach below the rapid, waiting their turn to ascend. Coming from Yiin-yang city and rounding the point which opens up this wide reach, we could have imagined ourselves entering a vast and picturesque land-locked harbour crowded with traffic. The big junks which carry on the trade with Chungking, ranging from ten to 130 tons' burthen, were moored along both banks for a distance of a mile or more, while numbers of sampans and small boats were crossing to and fro, ferrying passengers and bearing supplies to the junks and their crews. The upper junks were discharging their cargoes preparatory to being towed up, and gangs of heavily laden coolies were groaning under bales of yarn and Manchester goods as they laboured along, up and down the steep improvised rock-paths on either shore.