Volume 1
A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary, together with the kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet. Containing the geography and history (natural as well as civil) of those countries ... / from the French of P.J.B. DuHalde, Jesuit, with notes geographical, historical and critical and other improvements, particularly in the maps by the translator.
- Du Halde, J.-B. (Jean-Baptiste), 1674-1743.
- Date:
- 1738-1741
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A description of the empire of China and Chinese-Tartary, together with the kingdoms of Korea, and Tibet. Containing the geography and history (natural as well as civil) of those countries ... / from the French of P.J.B. DuHalde, Jesuit, with notes geographical, historical and critical and other improvements, particularly in the maps by the translator. Source: Wellcome Collection.
62/794 (page 18)
![Imperial Barks. Thefe Works are in Chinefe call’d Cha, and in our Relations Dikes, tho ' caufe thofe which are built in the Canal itfelf, and contra# its Breadth, leaving y _ p< g for a large Bark to pafs, ferve like our Sluices to reftrain the Water, when they wan a o P its Courfe either entirely, or in part, by laying the Boards a-crofs to a certain elt>* Precaution is often neceffary, efpecially in times of Drought : For the Stream o e ‘ ing only part, as has been obferved, of a moderate River, and not able to fuim 1 ^ ~ ç. than the Depth of 5 or 6 Feet, they have endeavour’d to retard, and even ltop t e our e o 1, by the Elbows made by frequent Turnings and Windings of the Canal : It happens ome eais, when there is fearcity of Rain, that it is reduced to three Feet of Water, which ts not u wie to bear the great Imperial Barks, that carry the Provifions and Tributes fur milled by t e rroy Vinces to Court. In Parts therefore fubje# to that Inconvenience, they have recourle to this fort of Sluices, [or Refervoires,] if they deferve that Name, fince they have no other Balm belides the Canal itfelf. The Number of others is not fo great as is reported, not exceeding 45, and their Breadth not above 30 Feet, nor are the Sides of the Canal lined with Stone, except here and there : They often need repairing, either in thofe Places where the Earth, being fandy and loofe, eafily tumbles down ; or elfe near Ponds, which fwell’d by extraordinary Rains, fometimes break down the Banks that are made commonly of Earth, probably the fame that was thrown up in» digging the Canal. They have greater Difficulties to ftruggle with, beyond the Whang-ho : For, to draw the Canal from its Southern fide to the great Tang-tfe-Kyang, it was neceffary to raife great Banks of Stone, and other Works of that kind, to refill the Waters, both of a great Lake which is to thehT?/l, and of the River ^uay-ho, which fwell’d to fucha degree, in the time of great Rains, that, after ravaging the Plain, it fell with fury on the Canal ; thefe Works are near Whay-ngan-fu, and the beft that have been made for the Service of the Canal. There are alfo feme pretty good ones towards Tang-chew-fû, which ferve as Quays to that fine City. Beyond the Ya?ig-tfe-Kyang, the Canal (which is continued from Chin-kyang-fu, thro* Chang- chew-fu, and Sû-chew-fû, and receives the lèverai Canals of the Province of Che-kyang,) is more commodious, as it is not embarrafs’d with Sluices, or fuch like Works. The Evennefs of the Land, the plenty of Water which has no Defcent, and the Nature of the Ground, are Advantages which it wou’d have been difficult for thofe who made the Canal to have met with elfe-where. That which moft charms the Eye, is the vafl Number of large and beautiful Imperial Barks, divided into Squadrons, commanded each by its Mandarin, advancing in great Order, loaded with the beft Things that the Provinces afÏQrd. ?Tis commonly reported, and agreeable to the printed Accounts, that the Number of thefe Barks, maintain’d at the Expence of the Empire, amounts to 10,000. However the Mandarins, who are Surveyors of the Tranfports of Mer¬ chandizes, and count them in their PafTage, have often affirm’d, that they never faw above 4 or 5000 of them arrive : But even that Number is furprizing, when we refle# upon the Large- nefs of thofe Barks, many whereof carry 80 Tun, and that they are defign’d meerly for ap¬ plying the Imperial City with Neceffaries. In the Countries, where there is no danger of damaging the Great Royal Canal, lèverai little Canals have been cut into it, by the Inhabitants of neighbouring Towns or great Villages. The Advantages that accrue by having a Communication with the whole Kingdom, and there¬ by facilitating Trade, have made the Chinefe furmount Difficulties which frighten Europeans. We meet with an Inftance of this in the Canals that pafs from Shau-hingfû to Ni?ig-po-fû * the Waters of one Canal not being on a Level with that of another, the Boat, by means of two Capeftanes, is hoifted upon a Stone-Glacis, or Sloping, v/hich being made llippery with Wa^ ter,r. the Boat Aides down into the fécond Canal, as fwift as an Arrow out of a Bow : For this reafon they are made in form of Gondolas, with Keels of a Wood hard enough to fuftain the Weight of the Bark. Thefe Boats are proper only for carrying Goods from Ning-po, and the Towns depending on it, as far as the Canal of Shau-hing. They differ much, both as to fize and make, from the Imperial Barks, which to be fure wou’d be broken to Pieces, or at leaft receive fome confiderable Damage in the Defcent. In the Province of Quang-fi they have joined the River that falls into the Sea at Kanton with that which, after eroding the Province of Hu-quang, enters into the great Tang-tfe-Kyang at the Place where the Royal Canal ends, as has been already obferved. The Waters which defeend from the Mountains, in the North Part of the Province, form near the City Hing-ngan-hyen a knall River, which is Hopped by a Bank equal to the higheft Ground whereon it runs and its Rapidity makes it fwell above the natural Declivity of its Channel, which difeharges thé Surplus ot the Water. But this Canal, which goes not far, before it enters the two Rivers juft now mentioned, is neither fo commodious, nor fo well kept in Repair as the Grand Canal. The Wa- ter is often fo low, that in many Places the Barks are rather hailed along the Gravel* than car ry d by the Stream. & Thefe forts of Sluices, which are very proper for increafing the Water, by ftoppW its CWr„ are commonly made only of Earth fupportedby Stakes, and their Mouths' fecured bv ’ fuch like things. But whatever Defers happen, they are fupply’d by the Induftrv „„1 ru ’ the Boatmen and Peafants. This Road is chofen by the Merchants^ who are deter! f 0Ur °f king that to Kanton, thro’ the Province of Kyang-fi, becaufe of the Expence and T™ ui i™ ta’ obliged to be at, by carrying their Goods one Day’s journey over Land r°uWe ^ are](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30455868_0001_0063.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
