CHAP. VI.
FIRST VISIT TO NING-PO.—THE BRIDGE OF BOATS.—CITY AND PAGODA.—MEDICAL MISSIONARY.—TEMPERATURE.—CHINESE MODE OF KEEPING THEMSELVES WARM.—CHARCOAL STOVES.—MY LODGINGS.—CHINESE GAMBLERS.—DESCRIPTION OF SHOPS.—SILKS AND EMBROIDERY.—JADE STONE.—COTTON PRINTING.—ROPE MAKING.—CURIOSITY SHOPS AND CONTENTS.—"FURNITURE STREET" AND FURNITURE.—BANKING ESTABLISHMENT.—NO PROSPECT OF FOREIGN TRADE.—TEMPLES, AND DEVOTION OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE.—DWARFED TREES.—MODE OF DWARFING EXPLAINED.—MANDARINS' GARDENS VISITED AND DESCRIBED.—VIEW FROM NORTHERN HILLS.—AGRICULTURE.—NATIVE FLORA OF THESE HILLS.—GRAVES OF THE DEAD.—COFFINS EXPOSED.
I visited Ning-po for the first time in the autumn of 1843. It is a large town, situated on the main land, nearly west from the Chusan group of islands, on the east coast of China. It stands about twelve miles from the sea, at the junction of two fine streams, which by their union form a noble river capable of being navigated by the larger vessels and junks. One of these branches runs from the west, and the other from the south, meeting at Ning-po; and over the latter the Chinese have constructed a bridge of boats for the traffic with the suburbs on the opposite shore. This bridge is a most simple and ingenious contrivance, consisting of a number of large boats moored at equal distances across the river, forming the basis on which the upper woodwork rests, and enabling the whole to rise and fall to a certain extent with the tide. By this means there is sufficient room under the bridge to allow fishing and passage boats to pass through at all times of the tide, providing it is not running too strong. At spring tides the water rushes through these spaces between the boats with great velocity, and sometimes it is next to impossible to get through.
CITY OF NINGPO—BRIDGE OF BOATS.
London, John Murray, Albemarle Street.