IV.
UP THE SI-KIANG, WEST RIVER.
On the morning of March 10th we took passage on the
Manning for Wuchow, in Kwangsi province, a journey of
220 miles up the West river, or Sikiang. The Nanning is
one of two English steamers making regular trips between
the two places, and it was the sister boat which in the summer
of 1906 was attacked by pirates on one of her trips
and all of the officers and first class passengers killed while
at dinner. The cause of this attack, it is said, or the
excuse for it, was threatened famine resulting from destructive
floods which had ruined the rice and mulberry crops
of the great delta region and had prevented the carrying
of manure and bean cake as fertilizers to the tea fields in
the hill lands beyond, thus bringing ruin to three of the
great staple crops of the region. To avoid the recurrence
of such tragedies the first class quarters on the Nanning
had been separated from the rest of the ship by heavy iron
gratings thrown across the decks and over the hatchways.
Armed guards stood at the locked gateways, and swords
were hanging from posts under the awnings of the first
cabin quarters, much as saw and ax in our passenger
coaches. Both British and Chinese gunboats were
patrolling the river; all Chinese passengers were searched for
concealed weapons as they came aboard, even though
Government soldiers, and all arms taken into custody until the
end of the journey. Several of the large Chinese merchant
junks which were passed, carrying valuable cargoes on the
river, were armed with small cannon, and when riding by
