Vic in China

William John Mortimore describes the grandeur of the Yang-tse to his Victoria College colleagues in 1902.

Not, however, till we had left Ichang did we behold truly magnificent and awe-inspiring scenery. First there were the gorges – the Ichang, Mitan, Wushan, Wind Box and others.

                These gave one the impression that some great giant had cleft the mountains in two to make a passage sufficient for waters of the river to escape. On either side rise up perpendicularly several hundred feet, the bare rock usually made up of thin strata, titled in an oblique direction so as to give the feeling that the river bed had quite an incline, and that we were truly ascending the Yang-tse. A good deal of iron is apparent in the rock, giving it a dark, gloomy hue. As through these gorges our boat sailed along, now with fair, now with fitful breeze, between the massive walls which reached at times so high here and there a summit was shrouded in clouds, a sense of solemn grandeur would steal into the soul. Surely these are the mighty thoughts of the great God! In presence of these, how significant are the sacred poet’s words:

                What is man that Thou are mindful of him.
                And the son of man that thou visited him.

W.J. Mortimore, “Scenes along the Yang-tse,” Acta Victoriana,26 (1902), 449.

A description of the Yangtse from the vantage point of Chungking, comes from Charles Bridgman in a letter dated February 11, 1913.

This is a city of 400,000 or more, and is admirably situated for a good water system.  The Yangtze in its inexplicable twistings, comes toward this city from the south and takes a bend to the northwest. Less than a mile below the bend it is joined by “little river” flowing into it from the south.  A couple of miles back they are closer together, and still further back come very close together, approaching one another from the southwest and southeast.  Thus you see the city of Chunking is not only well located for a water system, but it is naturally fortified on all sides by the water-front and steep banks, and has only the narrow neck of land to the south to guard.

Charles Bridgman. "Letter to Howard, February 11, 1913, Chungking Szechan, China c/o Canadian Methodist Mission."