OF THE RIVER woosuNG.
The following memorial is written to show the advantage to be derived from putting in order the water communications, and thereby affording relief to persons suffering from grievous famine, The Tribute of Yii says, The three rivers being made to enter the sea, the moving lake will be at rest." The three watercourses of the Kingdom of Wu should be dug out, and made to flow into the sea. In former days this was done. The Low river and East river which certainly do flow into the sea are small waterways, but the river drains the whole of the T'ai-hu, then through the stream of the Hwangpoo flows into the sea. Now, the officials, whose duty it is to put the water communi cations in order, neglect it, and the provincial Governors take no trouble in the matter; yet although this duty comes before these towns, as well as the money stored at them daily, the tidal mud accumulates daily until, after the lapse of many days equally made use of, and the distressed and months the channel has become s0 people of these districts be given food in choked with silt that although they say the localities where they labour. The old that the property of water is to descend, it channel of the Woosung river will thus be cannot here do so. Whenever there are rendered navigable by the help of the heavy rains, the restless T'ai-hu, thrown famine sufferers; and the people, by the into commotion in consequence, bursts its help of the necessaries of money and rice, banks and there is a general flood. This be relieved of want. Thus a double adis a certainty; when, if the destruction is vantage is gained at one stroke, and a excessive, we see the rice fields submerged, fortunate result is obtained. as was the case in 1561 and more recently in 1569, while at the very least the floods cause things to go floating about. As the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.