Remarks on Conservancy of the Huangpu and the state of the Yangtze wit regard to its bearing on the Huangpu at the present time, 26 years after Johs De Rijke's report.
'The Estuary of the Yangtze. De Rijke considers this question is for Shanghai of proemment importance, much more so than the Woosung Bar.' The data for the following remarks are De Rijke's report on the Estuary of the Yangtze in 1875; the Admiralty chart of 1861, sheet 2, by Commander Ward, R.N. with corrections to 1871; the Admiralty chart of 1877-1880 by myself, with corrections to 1899, chiefly by myself; a survey by Catan Napier and officers of HM.S Magpie from Woosung to the entrance of the North Channel in 1880; a survey of Harvey Point Channel by myself in April, by officers of H.MS. Merlin in June, and by Captain Bisbee, Coast Inspector when the buoys were first placed in November, 1887; a survey by tis stated that not since the great officers of R. C. Kaipan from Woosung 16 miles up the Yang'ze in 1899.
De Rijke says that channels are made and maintained by the downflow, that the volume of water coming down the Yangtze must always make for itself a channel somewhere, and that as long as the channel is good from the entrance of the Huangpu upwards there is nothing to fear for Shanghai, I will {not attempt an opinion on anything below the entrance of the Huangpu, as I never by any chance go that way if Ican help it, neither do I profess to know anything of that part of the river. Consequently my remarks will be confined to the Yangtze from the entrance f the Huangpu upwards, A writer to the North-China Herald" in 1875 predicts that the North Branch will eventually become the maiv channel or entrance to the Yangtze. De Rijke disagrees with him, and nature is doing what is necessary to confute his prophesy.
De Rijke allows the North Channel to be the main channel, and says the present south Channel will eventually close. His principal an is for anew channel to run in an E, direction across to the North Channel to the south of Bush Island and
ides the works he—proposed through {he then Middle Channel, and his was principally for this channel. His report ts very full, considering the available information to be had at that time. OF his ability to carry out the works he proposed there can be no doubt.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.