ICHANG TO CHUNG-KING, THROUGH THE YANGTZE GORGES



CHAPTER II.

_Gloom in Ichang Gorge_. _Lightning's effect_. _Travellers' fear_.
_Impressive introduction to the Gorges_. _Boat gets into Yangtze
fashion_. _Storm and its weird effects_. _Wu-pan: what it is_. _Heavenly
electricity and its vagaries_. _Beautiful evening scene, despite heavy
rain_. _Bedding soaked_. _Sleep in a Burberry_. _Gorges and Niagara
Falls compared_. _Bad descriptions of Yangtze_. _World of eternity_.
_Man's significant insignificance_. _Life on board briefly described_.
_Philosophy of travel_. _Houseboat life not luxurious_. _Lose our only
wash-basin_. _Remarks on the "boy." A change in the kitchen:
questionable soup_. _Fairly low temperature_. _Troubles in the larder_.
_General arrangements on board_. _Crew's sleeping-place_. _Sacking makes
a curtain_. _Journalistic labors not easy_. _Rats preponderate_. _Gorges
described statistically_.


Deeper and deeper drooped the dull grey gloom, like a curtain falling
slowly and impenetrably over all things.

A vivid but broken flash of lightning, blazing in a flare of blue and
amber, poured livid reflections, and illuminated with dreadful
distinctness, if only for one ghastly moment, the stupendous cliffs of
the Ichang Gorge, whose wall-like steepness suddenly became darkened as
black as ink.