It is evident that the Chinese greatly dreaded our visiting this place during the war. I observed that forts had been built on all the most commanding positions on the sides of the river; but most of them were now without guns, and had already become dilapidated.
The little town and fortress of _Mingan_, a few miles up the river, is beautifully situated on a hill sloping down to the water; and the position is so strong by nature, that, if manned with English troops, it could defend the pass against the strongest force.
A few miles below the city the river is blocked up, almost all the way across, with stones and old junks, which are covered at high water. I believe the _intended_ plan of defence was, to wreck all our vessels on this barrier, and destroy our men by batteries erected near it!
On the banks of the river are numerous temples, or joss houses, built in the most romantic and beautiful situations. A fig-tree (_Ficus nitida_)--a kind of Banyan--is a great favourite with the priests, and is always found growing beside the temples, where its dark green leaves and wide-spreading branches afford an agreeable shade from the fierce rays of the sun. About nine miles below Foo-chow-foo, a pretty little pagoda stands on an island on the left bank of the river: near this is the anchorage for large vessels which it would not be prudent to take up to the town. All the low hills are neatty terraced and cultivated with sweet potatoes and earth-nuts, and on the more fertile of the mountains cultivation is carried on at least 2500 feet above the level of the sea. But many of the mountains are quite barren; bare rocks of granite are showing themselves over their surface, from amongst which springs are almost always flowing, and when the water accumulates in the glens between the hills, it forms numerous beautiful cascades, as it tumbles down into the Min. Some parts of the region are well wooded, at least for China; and, viewing the scenery as a whole--the beautiful river, winding its way between mountains, its islands, its temples, its villages and fortresses--I think, although not the richest, it is the most romantic and beautiful part of the country which has come under my observation.