The River of Golden Sand: The Narrative of a Journey Through China and Eastern Tibet to BurmahWilliam Gill (1843-1883) was an explorer and commissioned officer in the Royal Engineers. After inheriting a fortune from a distant relative in 1871, Gill decided to remain in the Army and use his inheritance to finance explorations of remote countries, satisfying his love of travel and gathering intelligence for the British government. He was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Geographical Society in 1879 for his scientific observations on his expeditions. This two volume work, first published in 1880, is Gill's account of his expedition from Chengdu, China through Sichuan, along the eastern edge of Tibet via Litang, to Bhamo in Burma, a region little explored by westerners before him. Gill describes in vivid detail the cultures, societies and settlements of the region, and their political and economic systems. Volume 1 covers the area around Chengdu and includes an introductory chapter by the eminent orientalist Henry Yule (1820-1889). |
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amongst appearance arrived Assam Baber bamboo bank Baron von Richthofen Bhamo boat Brahmaputra breakfast called Captain Gill Ch'êng-Tu Ch'ung-Ch'ing chair Chin-Tai China Chinaman Chinese Chinese character Ching chow coolies crossed crowd cultivated distance English European foreigners fresh gorge Hankow hills houses Hsien hundred I-Ch'ang India INTRODUCTORY ESSAY Irawadi journey junk kang Kiang Klaproth leaving Li-Fan-Fu Lohit look Ma-Fu Man-Tzu March Marco Polo miles Min River missionaries Mongols morning mountains mules nearly never Ngan night Ning official passed Pei-Ho Peking plain pony rice river road rock rope round seemed seen sent servants Shanghai Si-fan side slopes soon Ssu-Ch'uan steep stone stream street Ta-chien-lu Ta-li-fu taels Tibet Tibetan Tien-Tsin Tinc-Chais tion told town traveller trees Tsanpu turned usual valley vessel VIII village walk walls whilst wind yards Yun-nan