Szechuen; where they live peaceably, under the government of their own officers, subject to the control of the Chinese. Others range at liberty their native mountains, governed by princes, who are either of their own choosing, or are hereditary among them. Of the latter class is the tribe called Yaou-jin, occupying the hills between Kwangtung, Kwangse, and Hoonan, which has lately joined with secret associations of Chinese, to attack the surrounding country, and aim at the Imperial throne. The King of this tribe is named Le-tih-ming, and is now a mere youth, under 20 years of age.
The mountainous range in the north-west, Malte-Brun supposes to consist, not so much of regular chains, as of a succession of terraces or table-lands. These mountains first appear in Szechuen, whence they extend, in irregular ranges, over great part of the provinces of Kansuh and Shense, both on the north and south of the Yellow river. In Shense the chain divides; and one branch occupies the extensive plateau formed by the great northern bend of the Yellow river; while the other stretches eastward into Honan, till it again meets that river, after its return southward from Mongolia. The chain being here more broken and less elevated than in the other provinces, no obstacle is presented to the progress of that great river towards the sea; but on the north of it, the chain assumes a more regular appearance; and running up between the province of Shanse and Chihle, is met at its termination by a portion of the great wall. There is a considerable break between this part of the chain, and what is considered as the continuation of it in Mongolia.
Of the south-eastern range of mountains, the Meiling, celebrated for the road cut over it, between the provinces of Kwangtung and Keangse, has alone been examined by Europeans. Its prevailing rocks appear to be gneiss and quartz. The western parts of the chain, in Kwangse, Yunnan, and Kweichow are, probably, richer in minerals than any other portion of China. They possess gold, silver, iron, tin, and copper mines, in many places; also cornelians, jasper, rubies, and beautiful marbles in Yunnan. Gold and silver exist, likewise, to some extent, in Szechuen, Kwangtung, and Keangse; and to a smaller extent in Hoopih and Fuhkeen. Iron and lead are found more or less in all the southern provinces. Mercury is obtained, chiefly in Szechuen and Kweichow. And there are a few coal-mines in Kwangtung.—The mountains of the north appear to be less abundant in minerals; but iron and tin are obtained to a small amount in most provinces. The Yuh stone or jade is found in Shense, Shanse, and Honan; the cornelian in Chihle. There are marble quarries, in Ganhwuy, Shantung, and Shanse; and there are extensive coal pits, in the southern portion of Chihle, in Shan-se, and also, to a very limited extent, in Shantung, Keangsoo, and Honan.
