Canton River

Canton River, or Pearl River (Chin. Chu-Kiang), is the lower part of the Pe-Kiang, which is navigable for 300 miles through the provinces of Quang-tung and Kiang-See. It is joined about four miles west of Canton by a branch of the Si-Kiang. Near the city it is crowded with craft of all kinds, and has depth enough for vessels of 1,000 tons. Foreign ships, however, usually unload at Whampoa, 15 miles lower down. Between Canton and the sea it has many islands, some of which are fortified, and below the Bogue, or Bocca Tigris, it forms a large estuary called the "Outer Waters."