Archibald Little launched Leechuan, a wooden twin-screw steamer, from Shanghai on 15 January 1898 and arrived in Chungking 9 March 1898. Though the ship required trackers upriver through the rapids and was too small for cargo, it fulfilled its mission of securing interest and funding for a new Upper Yangtze steamship – Pioneer. Little piloted Leechuan on her maiden voyage, but it was the arrival of Captain Cornell Plant age 32 in China in 1899 that forever changed Upper Yangtze River trade.
Plant had been given the opportunity by Lynch’s Euphrates & Tigris Steam Navigation Co. at age 25 to captain his first ship Shushan on the Upper Karun River in unchartered commercial waters. At times, he wrote, “There seemed scarcely room for a steam launch to pass, much less a stern-wheel steamer, the size of the Shushan. However, there was nothing for it but to try it, trust in providence and take every precaution. We slowed down our half-speed to a crawl and with a renewed load of anxiety on my mind, I guided our ship up this narrow lane. The jungle rose high and thick on either hand and this, added to the numerous bends indulged by the stream, trebled the difficulties in our way. On coming to these bends, most of which were very sharp, I was obliged to put the vessel on to full speed in order to get her to swing round quickly to her helm as she hadn’t a foot of room to spare. I was in a state of mind bordering on terror lest she should touch aft and smash up her wheel. The perspiration literally streamed from me for the bare exertion of manipulating the wheel under such conditions was tremendous. It was hard over, steady and hard over again, and this repeated every five minutes, so winding was the course and so sharp were the corners. Any helmsman accustomed to difficult river navigation will understand the position and sympathize with me.”
That Captain Plant was selected to tackle the challenge of Upper Yangtze steamship navigation in China is of no surprise. Leechuan was the craft he used to survey the river and help design and pilot the first Upper Yangtze steamship Pioneer unaided by trackers.
When I saw this image of Leechaun for sale on eBay, I was astonished. I immediately bought it, knowing the profound impact this ship had as the precursor to Upper Yangtze steamship service.