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Related: Yangtze Patrol Force.

Sailors on a liberty party from the USS Houston take in the view from a huge rock overlooking the city of Kulangsu, on the southeastern coast of China. (National Archives)

A waterspout, about 50 yards wide at its base, observed from the USS Pittsburgh in the Yangtze, July 1928. (National Archives)

Ships had to be designed specifically for duty on the Yangtze, with drafts of a mere two and a half feet, enabling them to steam through the gorges of the up­per river. (National Archives)

U.S. sailors on the YangPat had plenty of time for leisurely pursuits; these two enjoy sightseeing in Shantung Province. (National Archives)

Naval and Marine officers meet on a Shanghai racecourse to inspect a U.S Asiatic force drill. (National Archives)

In 1871 the sidewheel monitor Monocacy began to chart the Yangtze. Here, it's towing boats after an attack on the Korean mainland that same year. (National Archives)

A U.S. sailor observes a woman filling tubs at a public well in Hong Kong in 1931. (National Archives)

The YangPat protected American trade interests in China. In this photo, the steamers Monocacy and Palos patrol near the docks of Standard Oil, headquartered in Shanghai. (National Archives)

Sailors from the USS Houston participate in a local custom of tossing stones on top of an elephant sculpture. It's good luck if the stone stays on! (National Archives)