. A sketcher's tour round the world. These vessels were ofall shapes and sizes, from the large trading junks and coveredboats, which bring down the tea, to the little punt of thebarber, smaller than a Welsh coracle. The barber sits inthe stern of his little craft, and makes a ting-ting noise withtwo pieces of metal in his left hand, whilst with his right hesculls about from one boat to another, in search of a country where all heads are shaved, barbers are ofcourse in great requisition, and on shore they walk aboutwith a seat, razors, and basin, and fulfil their professionalfuncti
. A sketcher's tour round the world. These vessels were ofall shapes and sizes, from the large trading junks and coveredboats, which bring down the tea, to the little punt of thebarber, smaller than a Welsh coracle. The barber sits inthe stern of his little craft, and makes a ting-ting noise withtwo pieces of metal in his left hand, whilst with his right hesculls about from one boat to another, in search of a country where all heads are shaved, barbers are ofcourse in great requisition, and on shore they walk aboutwith a seat, razors, and basin, and fulfil their professionalfunctions in the street. After shaving the head, they gene-rally finish up by cleaning out the ears of the patient, anoperation by which numbers are made deaf. Their razorsare curious instruments, roughly made of soft metal, theblade nearly triangular, and very thick at the back, but theedge can be made very sharp, and the Chinese prefer themto those of English manufacture. But my attention was now riveted on the countless boats > 4£. 5zi o H Oh THE RIVER. 339 roving about the harbour, some of which, called snake-boats, are beautiful models, built fine and sharp, like aThames wherry, and pull thirty oars on each side. Theothers are chiefly propelled by a stern oar, worked backwardsand forwards, like the tail of a fish. The junks that takepassengers up and down the river have a very large sternoar, worked by six or eight men; but I do not think it is agood principle, as a great deal of power is wasted, thoughperhaps in a crowded river it may be less open to objection,from taking up so little room. Numbers of boats are sta-tionary, moored in rows, like streets, and are inhabited bythousands of people living in them, just as they would onshore, and these river thoroughfares are traversed by smallerboats, which bring them provisions and supplies. In onegreat riot in Canton, when the Chinese got possession ofthe hongs and destroyed some of them, the English residentswere obliged to ta
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade185, booksubjectvoyagesaroundtheworld
