Travels of a pioneer of commerce in pigtail and petticoats; or, An overland journey from China towards India . w to Sha-s,was comfortable and, above all, safe. It was thirty feet long,with four feet beam, the bow and the stern turned up canoe-fashion ; a space of twelve feet in the centre part was coveredover with water-tight reed matting, forming a capital protec-tion against wind and rain. In the fore-part of this littlecabin, which was divided by a cross-rail, we kept our smallearthenware stove, cooking utensils, and baggage. Philip and Ch. II.] WAN-CHIEN BOAT. 53 Lowlee also made up tLeir
Travels of a pioneer of commerce in pigtail and petticoats; or, An overland journey from China towards India . w to Sha-s,was comfortable and, above all, safe. It was thirty feet long,with four feet beam, the bow and the stern turned up canoe-fashion ; a space of twelve feet in the centre part was coveredover with water-tight reed matting, forming a capital protec-tion against wind and rain. In the fore-part of this littlecabin, which was divided by a cross-rail, we kept our smallearthenware stove, cooking utensils, and baggage. Philip and Ch. II.] WAN-CHIEN BOAT. 53 Lowlee also made up tLeir beds there; the other division Ioccupied, which was long enough for me to lie down at fulllength, but I was obliged to crawl in and out on my handsand knees. A space of ten feet from the bow was occupiedby the three boatmen, who at night covered it over with mats,making themselves very snug, and an equal space aft, servedas a shelter for the Lowder. This description of boat is admir-ably adapted for the navigation of rapids, for they draw verylittle water, and are built of an exceedingly tough wood, which. WAN-CHIEN BOAT. grows in the district of Wan-chien, a small town on the leftbank of the Yang-ts, in the province of Sz-chuan, whencethey are known along the line of river as Wan-chien boats;they are propelled by oars, and a square, sail set on a pair ofshears by way of mast, which can be easily lowered or tow-rope is attached to the mast-head, by means of whichthe boatmen haul the boat up rapids, and also track whenthe nature of the river banks permits them to walk. Having made all snug, we were about to cast off from the 04 TEAYELS OF A PIONEER OF COMMEECE. [Ch. II. shore, when Captain Blakistons old Lowder came runningtowards us, evidently in a great state of excitement. Heinformed us that he had just been told by another Lowder,newly arrived from up river, that one of the six youngFathers, who had left me behind at Hankow, had beendrowned in ascending one of the
Size: 2122px × 1177px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidtravelsofpionee00coop
