The Irish standard., 1889-02-09
TRANSPORTING BURDENS

TRANSPORTING BURDENS.
Different Modes in Which Human Beings
Garry Heavy Loads.
At the last meeting of the Anthropolog-
cal Society, Of Washington, says Science,
Prof Mason read paper in which he de-
scribed some of the more common ways in
which man has made himself beast OF
burden. The brief abstract given here
presents some of the more salient parts OF
the paper
In his predatory remarks, Prof. Mason
explained that this was subject that had
awakened his deepest interest, and that
the paper he presented was but an intro
auction to other researches. by means of
which he proposed to fully investigate and
demonstrate the growth of commerce as
carried on through the agency Of the
human body. That the aboriginal inhahit-
ants performed great feats in the way OF
transporting materials is shown by the CO.
existence of raw copper on the shores OF
Lake Superior, and manufactured copper
implements in the remains Of the mound
and cave dwellings in the southern part OF
The country. The same thing is true of the
presence Of wrought jade, winch is found
IN China and in the Swiss lake-dwellings.
Men and women were the first beasts Of
burden, and it is undoubtedly true that all
aboriginal carrying was done On their
beads and backs.
Even the improved state of civilized so
c;ety has not exting uished all traces Of this,
for human carriers are still numerous. Hod-
carriers have but recently, and indeed but
partially, been superseded by elevating ma
chimes. The great progress Of the time has
been such. continued Prof. Mason, that nc
one walks nowadays unless it is e. pre-
ferred exercise; horses, steam and cleo
tricity lend their aid to whirl people to their
destinations. It is considered vulgar to
carry parcel; the humblest servant girl,
buying few cents worth, may have her
purchase taken home in special delivery
wagon covered with forty coats Of lacquer.
1t has been calculated that two million tons
Rre constantly worn by the human race in
the way of dress and ornament.
The paper then enumerated the various
methods by which the various beasts Of bur
den perform their carrying tasks; first Of
ali, the hand--the right hand. In speaking
of this, Prof. Mason said that he has exam
ined n great number OF savage implements
designed to be carried in the hand,
and that the proportion Of those
shaped for use by the lett hand was
cot greater than one to fifty In
no case did he find &: leG-hand female inn
plement. Then both hands are used, after
which the fingers come into play. AS an
illustration of the use Of the fingers in car
rying, Prof. Mason mentioned the summer
resort waiter, who bears his tray aloft on
three fingers. The baldr;c is next in order,
slung over the shoulder by a strap, and
hanging on the hip. In this way hunters
carry game, and travellers carry small
sachels. Then, still pre- "essing, goods to
be carried are hung to ~ belt. Hanging
things on the arm may be called the retail
method CT carrying, and is used by farm
hands, servants, porters; IN fact q large
proportion of the people we meet in any
place. While civilized being will twist
his form 80 as 10 get the load that is hung
On his arm supported by his back, a savage
will never be found doing so. Next comes
the hanging.over tho shoulder, Of which a
good example is the universal sack Of the
negro vagabond, containing unclaimed
property aud other peoples chickens. This
method is used by grain portsers aud hod-
carriers.
The Oriental porters carry almost ex-
clusiyely on their shoulders a coolys
average load is hundred pounds, with
which he can make thirty miles day. 1t
is estimated that there are million tons Of
material moved by coolies in China each
day. Then both shoulders come into use,
the load being placed round the neck; after
which On easy progression is to The back,
which is the natural carrying-place Of the
burden. The soldier, carrying his KNAPP
sack and rations, is good example. Then
loads are carried on the heads, q process
called "totipg." The negro is domestic
example, and dairy-maids are reputed to
carry their milk-palls on their heads, and
there many other illustrations Of this mode
of trans ortation. Certain tribes of In
dams wear straw rings on their heads to
aid in bearing and balancing these great
loads. Pockets, remarked Prof. Mason,
are scarcely worth mentioning as civilized
means of transportation, although the how
ing robes of Chinaman are capable of
concealng at least half bushel Of playing
cards-a capacity that deserves passing
potice.
The carrying power given by these
various modes is augmented by means Of
combinations of men, in illustration of
which the vast works in Egypt and other
Eastern countries were cited. Men also
carry goods by traction; that IL, 0y drawing
over the ground. First the arm alone is
used, then line is fastened to the object
and to the person. 1t is held in the hand
over the shoulder, or wound over the
waist or over pole. The hunter drawing
home his game is primitive example Of
this means of carrying. Throwing is some
times resorted to as q mode OF transporta-
ton, of which the negro method of handling
watermelons by tossing them from hand to
hand is far example. Dirt and excavated
material were at first carried in sacks,
which have been superseded by shovels.
The great necessities and the diderentiat-
ing processes of civilization for rapid and
safe transportation give rise to tho profess
sional carriers, among whom may be men
toned carriers, messengers, mal-men and
peddlers
Deaths from Lightning.
The majority Of deaths from lightning oc-
cur in the level, open country-trees, vii
lagos and thickly bullt-up towns and cities,
by their projections in the air, serving as
conductors and thereby protecting the in
habitants from direct stroke. The loss Of
life annually throughout the world is very
greet. In European Russia, from 1870 to
1877, no less than 2270 persons were killed
BY this cause. In Austria, during the same
+;,no TX, rersona were likewise killed. In