The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-09

4 luQKS f1Qc low IN uVuss e0N Aro Uuul
up behind like the Pinta, Nina and
Santa Maria. They have great geggle
eyes painted and carved on their
bows, and turned to look down at the
water. Every European in China loves
to tell stranger why nearly all the
boats, of every shape and size. are thus
ornamented. 1t is because, III no hal
eye. how can see? If no can see, how
can savoy? If no can savoy. how can
Wake" Then thsre are large cargo.
boats shaped like long barrels or large
cigars. Their rounding tops are made
of bent mats that can be piled on TOP
Of one another in one place to make a
little cabin. or can be pulled out. end
to end, to cover all the cargo. There
are other long narrow boats.' laden
high with garden truck. with potatoes
or pease or beans or rice straw, and
| looking like so many Flstbush farm
wagons afioat. There are little sam
pans, from which men and women fish
with nets. And there are innumer.
able other small boats, wherein men,
women and children are working those
tools, like oyster-tongs. with which
they tear up the weeds that grow be.
meath the water. These they spread
on farms, and thus raise all central
China higher and higher above the wa
ter of the creeks and canals, which is
where the ocean water once was,
| though the land now rises from four to
six feet above it. The express boats
are very interesting. They are slender
long row-boats rooted over with mats,
for one or two passengers, and carry
ing in the stern a muscular Chinaman,
who propels big-bladed oar with his
| feet. With small oar in one hand to
steer with, with the other hand hold
| ing a parasol or fan, the while he may
be putting at his pipe, he tolls calmly
on, all night or all day, seated on the
| point of his spine. and describing end
less circles with his muscular legs ana
his dexterous feet.
Thousands of the vessels, even the
smallest, are the only homes of the
people in them. In them men take
wives; in them children are born and
reared; in them death pursues his
rounds. In them we saw whole fam
lilies at work making baskets, making
lanterns, busy at many sorts of labor.
The family cat or dog. or the melan
chely chicken perched on an outrig-
ger and watching the family duck
at his additions, tail up,sn the water,
with a string tied to his leg to keep
him at home-these were some of the
assurances we had that certain of the
craft were floating homes. Often. on
the cargo boats, the dwelling place
was beneathth . great square mat in
the stern. There the man slept. the
woman cooked rice and fish, and tho
tiniest children worked the yoolo to
send the boat ahead. Baskets hang
ing behind served as closets and
clothes-chestS On the chop-boats,
which are floating homes Of the best
grade. we saw pots Of pretty flowers,
and Kitchens and cooks, and gentle
ladies and solemn looking mustachioed
old grandees, as well as nurses and
children.
Most of all were we interested in
the cormorant fshing-boats. These
are the size of Whitehall row-boat,
and are all open within, to permit the
fisherman to walk from bird to bird
between bow and stern. Often he Is
alone; often he carries boy or . wife
to work the yoolo. The bfrdA sit at
the sides. of the boax, on projecting
sticks over the water. They perch IN
pairs. and there may be ten of them or
two dozen They arc the size and look
very like the 6sh-hawks of tho At
lantic coast; but they ara
dirty birds. with ragged wings,
plucked to keep them from ay-
ing. In color they are metal
lie black. with mottled or creamy or
even white bosoms. They have long.
marrow. curved bills of tho fesh-tear-
ing character. Their perches are
wrapped with straw, to give the birds
good feothold. When fishing is to
be done their master tightens the
moose that each wears round its neck.
and, putting a stick before each one.
lifts it down to the water. When they
have caught fish enough, or, more
likely, have become SO soaked that
they must be taken aboard to dry, he
rows among them and lifts them back
on their perchea Their skill lies in
their greed, and their greed has
doomed them to servile labor.
They are caught on tho sea coast
when young. and are trained by their
purchasers until they become worth
ten dollars, Mexican. apiece. Their
training consists in starving them all
day and in throttling them SO that
they can not swallow what they catch.
When they are in tho water they not
only dive for fish, but are said to swim
swiftly under the water after their
Nrey. When fish is caught, the bird
rises to the surface and gasps and
chokes to get the FISH down.
The other birds rush at him
to wrest his prey from him.
The fisherman hurries to the spot.
beats the other greedy birds away. and
lifting the successful cormorant into
the boat. takes bis fish from him,
loosens his throttling-strine and pokes
some food into his ravenous beak as a
reward of merit At last the birds are
all returned to their perches They
yawn and flap their wings to dry them
selves, and he prepares for them a fair.
~ good dinner Of rice and small fish,
or whatever is cheapest. stopping now
and then 70 scold and beat Que with
cane if one is quarrelsome--Julian
Ralph, In Harper's Magazine.
Verv Poor Catch.
Mercy cried the editors wife, -
she arose In the morning. 70 find two
windows uried omen and the lamp over.