The record-union., 1897-01-03
CELESTIAL NOTES.
Written In the Interior Of the FloNery
Kingdom.
Life on River BoatS-Primitive Means
of Cultivation-Density of
Population.


and Fifty Miles in China" but if went
the 250 to $500.
Everything travels slowly here except
the hooting, yelling. diminutive Mon
golians when a foreign devil'' appears.
1t is fortunate, or unfortunate, for the
reader that we cannot travel at light
ming express" speed, for in that event
there would have been no leisure for
gathering these observations
But the reader wants to know where
we are at. We are in boat on the
West River, returning from trip to
Ng Chau, city in the province of
Kwang Sal, about 23O miles west Of
Canton.
Our boat is by nc means palatial, but
it is more comfortable than the average
native boat as it is fitted up inside as
far as possible according to Western
notions. 1t is about forty feet long and
eight feet wide; has three small COM
partments, besides the place in the stern
of the boat where the coolies stay who
furnish the motive power.
In the stern of the boat may be seen
a half dozen or more earthen utensils,
by means of which the food of all on
board is cooked. They are simply in
describable, and SO l will not attempt
the impossible, but will only say that We
have not suffered from hunger while on
the trip.
Nearly all native boats are moved up
stream either by polling with long bam-
boos or by means of long bamboo rope
fastened to the mast and pulled by three
or more coolies, who walk along the
river bank
Whenever the wind is favorable the
boatmen put Mother Nature to work
and they take a rest. But they provide
her with very poor tools-rude made
sails, supplemented occasionally by sew
eral United States flour bags, or by any
thing else that can be procured.
The average Chinese boat is not "a
thing Of beauty and "a joy forever"
Coming down stream, in addition to
the force of the current, the boat is
| moved along by rowing and sculling,
and the sail is used whenever it is pos
sible.
Imagine thousands of boats and al
| most every size and shape, without or
with from one to four sails, some with
! no covering, others with palm-leaf and
bamboo mats over them and others
with wooden coverings, containing
| from one to twenty or more persons to
work them, and you Will have some idea
of the innumerable crafts that float on
| this river and it's tributaries.
The internal commerce of this sec
1 have several times counted more than
fifty boats in sight at one time, all as
large or larger than our own, to say
nothing of many smaller ones.
THE "KICKAWAY."
There Is one species of the boat tribe
that is worthy of special mention. 1t
has been designated by a recent writer
as the ''kickaway" boat. There are
many hundreds Of this kind floating in
these southern waters.
They are built especially to carry pas
sengers and are Chinas rapid transits.
A dozen or more coolies tramp in a
tread mill arrangement and thus re-
volve a stern paddle-wheel which pro-
pels the boat.
This kind of boat averages about six
miles an hour and carries an indefinite
number of passengers.
/ have never undertaken to count a
boat-load. AS 1 write now, one is pass
ing us going up the river. It's dozen or
more coolies, with only strip Of cloth
about their loins, tramping and stream
ing with perspiration, the multitudes Of
heads protruding from it's low windows,
belonging to passengers packed away
like sardines, it's odd fittings and huge
rudder, make UP sight interesting if
not attractive.
The country between Canton and Ng
Chau presents many interesting feat
ures. The first fifty miles of the route
carry us through a delta region which
Is threaded with waterways. Much of
the land lies below the level of the riv-
ers, and it's cultivation is made possible
by immense dykes.
Every available foot of land in this
section is worked all the time, two OF
three crops being gathered each year
How does the soil stand this drain
upon it? Victor Hugo, in Les Miser-
ables," gives the correct explanation:
Thanks to human manure the soil of
China is as~youthful as in the days of
Abraham" And it is true, as he also
says, that mot a Chinese peasant who
goes to the city but brings back at
either end of his bamboo bucketful of
what we call filth
Large numbers of boats built especi-,
ally for the purpose, are engaged in
transporting the offal of cities and
towns.
Nothing is lost; thus the sewage
problems of cities, towns and villages
is solved and the fields are enriched.
After one leaves the delta region his
course lies through low mountain
ranges.
The river a really magnificent water
way, broad and deep, winds around be-
tween the mountains, many of which
rise up almost perpendicuIarly from the
waters edge. The altitude of the high
est of them, however, is not more than
1000 feet.
There is much arabic land along the
river banks, and here and there are
broad, fertile valley, we'll watered, and
every foot under cultivation.
Sweet potatoes, sugar cane and rice
are the most common crops. though
there are many other kinds of cereals
and a multitudes of nameless Chinese
vegetables.
THE PEOPLE.
What throngs of people. Men, women.
boys and girls everywhere! John
Chinaman and his tribe are certainly
immensely numerous.
Many cities and large towns are seen
as one Journeys inland, and villages
with from one hundred to a thouSand