Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-02-04
JUNKS IN FRISCO BAY.
Chinese Craft That Ply tho Waters
of the Golden Gate.

Chinese Craft That Ply tho waters
of the Golden Gate.
OF all the craft that plow the waters
NJ San Francisco bay none are more
curious or more picturesque than the
Chinese junks. Probably few people
are aware of the existence within the
nortals of the Golden Gate OF neet
Of these strange little boats, built on
almost precisely the same lines tnat
Mongolian marine architects made
fashionable many long centuries ago.
They frequent the byways rather than
the highways Of the harbor. One might
visit the busy water front section every
day for a month and not be rewarded
with the sight Of junk.
The greater part Of this oriental heet
in occidental waters is employed IN tne
shrimp fishing industry, a brancn OF
human activity which in this city Is
almost exclusively in the hands or the
Chinese. A few, indeed, journey among
the townships located around the pay
and collect old horseshoes, kelp ana
broken glass. the latter utilized In the
manufacture Of sandpaper. Others are
used as fishing smacks. Many OF them'
II ia said. are available when there Is
chance to smuggle little opium. From
vessels arriving from the east parcels
Of the drowsy drug, with floats attach
ed have been dropped overheard, and
q keen eyed junk captain has general
" been near enough to secure the val
uable contraband. But the vigilance
of the customs authorities has pretty
we'll nut an end to this practice, and
the iunks are now perforce engaged ID
Ieoitimate business. The other Is too
! risky.
The Chinese junk is in itself an Illus
tration of the characteristic Celestial
, imneryiousness to all change. 1t Is
built along lines that have remained
. practically unchanged for hundreds OF
, wears. Yet, though apparently a relic
D of past ages, this craft is not 10 Dc
n despised as a useful boat for bay pur-
I noses. 1t is a very fast sailer, Is capa-
g BILE of resisting squally weather and Is
easily handled.
o The laws Of Uncle Sam take no more
|. cognizance Of the average Chinese JUNK
? in this harbor than Of floating log oil
e wood. The vessel is, as a rule, 4O feel
!. long by 10 feet on the beam. 1t car
Y ries one mast thirty feet high. The
'e crew of a shrimp boat comprises slS
d men.
u The unmistakable, distinctive ear
IS mark of the junk is its sail. IL Il
n tvnically Chinese "a huge, nearl.
e, square thing, measuring perhaps =
III feet by 80 feet. Nothing Is more od'
I'd about this sail than the fact that II
STAYED or Slated with cane sticks a
en regular intervals, three or four fee
es anart over its whole length. The ef1ec
ry e. something on the lines Of Venetla
blind. stiff instead Of limp, like the e'
m ervday European and American sal
This is another very old idea carrie
down to these modern times by Ch
nese conservatism. The purpose OF 10
stats is not clear. Probably they al
meant to obviate the necessity OF car
fully furling and folding the sail whe
IT is down. The junk sail is run =
and down by a pulley instead OF
means of a ring. When lowered 1t
mains where it falls, does not becon
tangled and may be hoisted again j
stantly and without trouble. -.
A junk is built on the beach py VI
nese shlpbuilders. During last SUI
mer q new one was constructed
NV Hunters Point. 1t took three mont
sr- to put it together. The builder charg'
wn $3.50 for it, inclusive Of labor ana ID
on terial.-San Francisco Chronicle