Evening star., 1928-04-15
Floating Cities.

Cnil0ren are born. grow up, marry
hno carry on their life work aboard
the sampans Of China's floating cities
says the National Geographic Society.
Most OF the great river cities of
southern and central China have such
. floating population. but the boat
cwellers OF Shanghai and Canton form
large communities In themselves. A
traveller OF SUFFICIENT energy could la
bor1ously progress for miles by jumping
from the deck Of one sampan to an
other.
Like the Dutch canal boat people,
these river folk are a race unto them
selves. apart from the common run of
their fellow men. In many cases their
mode OF life has been handed down
from father to son for generations
When China's teerning acres became
oTercrowded and expensive and a grow
Ing commerce demanded river trans
porataon IN even larger volume, many
a1genious Chinese combined business
with economy and took 10 living aboard
their tiny craft
Although business might call far
and vide along the numerous rivers
and canals, II was the large commercial
EenteTS az the mouths Of mighty
Streams that offered the most lively
carrying trade Hence these cities
carly became headquarters for the
a'ateT dweileFs
The riyerrnan often made long
voyages up country, but he always
came home 70 F0ost. Hence the dirty,
etD-gn1elling stretches of river and back
wash surrounding such centers as
Canton and Shanghai and even around
Eos1Rkong and Singapore became the
native heath Of an army Of Sampan-
dwelling Chinese, who from childhood
have known no other life.
The visible means of support Of
these communities Is the carrying trade
from wharf 10 wharf and from bund 70
steamer or junk across river and up
canals
Some saupans house petty ner-
chants and peddlers vino carry on
mall trade in the necessities Of life
from boat 20 boat within the water
ccioDy Itself Occasionally a craft Is
flied 70 0Yerfjowing With huge white
nucks which fatten in the daytime on
the tidal mud fats FJr harvested fields
eDd st night walk 1gangplank back 10
tiIeiE neating barnstTd. They proceed
ore by one. In a qetacking and pushing
single flie. each nugrying not 10 BE- the
iaGt duck aboard. The return home In
the e1enings Is sometimes fastened. IT
Il sid, by giving the last duck sharp
fraek with q switch. The awkward
procession seoD learns the trick and q
egE1ic tDnult arises not 10 be the un-
fortunate tail u The procession.
Chinese Sampans are f3aFyelously
easy 20 handle. being the product Of
generations VI adaptation 10 environ
taent. They dart like water spiders
mere anc there among the harbor traf-
flc, clustering like barnacles around
ftge great steamers anchored OiJgh0Te.
y
groves before 90 approaching storm,
each knowing IS II Dy instinct tia own
gaGe sn the quiet reaches ~ sheltered
aaateT There is no mistake, no con-
fusion. each bit falls uuerringly into
ace like a gigantic picture puzzle
syhen the high wind arrived each craft
ss il place With not ssnDan left over
~ vacant square 81 water Dig enough
~ mold 0ne
Ia spite of the shifting needs 81
e9namerce family life sppafd proceeds
sbola iis daily routine 81 usual albeit
% rather more cFampe6 quarter
fslo4llss vegetables and babies aIe
aKhed side by E8de IN the stream atd
slae, cooking H. done aboye aiu1inutiye
: lsrzzi3Fjlke xtgge Growing chlloTen
helo With the handling of the boat ard
<sFgo, snd grsndulotilers Ia blue cotton
sagEed garments smoke long ~ste Han,Eq
5DeE A. B99nt ali dfSb UgEetfisF 49,
.eigi1boriy chatter from boat " sSfSa
.oHncs like 3 newly arrived h0ck q
Dlacki1gds The riyer folk are poor bui
eznemfiy cbserful, especially over tff
evening meal
Lights from great liners shine acfos'
ge hafh0F and music from an Decs
onsl gayly deekec pleasure barge boal
3 from the uli0siEeaHg channel In fes
& her places iugEs 50 strongly ths SIIfi
I al the East 10 a newly arrived
foreigner a glde ashore IN lantern
9s2hfed ssgnp9u through thf sHiitl.
sang mysteries # riger tfstbc is tL'
sol 10 romance