Sentence:  Immediately on our nearing the harbour, a race took place among the amphibious damsels that inhabit the numerous sampans, <WSD>tanka</WSD> or egg-boats, which always lie within a short distance of the shore. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A kind of boat used in Canton, about 25 feet long and often rowed by tanka women; junk.