International studio (80.1925)

mceRHACionAL

small junk stone bridge sampan

had heard from some boatmen who had heard wood-carver, the planks are bent to shape and
from the Standard Oil servants that the party fastened to the ribs, the uneven spaces where the
was being planned. planks do not meet are filled with small strips and

If you need a boat in which to move your then the whole boat is caulked and oiled. The
household stuff or carry your freight up river, you sampan is used chiefly for ferrying passengers
will hire a one-sail junk. If you wish to be as across a river or for conveying passengers to and
comfortable as possible on an over-night's trip, from the steamers. It is propelled with a scull oar
you will call a regular house-boat. When time is which is not lifted from the water,
a consideration and you want to travel quickly, A familiar scene along the canals is the cormo-

you will send for a foot-boat, a canoe-like type of rant fisherman with several large birds perched
craft which is the "speed-king" of the canals. along either side of his boat. He stands in the
The oarsman of the foot-boat sits at the rear and stern with what apparently is a fishing-pole in his
propels a long oar on the right with his feet while hand; but the pole is provided with neither line
manipulating a paddle on the left with his hands, and hook for catching fish nor with gaff for spear-
The Chinese word "sampan" means "three- ing them, for it is employed simply to punt his
boards;" the construction of this little hooded boat along. At his feet there is a basket half full
craft, however, is not quite so simple as the trans- of fish, so we conclude that the fellow either
Iation of the word would imply. First a keel is brought fish along from home to feed his birds, or
laid and stout ribs, hewn from bent tree-trunks else he has just caught some in a mysterious way.
or limbs, are secured to it; next logs are ripped into While we are wondering which of our conclusions
long planks after the manner portrayed by the is correct, one of the cormorants dives into the

water and comes up with a fish,
which it is forced by the fisher-
man to surrender. A ring around
the neck of the bird prevents it
from swallowing any large fish.

Fish is a staple food almost
everywhere in China, for there
are few places without some
watercourse, canal, or pond
where fish are to be found. Nets
of various sorts are employed to
catch them: a triangular net at
the end of a long pole is some-
times pushed along the bottom
of a canal or pond; again bag-
"fishing with cormora-nts"

three twelve

january 1925