February, 1918 C U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 23 



attached to the deck of the vessel. By winding up the end of this cable, the boat 

 was necessarily drawn toward the end of the trunk and it was thus moved a few 

 feet out of its position toward the channel of the river. The trunk was then taken 

 up and again planted a few feet nearer to the channel and the operation was re- 

 peated. In this way, after many hours of consecutive work, the vessel was grad- 

 ually drawn into water where it could be floated. 



The most comfortable of the state rooms found on these steamers are suffi- 

 ciently uncomfortable. Owing to the custom of stealing small articles that can 

 be carried away, the vessel furnishes no bedding of any kind, except a bare canvas 

 cot ; no mattress, covering or pillows, no soap nor towels, and in fact nothing in 

 the way of furniture except the cot referred to and a cheap chair or two. Unfor- 

 tunate indeed is the passenger who has not been informed and who has not pro- 

 vided himself with an outfit sufficient not only for the ordinary occasion but for 

 emergencies which are liable to greatly extend the duration of his journey. 



The clothing worn upon these vessels must be very light and thin in order 

 to be tolerable. White suits of linen or cotton duck are the rule. They very 

 quickly become soiled and one must take several suits, with extra trousers, in 

 order to be sure of making a presentable appearance. Meals are served in a long 

 central saloon with the state rooms opening along its sides. The heat here is so 

 great that one finishes his meal as quickly as possible and is glad to escape into 

 the open air. There is a very great difference in the bill of fare supplied on the 

 different steamers. I have fared very well indeed upon the best of them, while 

 upon another, I have found it almost impossible to eat the food and have suffered 

 very considerable hardship from hunger. No one who can do so should ever take 

 passage upon one of these steamers without supplying himself with some biscuits, 

 sardines, soups, canned meat or something of the kind, and especially with a sup- 

 ply of lemons and fresh fruits. At times, delicious mangoes, pineapples, oranges, 

 bananas, etc. are to be had at the stopping places, but at others one may make 

 the entire journey without encountering fruit of any kind. A medicine case 

 containing the simplest requirements, especially some laxative drugs, should be 

 carried by everyone. Above all, one should not travel without a supply of quinine. 

 Toilet accommodations upon these vessels are of course of the most wretched de- 

 scription. For bathing purposes one uses the river water and after a bath he may 

 spend some time in combing the river mud out of his hair. 



Perhaps the most disagreeable of all the features connected with this river 

 travel is the difficulty in obtaining state rooms. The steamers are usually over- 

 crowded, and unless one telegraphs in advance — a week or two ahead of the sail- 

 ing day — he is quite likely to find himself without a room. He will then be given 

 a cot which he may place upon the deck in any position most satisfactory to him- 

 self. The result is that as soon as bed time arrives, it is practically impossible 

 for anyone to move about the vessel, as every available foot of space is crowded 

 with cots bearing their sleeping occupants. The experience of those who are 



