30 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



Of the duties of a loadah, the one ever 

 present is the careful management of the 

 boat and her preservation. Without this 

 attention the boat may be damaged in the 

 narrow waterways or by collision with the 

 native boats which, it would seem, fill every 

 stream as the carriers of the internal trade 

 and commerce of China. The management 

 of the boat also means that the loadah 

 should be ready at short notice to go from 

 place to place, and if familiar with the tides 

 and currents he will employ the means 

 calculated to ensure the fastest movement. 

 When there is a head tide or wind, some- 

 times it is necessary to " Yuloh " or 

 "Track". Yulohing is nothing more 

 than English sculling, except that the oar 

 in the former is fitted on a pivot, while in 

 the latter it is worked in a hole the shape 

 of a half circle. Under favorable circum- 

 stances the average rate by yulohing is 

 from 3 ^ to 4 miles per hour. When the 

 wind or current is very strong ahead 

 tracking is the more certain means of 

 moving the boat expeditiously. One end 

 of a rope is made fast to the top of a bamboo 

 pole which is secured near the mast 

 about ten feet above the deck, and several 



