SPORT IN WESTERN CHINA 141 



heating and weighting with heavy stones. A narrow wicker- 

 staging is carried down the centre of the raft, and is raised 

 about a foot above the floor ; on this the merchandise is placed 

 to keep it dry, or, in the case of wine-jars, they are lashed to 

 the staging. 



These rafts are capable of yielding both transversely and 

 laterally, and can thus pass over any slightly submerged 

 obstruction. Fully loaded, one raft will carry a freight of 

 about 30,000 lbs. weight, and then draw only about 6 inches 

 of water, owing to the great buoyancy of the hollow cylinders 

 of bamboo. Down-stream a crew of four men manipulates each 

 craft, which is propelled by an oar on either side and steered by 

 a scull aft and another forward, but the latter is only used in 

 the more difficult places. The sculls and oars are fitted to 

 Alder stumps, which serve as rowlocks. The rafts are hauled 

 up-stream by men attached to bamboo lines, and several 

 usually travel in company, in order that the crews may assist 

 one another over the more difficult rapids. 



The Ya when not in flood is a clear-water stream, and from 

 the raft the stony river-bottom is plainly visible ; often the 

 boulders look so dangerously near the bottom of the raft that 

 the passenger expects a bump every few minutes. A curious 

 hissing and crackling noise accompanies the raft's progress 

 over the more shallow places. This noise is due to the move- 

 ment of the boulders and stones in the bed of the stream, 

 the hollow bamboo tubes acting as sounding boards. There 

 are many angry and dangerous rapids and whirlpools on the 

 Ya, and the current is very swift : shooting these places is 

 most exciting work. There is really very little possibility of 

 an accident unless the raft is overladen, but as every rock 

 and stone is visible in the clear water the uninitiated feel the 

 presence of danger in a rather alarming fashion. 



In the winter season this stony river is the haunt of 

 thousands of Wild Duck, which congregate in the daytime in 

 the vicinity of rapids, races, and boulder-strewn shoals. Ex- 

 cellent and highly exhilarating sport may be obtained by 

 engaging a raft at Yachou and shooting wild-fowl from it as 

 the stream is descended. A little noise will scare the birds 

 on the approach of the raft, and whilst the latter successfully 



