BOW SWEEP Gr> 



has a crooked grain, saying that it is stronger. The 

 bow sweep that works on this beam is a spar suitable 

 to the size of the boat, with the thick end inboard, 

 and on to the thin end are secured by lashings, or bolts, 

 or both, two narrow but thick blades. The spar is 

 htted at the inboard end with beckets and heel ropes 

 according to its size. Mine was only about thirty feet 

 long ; but many of the large junks have them of nearly 

 sixty feet in length, and manned by about fortj'- men 

 or more. They are absolutely indispensable in the 

 navigation of the rapids, and are, as far as I am 

 aware, only in use in China. By their skilful use boats 

 may be turned quickly in the strongest current, and 

 although clumsy-looking, are perhaps the most useful 

 things in the boat when coming down-stream in a flood. 

 Abaft the cabin the boat w'as agaiii-" discked to the 

 counter, and under the deck were- two / lockers, one 

 for a store and the other for the :cpoking utensils of 

 the crew, which were very simple. The tiller nearly 

 touched the cabin door, and my skipper, though a very 

 worthy and good man, was so short that I was obliged 

 to have a special stool made for him to stand on, to 

 enable him to see over the roof of the cabin. On the 

 high counter was built the cook-house, where my pro- 

 visions were cooked, and in which the cook and my 

 boy slept. The whole of the boat was varnished with 



