Show on the tang yang tae tse strange junks float down or sail up the river yang tae tse kiang sometimes mere planks nailed together in an uncouth man ner der sometimes built in the regular river junk fashion and well built too 0 of f varnished wood with raised deckhouses deck houses high above the stern and sails galls of matting and not seldom some be painted and be spangled mandarin boat Is passed covered with gold dragons in contortions and resembling more the advertisement van of some second rate circus than anything else yet they are most picturesque the grotesque animals whose protruding necks form the bow and whose open jaws are filled with scarlet teeth are a marvel but they are not dot alone in their glory for the whole ship is a mass of tangled reptiles and beautiful but mythical birds and beasts the cabin with its gay awning and brilliantly painted walls stands on the deck like a is paris bon bon boan tere while from above fly a multitude of lags long narrow pennants bearing the mandarin owners name and titles flags with curly dragons flags in fact t ot 0 every color and every design every day we were passing these boats boat and each was a picture the decks from which the sailors row are very low to the water and on one occasion the wash of our passing steamer caused such a strain upon the heavy oars that two of a crew were washed overboard we saw them picked up again and then proceeded on our way the gaudy and infuriated mandarin cursing us volubly from the root roof of his cabin all chinese boats have one delightful peculiarity culi cul arity larity in common an eye painted on the bows for argues the simple minded celestial no got eye no makee makes see no makee ma keesee see no can go Black woods magazine |