Page:Ling-Nam; or, Interior views of southern China, including explorations in the hitherto untraversed island of Hainan (IA cu31924023225307).pdf/115

 The Bamboo River. Itt

the groves and up the ravines, many villages with their busy people are found. All are at work on bamboo in some form, The multiform uses of this wonderful plant are amazing. Houses may be built with it, the heavier trunks standing as pillars, and making good rafters; the split canes, in broad sheets woven with wattles, form the sides, or, cut into halves, make the floors; the door of the same material, fastened with bamboo thongs, and lacked with a peculiar bolt of the same wood; while the roof is composed of bamboo thateh, which is perfectly impervious. The furniture, in the form of stools, chairs, tables, couches, pillows, are all of bamboo, while cups, waterpails, ladles to dip ont the rice, and wrappings for cakes of various kinds, are of the same material, The fuel for the clay furnace, and the young sprouts stewing in the pot, are from the same root. The mats to sleep upon, the lattice that forms the windows, the ladder to ascend to the loft, lamps to light the room, arid lanterns to hang outside the door, ave all of bamboo. Rafts on the river, for fishing or transport, bridges across streams, yokes for cattle, water- pipes four and five inches in diameter, and the long cups placed in circles around the great waterwheels which pour the streams into the field, are from the same plant. Watch- towers in the city, great sheds erected over buildings in course of construction, the framework of theatres, rain- spouts, tent-poles, spear-handles, dry and liquid manures, are all made of this material. Cloth for garments, hats, caps, cuffs, shoes, umbrellas, tobacco-pipes, both stem and howl, show more of its uses. In many boats the roof is made of bamboo lattice, with leaves of the same plant interlaced. The poles for pushing, the ropes for tracking