Page:The costume of China, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings.pdf/53

 A GROUP OF TRACKERS

Of the Vessels, at Dinner.

WHEN the wind or tide is unfavourable to the progress of the vessels, the sail and oars are laid aside, and the more general mode of tracking them is adopted. The number of trackers employed, depends on the size of the vessel, or strength of the current, which often requires the efforts of twenty men to counteract: these are kept in full exertion by a task-master, who most liberally applies the whip, where he sees a disposition to idleness.

The chief food of these poor labourers, is rice; and they consider it a luxury, when they can procure vegetables fried in rancid oil, or animal offal, to mix with it. They are represented cooking their meal over an earthen stove; the standing figure is employed eating his rice in the usual way, which is by placing the edge of the bowl against his lower lip, and with the chopsticks knocking the contents into his mouth.

They sometimes wear shoes made of straw, but are more frequently without any. The pien-za, or queue, is often inconvenient to Chinese labourers; to avoid which they twist it round their heads, and secure it by tucking in its extremity.

The flat boards, with cordage to them, are applied to the breast when dragging the junks, or vessels.