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A SEA VESSEL UNDER SAIL.
Ships o f this construction are employed by the merchants, in conveying
the produce o f the several provinces to the different ports o f the empire.
T h e h o ld fo r die stowage o f the various commoditie s, is d iv id ed in to
several p a rtitio n s , w h ich are so well caulked, w ith a composition called
c h u -n a n i, as to be w a te r-p ro o f; b y this co n triv an ce, in th e event o f a leak,
th e greater p a rt o f th e cargo is preserved from in ju ry , an d the d an g e r o f
fo u n d e rin g co n s id e rab ly removed.
T h e m a in a n d foresails are o f m a ttin g , stro n g ly in te rw o v e n , an d extended
b y spars o f bam b o o ru n n in g h o rizo n ta lly across th em ; the mizen
an d topsails are n an k e en , th e la tte r o f w h ich is (c o n tra ry to the Eu ro p e an
inediod) n ev e r hoisted h ig h e r th an is seen in the d raw in g . T h e sails are
b ra ced u p o r eased off, b y means o f ropes attached to the extremities o f the
spars in the sails, w h ich are k n ow n b y the name o f a crowfoot; an d thus
th e sh ip is tacked w ith v e ry little trouble.
T h e p row , o r head is, as u su a l w ilh Chine se vessels, w ith o u t stem ; th ey
are likewise w ith o u t keel, and consequently make considerable leeway.
T h e two an ch o rs are made o f a p onderous wood, called b y th e Chinese
ty e -m o u , o r iro n wood, th e several p arts o f w h ich are stro n g ly lashed and
b o lted together, an d p o in ted w ith iro n , th o u g h sometimes th ey c a n y large
g ra p n els o f fo u r sh an k s. T h e arch ed ro o f o f m a ttin g is the cabin, in which
th e seamen sleep, k c . a n d the bamboo sp ars on the q u a rte r, are co n v en ien tly
ca rried in th a t s itu a tio n for th e uses o f the sh ip .
T h e several flags a n d en sig n s, are characteristic o f the taste o f the
C h in e se .
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