spend their whole lives on the water, while many who are
employed during the day on land sleep in boats on the various rivers.
This condition of things corresponds in some degree to that described by
Captain Marryat in that fine old story "Jacob Faithful," in the early
chapters of which we get diverting glimpses of life on board a Thames
lighterman. But the river population of China is still more absolutely
aquatic in manner of life than the Thames barge-folk. The boats in
which this class of the population live have an awning of bamboo and
matting fore and aft, which is removed by day and raised at night. At
sundown the boat-people anchor their craft in rows to stakes, thus
forming boat-terraces as it were. When business grows slack at one part
of the river, the master of the boat moves up or down stream to some
other part. From the shape of these boats, resembling somewhat the half
of an egg cut lengthwise, they are called in the Chinese language
"egg-boats." A large family will sometimes pack itself into an egg-boat
not much more than twelve feet long and six broad.

These river-folk have characteristics which almost render them a people
apart. They have a code of laws of their own, differing in many points
from that which governs the land community, and the two populations do
not intermarry. Women to a large extent navigate the egg-boats, as
indeed they do many other kinds of boats in China. Travellers report
that these river-families live peaceable and happy enough lives, seldom
disturbed by disputes of any kind. Possibly one cause for this may be
that which some humourist suggested as the reason why "birds in their
little nests agree," namely, because it would be dangerous if they "fell
out." But, speaking seriously, it says much for the placable nature of
these Chinese river-folk that they can pass such a happy existence
within the narrow bounds of their egg-boats.

Passing over to America, we shall first describe the famous American and
Canadian river steamboats, which are in many respects as curious and
unique as they are generally magnificent. These steamers are usually
paddle-boats; are very long and narrow in shape, but of great strength.
On the hull a sort of lofty platform is built, which is divided into
what may be called the middle and the main deck, one above the other.
Fore and aft there is a spacious, luxuriously appointed, and richly
decorated saloon, covered in with a glass roof.

Ran