A second-class Manure pirate Prahu of Min danao carries a crew of about 60 men. It hM a stage or platform suspended to the mast, with grappling hooks attached to the end, which is used as a bridge for boarding a prize. The first-class Illanun pirate Prahu of Mindanao carries a errw of 100 men or thereabout. in this description of vessel, the tripod mast, the two after feet of which work on hinges, is used as a bridge in boarding.
Kora-kora is a boat of the Malay Archipelago, near Batchian, some of them of 4 or 5 tons burden. They are open, have a bamboo outrigging flee feet on each side, which supports a bamboo plat form ; they are low in the water. A boat having two outriggers, with balance logs, is need by the natives of some of the islands in the Eastern Archipelago. The natives of New Holland appear to use a similar contrivance, but of a more simple construction.
The Chinese, besides their ocean-going ships, have Junks for war and peace, and for their rivers. Koo-Toe, or fruit boats.
Si-qua, lighters for tea; cassia, paseenger, man darin, flower, bed-chamber, and Hong boats ; floating kitchens, and floating homes for sailors.
Nam-ma- Tang.
Sha-Teng or Sampans, hawkers' Sampans, ferry boats, dragon boats, post boats ; floating rice stores, rafts.
The ocean-going War Junks of China are of great size, have several water-tight compartments, with very high bulwarks. They are three-masted, and generally fly at the main a flag with a representa tion of the Yin and the Yang, or the male and the female principle. The sails are of matting, the mainsail, shaped like a butterfly's wing, of mat ting and cocoanut fibre ; and cotton cloth, with ropes made of bamboo, rattan coir, or hemp, the cables as a rule being of rattan.
A smaller war Junk with two masts is employed on the rivers and creeks ; the Hi-Fi, or Fast Crabs, also two-masted, are of great length, very narrow in the beam, and cost from 2677 to 4378 taels of silver, or from £800 to £1300. In a calm, oars are used. Their first frigate on the European plan was launched at Shanghai on the 24th May 1872, but since then a power ful war fleet has been built for them in Britain.
Trading Junks of China, that traverse the ocean to Batavia, Singapore, Malacca, Siam, Shanghai, Tientsin, and Chefoo are also in water tight compartments, some of them equal to several thousand tons. The sails are of matting, gunny,
or cotton cloth. On the stern-board is painted a Foong, on a large board, with outstretched wings, represented standing on a rock in the midst of a troubled ocean. There are also figures of the sun and moon. On each side of the prow or stem is the figure of an eye, by which the seamen imagine the vessel can espy sunken rocks, shoals, and other dangers of the deep. Every large Junk has the idol of Tien-how, the queen of heaven, carefully enclosed in a glass case and daily worshipped. They have four masts.
In the Yang-tsze-kiang river the ships are flat bottomed.
Koo-Tay, or fruit boats, are numerous in the Canton river. They are 90 feet long, and 20 or 25 feet in beam, with two masts.
The Si-qua are so named from their resemblance to a water melon. They are one-masted, With a large mat sail, and have two large sculls, each requiring six or seven sailors.
The Ha-Yong-Shun are larger than the Si-qua. Their mast is of the form of shears. They cannot tack, and, having no sculls, have to be towed in contrary winds.
The San-Fo-Teng are cargo boats on the Yang tsze ; are of great length.
The How-Tow-Shun are the tea boats of the Canton river. They have an arched deck ; are about 90 feet long, and 15 feet in beam. The hold is 4 feet deep, with several water-tight compart ments for storing the tea and other produce.
The Cha-Shun of the Canton river is another tea boat of great length and narrow beam:.
The Too-Shun boats, for passengers on the Yang tsze, are in five classes, from 38 feet to 72 feet long, and with 10 to 15 feet beam. They have one mast and one sail. They are licensed, and under very strict surveillance. A class of vessels trading between Canton and Hong-Kong, 100 feet long and 26 feet broad, also bear the name Too-Shun.
The Cho-Ka-Shun are boats in which the manda rins travel. They are not unlike large floating caravans. Their mast is in the form of a pair of shears. They are poled or towed an contrary winds. Their saloons are spacious and comfortable.: The goddess Loong-Moo, or dragon's mother, is the deity invoked by the sailors of the coast and river boats, as the queen of heaven, Tien-how, is of the sea-going Junks.