Here a ship builder was using his simple, effective bow-brace, boring holes for the dowel pins in the planking for his ship, and another was bending the plank to the proper curvature.  The bow-brace consisted of a bamboo stalk carrying the bit at one end and a shoulder rest at the other.  Pressing the bit to its work with the shoulder, it was driven with the string of a long bow wrapped once around the stalk by drawing the bow back and forth, thus rapidly and readily revolving the bit.

The bending of the long, heavy plank, four inches thick and eight inches wide, was more simple still, It was saturated with water and one end raised on a support four feet above the ground.  A bundle of burning rice straw moved along the under side against the wet wood had the effect of steaming the wood and the weight of the plank caused it to gradually bend into the shape desired.  Bamboo poles are commonly bent or straightened in this manner to suit any need and Fig. 46 shows a wooden fork shaped in the manner described from a small tree having three main branches.  This fork is in the hands of my interpreter and was used by the woman standing at the right, in turning wheat.

When the old ship builder had finished shaping his plank he sat down on the ground for a smoke.  His pipe was one joint of bamboo stem a foot long, nearly two inches in diameter and open at one end.  In the closed end, at one side, a small hole was bored for draft.  A charge of tobacco was placed in the bottom, the lips pressed into the open end and the pipe lighted by suction, holding a lighted match at the small opening.  To enjoy his pipe the bowl rested on the ground between his legs.  With his lips in the bowl and a long breath, he would completely fill his lungs, retaining the smoke for a time, then slowly expire and fill the lungs again, after an interval of natural breathing.

On returning to Canton we went by rail, with an interpreter, to Samshui, visiting fields along the way, and Fig. 47 is a view of one landscape.  The woman was picking roses among tidy beds of garden vegetables.  Beyond her and in front of the near building are two rows of waste receptacles.  In the center background is a large “go-down”, in function that of our cold storage warehouse and in part that of our grain elevator for rice.  In them, too, the wealthy store their fur-lined winter garments for safe keeping.  These are numerous in this portion of China and the rank of a city is indicated by their number.  The conical hillock is a large near-by grave mound and many others serrate the sky line on the hill beyond.

In the next landscape, Fig. 48, a crop of winter peas, trained to canes, are growing on ridges among the stubble of the second crop of rice, In front is one canal, the double ridge behind is another and a third canal extends in front of the houses.  Already preparations were being made for the first crop of rice, fields were being flooded and fertilized.  One such is seen in Fig. 49, where a laborer was engaged at the time in bringing stable manure, wading into the water to empty the baskets.