Journal of the Society of Arts : Volume LI, No. 2623 [‎714r] (17/32)

February 27 , 1903 .]
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.
3 J 5
bank. There we changed into a small stern-
wheel steamer of a newer type—the Baoha
This boat runs between Yenbay and Laokay
during the rainy season. Although only of
light draught, and 40 tons burden, it cannot
get up so far during the dry season. In fact
the Red River is only navigable to small
steamers, all the year, to Vietri. Native craft,
on the contrary, are busiest when the river is
low, and the current not quite so strong.
Accommodation for passengers on board the
Baoha was limited. There were twelve of us,
and only one small cabin; and in this we had
to eat, amuse ourselves during the day, and
sleep—the settees being hooked up in sleeping-
car fashion at night. Those who occupied the
upper berths were comfortable enough ; but
those underneath suffered from the heat, and
from fear of the dreadful consequences should
the bars holding up the berth and the 200 lb.
gentleman above give way.
The company is subsidized for military pur
poses by the Government, and every square
inch of space outside the cabin was occupied
by soldiers of the Foreign Legion. Most of
these men were Alsatians or Norwegians ; but
at different posts on the way up I met three
Englishmen, who gave me plausible reasons to
account for their enlistment in the Legion,—*
the real one being, I suspect, a desire to keep
as far away as possible from the Scotland
Yard authorities.
The great feature, and at the same time the
drawback, of the Red River are its numerous
rapids, which add an element of danger to
the difficulties of navigation. There are no
less than sixteen of these places between
Yenbay and Laokay, where the current rushes
down over rocks with great velocity. The
worst rapid is the “ Ta Kai,” just below the
post of Traihut. As the little steamer forged
its way slowly up against the strong current,
the Annamese crew threw “joss-paper” over
board in handfuls to propitiate the river gods,
and they attributed our safe passage to this
sacrifice. We were at all events luckier than
Walker & Cockerell sc.
Map of Tonkin, Yunnan, and Burma.