The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

THE BOY TRAVELLERS.
servant, who said lie was named " John " by the first European tliat ever
employed him, and had stuck to it ever since, was kept busy dining the
afternoon in making preparations for the journey, as it was necessary to
take a stock of provisions very mncli as the party had equipped themselves
when they went to ascend Fusiyama. Everything was ai'i'anged in time,
and the trio went to bed early, as it would be necessary to rise before tlie
sun, and they Avanted to lay in a good supply of sleep.
The junk was all ready in the morning; and as soon as the passengers
were on board, her sail was lifted, and she slowly worked her way through
the water. The wind was all right for the voyage to the mouth of the
river where (.)saka lay ; and
if they liad been on a sail-l)oat such as all K^ew-
Yorkers are familiar with, the journey would have been over in three or
four hours. But the junk M'as not built for racing purposes, and the most
that could be hoped for from her was a speed of about thi'ee miles an
hour. This was no detriment, as they could thus make the mouth of the
river by noon ;
and if the bar could be easily crossed, they would be at the
city long before sunset. Life on a junk was a novelty, and therefore
they were not annoyed
to think that their craft
was not a swift one.
Fred thought that
the stern of the junk
was about the funniest
thing in the way of a
steering -place he had
ever seen ; and to make
sure of remendiering it.
he made a sketch of the
helmsman at his post.
Frank insisted that he
was not there at all, as
his post was evidently
the rudder-post, and it
was at least ten feet off,
owing to the length of
the tiller. The deck
where the man stood
had a slope like that of
a house-roof, and it was
THi; HELjrsMAN AT HTs POST. a uiystcry to tlic boys