"We seemed to 'take our lives in our hands' in starting on our journey to the lakes, as we had a scene with the boatmen at the bank of the canal which was anything but agreeable. We had been told that we ought not to pay more than two dollars for a boat for the entire day; the men began by demanding five or six dollars, and as all talked at once, and each tried to persuade us to patronize him, and leave the others to look elsewhere for patronage, we had an active time for a while. The men would not abate their demands, and we walked away; then they reduced their figures, and after ten or fifteen minutes spent in bargaining, we secured a craft. It was about twelve feet long and four wide, flat-bottomed, had an awning over the centre where we could sit in the shade but could not stand erect, and was propelled by means of two boatmen working poles in the bow. They pushed with their poles against the bottom or sides of the canal, and thus sent the craft along, at the same time stirring up the mud and several dozens of vile smells.
"We met and passed other boats of the same kind, and also small chalupas, or canoes, containing one or two persons, and resembling narrow dugouts more than anything else. Then we met cargo-boats of various kinds, some piled high with grass, and others with heaps of baskets or sacks in the centre, and propelled by several men who patiently poled the craft along.
CREW OF A CARGO-BOAT.
"Frank made a sketch of the crew of one of the cargo-boats at their work. While going forward they carried the poles horizontally above their heads; on reaching the bow of the boat, each man fixed his pole in the mud at the bottom, and then rested his shoulder firmly against the upper end; this done, he walked slowly aft, thus propelling the boat; and as one set of men went aft while the other was going forward, the boat made steady progress through the water. Doctor Bronson said it was a reminder of the navigation of the Mississippi before the days of steam-boats.
CHINAMPAS, OR FLOATING GARDENS.