The Torrent Was So Strong That The
Boatmen Had To Pole Up On That Side For Half A Mile, And In About
Three-Quarters Of An Hour They Reached Our Side.
They were
returning to Kotsunagi - the very place I wished to reach - but,
though only 2.5 miles off, the distance took nearly four hours of
the hardest work I ever saw done by men.
Every moment I expected
to see them rupture blood-vessels or tendons. All their muscles
quivered. It is a mighty river, and was from eight to twelve feet
deep, and whirling down in muddy eddies; and often with their
utmost efforts in poling, when it seemed as if poles or backs must
break, the boat hung trembling and stationary for three or four
minutes at a time. After the slow and eventless tramp of the last
few days this was an exciting transit. Higher up there was a
flooded wood, and, getting into this, the men aided themselves
considerably by hauling by the trees; but when we got out of this,
another river joined the Yonetsurugawa, which with added strength
rushed and roared more wildly.
I had long been watching a large house-boat far above us on the
other side, which was being poled by desperate efforts by ten men.
At that point she must have been half a mile off, when the stream
overpowered the crew and in no time she swung round and came
drifting wildly down and across the river, broadside on to us.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 226 of 417
Words from 61993 to 62246
of 115002
