Many of the boats had tall masts for carrying a single square sail, such as the Chinese use, and of course they were not able to sail much into the wind. The captain told the boys that he had seen boats on the river with yards more than 100 feet long, and that 120 pulleys were needed to handle the sails properly. The larger boats had upper and studding sails, but all the rest had only the square sail.
[Illustration: MALAY "SAMPAN" OR RIVER-BOAT.]
Several times the "wash" or "back water" from the steamboat overturned the little row-boats that ventured too near. These boats were hewn from a single log, like the "dugouts" of the United States, and were very easy to upset when not skilfully managed. The occupants did not seem to care much for being spilled out, as they immediately turned their boats right side up, baled them out with their hands, and then sprung in and laughed, as though it was a good joke. When the boys called attention to the first of these overturns, the captain of the steamboat told them of a wholesale upsetting he witnessed at the time of the second Burmese war.
"It was in front of Rangoon," said he, "and before we had actually begun to fight. The Governor of Rangoon was sending hostile messages, and we were sending equally hostile ones back, but not a shot had been fired.
"One morning the governor thought he would astonish us with a show of his force, and sent out a flotilla of thirty war-boats: they had all the way from twenty to fifty rowers in each boat, and it was really a beautiful sight. On they came with flags flying, gongs beating, trumpets sounding, and swords and muskets flashing in the sun: they dashed through the water at a rapid rate, and if the governor was looking on from the shore, he must have been pleased at the display.
"Just as they were making their finest appearance, an English steamer with despatches from Calcutta came up the river at full speed against the strong current. The Burmese were not accustomed to this sort of thing, and evidently knew nothing about the heavy swell that a big paddle-steamer makes. It caught the flotilla broadside on, between the ship and shore, and capsized every boat in it; the men saved themselves by swimming, but the whole lot of flags, gongs, muskets, swords, and other paraphernalia of Burmese war went to the bottom of the river. We laughed heartily at the ludicrous incident, which should have taught the Burmese that their war-boats are no match for an English steamer, even before she fires a gun."