SUNRISE LAND AT LAST. | 99

looked as if a house with a pitch bamboo-roof had been built.
The cargo was stored uuder this roof. Rick saw birds skim-
ming the waters of the bay, and at a distance the birds and the
junks resembled one another. Vessels were passed, at whose mast-
heads floated the colors of European nations.. There were steamers
from Shanghai, steamers from Marseilles, steamers from Hong Kong,
steamers from Southampton. There were store-ships too, and coal-
hulks. Back of the shipping in the harbor, were the tiled roofs of
Yokohama and still farther in the rear was a swell of land called
the Bluff, and dotted with houses. The Bluff is a quarter occupied
with many handsome residences of Europeans especially. Outside of
all, rose the hills, swelling like waves from the sea that did not
know when and where to stop, but continued to roll back from the
shore till petrified by some resistless edict.

At Yokohama, there were no wharves, and consequently the pas-
sengers were dependent on boats for transportation. Boats were not
wanting, by any means. The moment the steamer let go her anchor,
she became a target at which boats began to shoot from every quarter.
Their occupants were muscular men, and had stout arms well-
adapted to their work.

“ They look queer,” thought Ralph. “They have a dingy yellow skin,
and my! their heads are shaven in the middle, and a top-knot sticks up.”

Ralph watched the Japanese boatmen as they sculled their boats
rapidly along. The oar they used was in two parts, securely fastened
together. Resting on the gunwale of the boat, this oar is held there
by a pin, and then worked as in sculling, the sweep at the handle
of the oar being about two feet. Ralph heard one singing as he
sculled.

“© see them scull, Rick!” cried Ralph.

The scullers were lively enough, writhing away till they reached the