Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 February 1901 — Chinese Ducks Swim to Market. [ARTICLE]

Chinese Ducks Swim to Market.

Chinese farmers do not take their ducks to market in erates, but drive them into the waters of the grand canal and compel them to furnish their own motive power. Usually the duck "crop” of a whole district is brought together and started to market in charge of men in boats, and the sight of several thousand birds swimming in a compact mass along China's great water road is a novel one indeed. Julian Ralph, the traveler, met such a procession one day. The of ducks was several acres in extent, and went along at a pace much faster than could be expected, being kept in formation by long bamboo poles with palm leaves at the end. Suddenly several boats came up in the opposite direction—a big “chopboat” and two or three smaller vessels. They were sailing swiftly before the fresh breese directly upon the field of ducks, and there seemed to be no way of preventing a terrible slaughter. The big chopboat,” like a house blown before a gale, sped toward the advancing feathered host, and at last the birds that were in the way were almost under her bows. Then there was a fluttering of wings and a bobbing of heads, the immense flock broke apart, a crack opened before the "chopboat” and widened until there was a canal broad enough for the vessel to pass through. Not a single duck was run over.—Chicago Record. Man must come to the end of himself before God can bless Mm