Cart with Sails

Cart with Sails

By the end of 1794，the envoys entered north China where a seemingly endless plain extended north and east.Not only was the environment different from the mountainous provinces south of the Yangtze River，but，van Braam noted，the carts were“much larger than that I have already described，and drawn by a horse or mule，”instead of by men.In particular，the sail-cart（fan-ch'e）aroused his sincere admiration.He discussed it in detail in his diary on the last day of 1794，when the embassy traveled in southern Shan-tung Province：

But how great was my surprise when I this day saw a whole fleet of wheel-barrows，all of the same size.I have good reason to call them a fleet，for they were all under sail；having a little mast very neatly inserted in a hole or step cut in the forepart of the barrow.To this mast is attached a sail made of matting，or more commonly of canvas，five or six feet high，and three or four wide，with reefs，yards，and braces，like those of the Chinese boats.The braces lead to the shafts of the barrow，and by means of them the conductor trims his sail.[13]

An experienced sailor，van Braam could understand the function of the sail.He said that the sail was not merely“a momentary matter”；it was an“additional contrivance［combinaison］in the carriage”to help the cart-men.He gave detailed survey data as well as a drawing（see illustration 4），showing the structure of this“memorable thing”（chose momentanée）.”Father Matin once claimed in his Description géographique de la Chine that the Chinese sailing barrows，or wagons，did not really exist.[14]Van Braam's accounts and illustration now provide convincing evidence that they were real Chinese inventions.Seeing these sailing barrows rolling along one after another，the former sailor said in his diary that he“felt real pleasure.”

It is easy to see the difference between these two kinds of carts.The smaller Chiang-hsi cart was easier to operate than one equipped with a sail，important in a mountainous area like Chiang-hsi.In contrast，the sail-cart，larger，heavier，and demanding more power，was good for Shan-tung Province where flatlands spread out hundreds of miles east to the sea.Seasonal winds there were strong and steady，providing an inexhaustible source of energy for the barrows.

In the early 1950s investigators from Ch'ing-hua University，Peking.found sail-carts near the port city of Tsingtao.They photographed and documented them，[15]and their investigation confirmed what van Braam saw on the first day he entered Shan-tung Province.In fact，a similar device，a sailon-ice-sled，was used in Manchuria where snow covers the ground four or five months a year.Passenger Cart（La charrette）

Van Braam later described with the same accuracy the charrette used in Shantung Province：

It appears that carts and wheel-barrows are the only carriages known in this province，either for the conveyance of persons or goods.If the cart were not so small and hung so low upon the wheels，which are not of more than four feet diameter，and which are of singular form，it might be compared to the Hessian cart；but the felloes of the wheel are at least six inches deep，and，in the direction of a whole diameter，is a large piece of wood，more than six inches square，crossing the axle，while two other pieces of wood，shorter and thinner than that I have just spoken of，cross it in their turn at right angles，and are inserted at each end in the corresponding felloes.The axle，of which the end is square，is let into the first of these three pieces，so that the axle and wheels all turn together.[16]

Because the water level of the Yellow River was seasonal and the smaller rivers almost all flowed eastward，inland waterway transportation was difficult.Carts were thus the major means of transportation until railroads and other modern forms of transportation were developed early in the twentieth century.

Van Braam reported that carts were powered by five oxen，or horses，or mules.The strongest beast was always placed between the shafts，and another“abreast of him.”Although a shortage of large domestic animals had long been a problem for economic development in China，van Braam seems not to have experienced this shortage.(https://www.daowen.com)

Van Braam and the other envoy had the honor of using special carriages（illustration 5）provided for them when they arrived in Peking on January 10，1795.Van Braam described the two charrettes as follows：

They［the carts］are only intended to carry a single person.The outside is neat and covered with cloth，and in the sides are little windows，by means of which the person within can see everything while sitting on a cushion laid in the bottom of the carriage，according to the Chinese custom.[17]

This kind of vehicle was also recorded in the Ch'ing imperial encyclopedia published in 1726（Ku-chin t'u-shu chi-ch'eng），where it was named“comfortable vehicle”（an-ch'e；see illustration 6），and the idea of the design was explained：

The design of the an-ch'e does not use high wheels because the body of the cart would not be steady while traveling if high wheels were employed.The cabin is six ch'ih［about two meters］in length so that passengers can lie down in the cart，and as wide as the distance between the wheels.[18]

The encyclopedia goes on to explain that the cabin was covered with varnished cloth and oilpaper.At the rear of the cabin was a door；the passenger could climb aboard through it with the help of a rail and stair.Inside the cabin was a deluxe mattress to make the trip comfortable.By the side of the mattress was a movable long narrow table（chi），to facilitate eating and reading in the cabin.The window that van Braam particularly enjoyed was also described：

There is a window toward the rear axle，through which the passenger can enjoy the scenic view while lying on his side in the cabin during his trip.At the rear part of the car is installed a blind of oilpaper.Two wooden beams are set at each end of the blind.The blind can be opened fully to keep the passenger from rain，or partly toward either the front or one side to lessen the wind［to make travel more comfortable］.When in use，the blind is fastened with iron buckles to the roof and the base of the cabin；when not in use，it can be wrapped up and stored at the rear part of the cart.

Although the Ch'ing encyclopedia discusses extensively the blind of the carriage（hsien），regrettably it does not illustrate it.In contrast，van Braam's book has a clear and accurate illustration of the blind.The drawing matches perfectly the written description of the blind in the encyclopedia，thus offering reliable supplementary data.