Drawing by william alexander, draughtsman of the macartney embassy to china in 1793. A chinese seafaring merchant sailing ship. Alexander noted that ships of such construction were employed by chinese merchants for transporting the produce and goods between different ports of the country. The main and forsails were made from strongly interwoven matting reinforced with spars of bamboo running horizontally across them; the mizen and topsails were made from nankeen. This type of vessels was constructed without keel and therefore experienced considerable leeway. The anchors were made from tye-mou, or iron wood; the cabin for the seamen was made from matting. Image taken from the costume of china, illustrated in forty-eight coloured engravings, published in london in 1805. Date: circa 1800.
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