𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐰 – 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝟏𝟗𝟎𝟎

 

The boatman and his family occupy the after portion. The smell of their meals is often unsavory, and a crying infant as a rule forms a portion of the family. The boat’s crew consist generally of three men and two women, all of whom take their share of the labour—sometimes towing from the bank with ropes, sometimes punting, and, when the water is deep, using heart-shaped paddles.

With the house-boat, a kitchen-boat is also required for cooking and for the servants to live in. The house-boat rent were from Rs. 50 to 70 per month in 1900 AD, plus certain extra charges for cooking utensils, &c. ; the kitchen-boat was Rs. 15 per month, including the crew. Three or four permanent boatmen must be kept for the house-boat; four or six extra men will be required when moving, but men were hired at 4 annas per month