Another of the gaities associated with these river crossings is to watch the getting on and getting off of the passengers. As has been already mentioned, the boats are often recklessly overcrowded. Each launch carries Custom's certificate posted in a Prominent place, stating among other things that the launch is licensed to carry 300 passengers, and that this number cannot be exceeded with safety, and that a certain fine will be imposed on companies which carry more than the stated mumber fof passengers on any trip. But what care they for rules and regulations, or the safety of the passengers? The same spirit which works in the passengers, prompting them to endeavour to get a trip for nothing, works also in the owners, causing them to carry more than their proper load, and thus nature's Jaw of compensation works. itself out, and the company, being robbed by the passengers, takes its revenge by placing the passengers' lives in mortal peril at every crossing when the river is a little bit rough.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.