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National Geographic : 1925 Jul
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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE Photograph by Melville Chater THE STEAM BARGE "RIJN-SCHELDE" On this Flemish craft the author and his companion made a leisurely trip from Antwerp, by way of the Hansweert Canal, to Rotterdam, and thence up the Rhine as far as Strasbourg, at which point they transferred to a boat of lighter draft, which took them to Basel, in Switzerland. and our single piece of luggage in this closetlike space. "Happy thought, that of yours, our taking only one suitcase. There wouldn't have been room enough for two. And where do we sleep?" This mystery was solved when the skipper came aboard at midnight. He slid back two panels, thus revealing a couple of small caves, each fitted with a narrow bunk. A spacious gesture indi cated that all this was at our disposal. We undressed, then inserted ourselves into the coffinlike bunks, according to sleeping-car technique. "Iley !" called my friend, "is your Pullman built on a curve?" It certainly was, following the curve of the ship's side; but one soon learned to fall asleep while lying in the shape of a slice of melon. A terrific clatter of anchor chains an nounced that we were off on the dropping tide. lB dawn we had got into our blue jeans, and were on deck to watch the Rijn-Schclde pass through the three big locks that divide the maritime section of the Scheldt from the 1lansweert Canal. WE GLIDE TIROUGI A CANAL LOCK INTO HOLLAND It isn't often that a traveler passes from one country to another through a canal lock, yet that is practically what hap pened as the first pair of great gates closed behind us. And, almost as if it had been staged for our arrival, we be held a high, green dike where three girls-their black, tight-waisted skirts blown voluminously out behind, their snowy caps uptilted at the corners walked in single file past a red mill which was churning its sails against the sky. The sight was so completely typical that we chimed with one accord "Hol land !" A couple of rosy-cheeked Dutch cus toms officials came aboard, placed seals
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