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"THE Marine. REVIEW 29 FIG, _O.=-TRUSSES OF AMERICAN PIECE GOODS IN DAMAGED CONDITION. the exporter at the point of shipment, the top of the tin lining is securely soldered, so as to be water-tight. That this is a most necessary precaution in all shipments other than gray goods is evident upon examination of shipments of goods arriving daily with their battered and crushed cases. In many instances only the tin case is left intact upon arrival, and this is frequently so damaged as to ex- pose the goods to the elements. The most careful pack- ing is not always able to withstand the rough treatment given by the coolies who load and discharge the cargoes at these ports. Photographs of some samples of tin-lined wooden cases are herewith forwarded. These: pictures are not excep- tional samples, but are of cases whicll ! had evidently been made and the goods service in previous shipments. This in- creases the liability to breakage and the practice is to be deprecated. The Ger- man method of packing goods similar to those alluded to. differs from the English only in that they use oiled-paper lining to the tin' box instead of. plain paper. : The photographs Nos. 6 to «11, in- clusive, indicate the condition of various baled goods from.different countries. up- on their arrival at Tientsin.. These pic- tures were taken as the bales were: seen upon the customs landing, and 'are in each instance described to illustrate a particular point of comparison... No. 6. Japanese yarns in bales of 400 pounds net. The markings upon: these bales always show up clear and distinct, both in Chinese characters and: English. The iron straps are heavy -and broad and the angles of the bales are supported by stout boards or sections of bamboo poles, giving greater protection: to: the contents in transit. Bales thus prepared are not often broken in coming to this port, the percentage being quite small. No. 7. American bales of piece goods, bound by metal bands, which arrived in good condition with but slight abrasion and tearing, and a rope-bound bale, with but two ropes remaining out of the original nine. This bale will arrive at its destination without further damage, but the goods are in an unprotected state and require careful handling. No. 8. American piece goods en route to the godown of the Chinese purchaser, showing method of trucking, and the large loads hauled by Chinese coolies. No. 9. There are eight trusses of goods in a more or less dilapidated condition. This is a typical load, illustrat- ing the average condition of the American truss. In al- packed by men deemed competent for the work. They happened to receive a greater portion of smashing, tumbling, and crashing than the others of the same kind containing like goods, and as a re- sult succumbed in the degree shown by the photographs. No. I presents a view of the tin-lined case partially destroyed and the only re- maining protection to the contents. The wooden outer. case was destroyed in transit. . Nos. 2 to 5 show. the damaged condi-. tion in which many wooden tin-lined cases atrive in this port. . All of. the photographs were taken on the river landing before the goods had been re- ceived by their purchasers and presented this appearance before passing through > the final one or. two handlings to which they are still to be subjected. The addresses upon bales and boxes arriving from Europe and England are in large bold-faced type, and the cases seldom exceed 5 feet in length or - breadth. The boxes are bound with heavy strap-iron binding on their edges, while the ends are doubly supported by cleats with short strap irons fastened to the ends and running over the edges to the sides. The iron straps on packages arriving from America in many instances appear to have seen FIG. 10.--BALES OF PIECE GOODS FROM HOLLAND. most every instance the ropes have all been removed, and if three of the iron straps remain which bind the two bales that is looked upon as a favorable shipment. No. 10. Bales of piece goods arriving from Holland.