A close race between two "dragon boats", China, ca.1900-1919

"A close race between 2 of the "dragon boats" which used to hold races, I believe in the fall. We could watch them from the rooftop of our house just a block from the river. These slim racing shells could go very fast, and there was always great excitement among the spectators who crowded the bank of the river. I was told that these races were to commemorate the suicide by drowning of an official of the Manchu regime, his protest against some action which he did not approve."; Captions for this set of lantern slides from the papers of Oliver and Jennie Logan, American Presbyterian missionaries in Hunan, were provided by their daughter Elsa