Cotton bales on a 19th century steamboat
"No smoking" đźš
Imagine one of these loaded up with tobacco bales. No smoking indeed
What is the tree branch floating midair infront of the bales, a drawing glitch?
You got me curious, so I did some research -- this paper is pretty informative. The most likely explanation seems to be that it is a "snag" that was lifted out of the water, to prevent other boats from running into it.
Thanks for digging, that might indeed be what this branch depicts. Interesting story told by a seemingly random piece of wood for sure!
I suppose it must be. I didn't even notice it XD