A Journey by Boat

         A Journey by Boat

Man is curious by nature. His eternal desire is to know the unknown and see the unseen. Travelling helps to satisfy this eternal desire of man. Now-a-days we are much pre-occupied. We cannot make time to see and enjoy the beauty of nature. As a result our lives have become dull and mechanized. A journey can provide us with a relief from the monotony of dull routine bound life. But of all journeys, a journey by boat is the most thrilling, comfortable and enjoyable especially to a man who lives in a city. Moreover, it is easy to make in our riverine country. 

I had always been curious about a boating excursion and yearned to have one.  Last Autumn I got the opportunity. That time, our school was closed for a few days. I went to my village home which is in Gopalgonj. There my maternal uncle asked me by correspondence to pay a visit to his house at Katwalipara. I along with my two friends decided to go there by boat through a small river. The distance was more than 2.4 kilometer. So we hired a boat and took decision to start towards our destination at 4 p.m. 

According to the schedule we went to the river-ghat. It was a country boat. We got into it. The boat had strong portable cover. There were two boatmen. They were very young and energetic. They started to row the boat with the name of Allah. The weather was fine. The river was cabin and placid. The current of the river and the wind were in our favor. 

The boat was running swiftly. With every convulse of the oars the boat advanced with a jerk. I felt as it was on the very surface of the river bed and look at the water kissing the distance horizon. The trees seemed to beckon me from distance. As I passed by, then they seemed to call me back. My other friends became so excited. The villages, the houses by the river side, the people bathing in the river, the fishermen fishing, the fields of jute and paddy, the boat at rest and the boat moving along with us all looked so romantic and interesting. Everything looked friendly, everybody seemed to call us as we passed by. There were small waves in the river. They were dashing against the boat and making murmuring sound. The boat was moving ahead dancing on the waves until we reached our destination. 

The sunset increased this beauty considerably. The western sky was tinged with red color and the dancing ripples below reflected it. The sun setting in the western sky seemed to the gradually sinking into water. Then followed a period of twilight which is indeed, a glorious view. But the moonlit scenery of a river surpassed as these in splendor and glory. Everything appeared to be under a magic spell. The trees on the distant bank, the waves and the faint light in the distant boats present the most romantic view. The stars made their appearance in the sky. The trees and creepers looked bright and sparkling. 

The cool breeze and the pleasing scenery on either side of the river made us forget to take a light snacks. We took a break in our journey to have some snacks. We took local food sitting in a stall under a spreading tree. The food was so delicious. 

Then we started the boat again. We thought that we were in a dreamland where joy and beauty reign. I heard that one of the boatmen humming a tune. At our request he sang a vatiali song- “Mon majhi tor boitha niye ami ar boite parlam na.” There was a good singer among us who sang-

“Row, row, row the boat

Gently down the stream,

Merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.”

At 8.30 p.m. we reached our destination. My uncle and cousins were waiting for us at the river-ghat. They accorded us a hearty reception. We got down from the boat and our journey came to an end.

A journey by boat is really a pleasant experience. The journey by boat that I made left an unforgettable impact on my mind. It is still in my memory and pensive in my free time, I cherish that moment as a treasured one.