What is a Jinrikisha?

Jinrikisha driver

   The Jinrikisha, or rickshaw is a chair cart much used in many Asiatic countries. "Jinrikisha" is a Japanese name meaning man-power-carriage. It is a small, two-wheeled, hooded conveyance. The body is a basket, constructed of wood or light bamboo, resting on springs. The Jinrikisha is drawn by a man. It is said to have been invented by an American missionary. The Jinrikisha takes the place in Asiatic cities that the horse, cab, and hansom occupy in European and American cities. The Jinrikisha men stand in rows at piers, wharves, and curbstones, shouting for fares. For long journeys into the interior two or more men are employed. They run, one in front of another, and pull by means of a rope. One relay of men may be exchanged for another, just as the horses for the old-fashioned stagecoach were changed.