The first signs of autumn are visible in a riverside landscape. To prevent further erosion, some villagers are building a bed of stone blocks on the riverbank. Others are plowing, fishing, or repairing. A small steamboat is passing by. A stoker is shoveling coal into the oven in the engine room. A small town is passed by the water further down the river. A rowing team is getting ready for a race. Microbes from the water are being examined under a microscope by some biologists. A crew is painting a new barge before pushing it into the river. When a young boy spots a racing boat, he abandons his sandcastle and runs down the river.