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A JOURNEY

TO THE

TEA COUNTRIES OF CHINA;

INCLUDING

SUNG-LO AND THE BOHEA HILLS;

A SHORT NOTICE OF THE EAST DfDIA COMPANY*S TEA PLANTATIONS
IN THE HMAUYA MOUNTAINS.

ROBERT FORTUNE,

AUTHOR OF THREE YEARS' WANOERINQB IN CHINA.

WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON:
JOHN MUKRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.

1852.

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LONDON : PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET.

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PREFACE

It is now about five years since I submitted to
the public my * Three Years' Wanderings in the
Northern Provinces of China.' Shortly after the
publication of that volume I was deputed by the
Honourable the Court of Directors of the East India
Company to proceed to China for the purpose of
obtaining the finest varieties of the Tea-plant, as well
as native manufacturers and implements, for the
Government Tea plantations in the Himalayas. On
the 20th of June, 1848, I left Southampton, with
many other passengers, in the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steam-ship *Ripon,' Captain Moresby,
I.N., and landed in Hong-kong on the 14th of
August

As I went far inland, and visited many districts
almost unknown to Europeans, I now venture to lay
an account of my travels and their results before the
public. Blessed with a sound constitution and good
health, I cared little for luxuries, and made light of

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VI PREFACE.

the hardships of a traveller's life. New scenes, new
countries, and new plants were day by day spread out
before me and afforded gratification of the highest and
purest kind. And even now, when on a different side
of the globe and far removed from such scenes and
such adventures, I often look back upon them with
feelings of unalloyed pleasure.

The important objects of my mission have been
brought to a successful termination. Upwards of
twenty thousand tea-plants, eight first-rate manu-
facturers, and a large supply of implements were
procured from the finest tea-districts of China, and
conveyed in safety to the Himalayas. In the course
of my travels I discovered many useful and orna-
mental trees and shrubs, some of which, such as the
Funereal Cypress^ will one day produce a striking
and beautiful effect in our English landscape and
in our cemeteries.

In publishing this account of my journey I may
repeat what I said in the introduction to my former
* Wanderings :' — " I have no intention of writing or
making a book upon China." My object is to give
a peep into the Celestial Empire, to show its strange
hills and romantic valleys, its rivers and canals, its
natural productions, whether in the field, on the hill-
side, or in the garden, and its strange and interesting
people, as they were seen by me in their every-day

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PREFACE. VU

life. As I hope my readers will accompany me
through the whole of my journey, I shall have the
pleasure of taking them to India and the Himalayas,
and showing them the Government Tea plantations,
from which much is expected, and which are likely
to prove of great advantage, not only to India but
also to England and her wide-spreading colonies.

Having thus given an idea of what may be ex-
pected in the following pages, I have only to express
a hope that the work may be received by the public
in the same kind spirit, and with the same in-
dulgence and favour, that were shown to my former
* Wanderings.'

Brampton, April, 1852.

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CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Arrive at Hong-kong — Excitement on the arrival of the mail —
Centipede boats — Bay of Hong-kong by moonlight — Town of
Victoria — Itfi trees and gardens — Mortality amongst the troops
— Its cause — A remedy suggested — Sail for Shanghae — Its
importance as a place of trade — New English town and shipping
— The gardens of the foreign residents . . . . Page 1

CHAPTER II.

My object in coming north — DiflBculty in procuring tea-plants — Ko ^
dependence can be placed upon the Chinese — Adopt the dress of-x^
the country — Start for the interior — Mode of getting my head
shaved — City of Kea-hing-foo and its old cemetery — Lakes and
" ling " — Mode of gathering the ling — Great silk countrj' —
Increase in exports — City of Seh-mun-yuen — Fear of thieves —
Hang-chow-foo — The "Grarden of China" — Description of the
city and its suburbs — Gaiety of the people — Adventure in the
city — Kan-du — A " chop " — A Chinese inn — I get no breakfast
and lose my dinner — Boat engaged for Hwuy-chow — Importance
of Hang-chow both for trading and " sqiteezmg " . . .19

CHAPTER III.

Leave Hang-chow-foo — A China passage-boat — Scenery and natural
productions — Remarkable hills — Our fellow-passengers — A
smoker of opium — I am discovered to be a foreigner — City of
Yen-chow-foo — A Chinaman cheats a Chinaman ! — The river and

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CONTENTS.

f
water-mills — Botany of the country — A valuable palm-tree — I

Birds — Lime-kilns and green granite — Tea-plant met with —

The new Funebeal Cypress discovered — Its beauty — How its

seeds were procured — Dr. Lindley's opinion of its merits — Strange

echo -— River and land beggars — Charity . . . Page 45

CHAPTER IV.

City of Wae-ppg — Threatened attack from boatmen — A fialse alarm
— A border country and a border guard — Enter the district of
Hwuy-chow — The tea-plant and other crops — A Chinese play — /'
Ferry-boat and ladies — Cargo transshipped — Two coffins below *
my bed — A mandarin's garden — Botany of the hills — A ne\^ ^
plant (Berheris Ja^ponica) — My servant's advice — Leave the boat —
The opium-smoker outwitted — Town of Tun-che — Its importance
in connection with the tea-trade — Features of country, soil, and
productions — First view of Sung-lo-shan .... 67

CHAPTER V.

Sung-lo-shan — Its priests and tea — Its height above the sea — Rock
formation — Flora of the hills — Temperature and climate —
Cultivation of the tea-shrub — Mode of preserving its seeds — The
young plants — Method of dyeing green teas — Ingredients employed
— Chinese reason for the practice — Quantity of Prussian blue and
gypsum taken by a green-tea drinker — Such teas not used by
the Chinese — Mr. Warrington's observations ... 86

CHAPTER VI.

My reception in the house of Wang's father — A smoky Chinese
cottage — My coolie and the dwarf — The dangers to which they
had been exposed — Chinese mode of wanning themselves on a
cold day — Tea-seeds, &c., obtained — Anecdote of the new
Berheris — Obtain some young plants of it — Deceitful character
of the Chinese — Leave the far-famed Sung-lo-shan — Wang tries
to cheat the chairmen — Invents a story of a " great general " —
Leave Tun-che — Mountain scenery — Pleasure of going down the
river — Grale of wind amongst the mountains — Arrive at Nechow —
Shaou-hing-foo — Tsaou-o — Pak- wan — Arrive at Ning-po . 96

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CONTENTS. XI

CHAPTER VII.

Kintang or Silver Island — Its inhabitants and productions — Bay of
Chapoo — Advantages of an inland route — New year at Shanghae —
Flower-shops and flowers — Sacred bamboo — The Chrysanthemum
— Mode of cultivating it — Weather-prophets — Sail forHong-kong
— A game-ship — The Enkianthus — Canton seeds, and mode of
packing them — False notion regarding their being poisoned

Page 115

CHAPTER VIII.

Foo-chow-foo — Jealousy of the mandarins — A polite way of getting
rid of a spy — Scenery amongst the mountains — Temple of Koo-
shan — Its priests and idols — Buddha's tooth and other relics —
Trees and shrubs — City of Foo-chow-foo — Chinese mode of getting
out when the gates are shut — Journey up the Min — Chinese
sportsmen and their dogs — A deer-himt — Scenery about Tein-
tung — Wild flowers — Roadside temples — The bamboo — A priest
and siphon — Lakes of Tung-hoo 133

CHAPTER IX:

Leave Ning-po for the Bohea mountains — My guides — A flag and its
history — The Green River again — Spring scenery on its banks —
Yen-chow and Ta-yang — A storm in a creek — Boatwomen — A
Chinese Mrs. Caudle and a curtain lecture — Natural productions

— Funereal cypress and other trees — Our boat seized for debt and
the sail taken away — A Chinese creditor — Town of Nan-che —
Its houses, gardens, and trade — Vale of Nan-che — Productions
and fertility — City of Chu-chu-foo — Moschetoes and Moscheto
" tobacco " — Arrive at Chang-shan 159

CHAPTER X.

— City of Yuk-shan — Its trade and importance — Quan-sin-foo —
My servant speculates in grass-cloth — A Chinese test of respecta-
bility — Description of the coimtry and its productions — Arrive at
the town of Hokow . • . . . 182

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Xli COl^ENTS.

CHAPTER XL

Town of Hokow — Its situation, trade, and great importance — Bohea
mountain chair — Mountain road — Beggars by the wayside —
Beautiful scenery — the priest and his bell — Town of Yuen-shan

— Appearance of the road — Tea coolies — Different modes of
carrying the tea-chests — Large tea-growing country — Soil and
plantations — My first night in a Chinese inn — Reception — Dirty
bed-rooms — I console myself, and go to dinner . . Page 197

CHAPTER XII.

First view of the Bohea mountains — Mountain pass — A noble fir-
tree — Its name and history — Flora of the mountains — New plants

— Source of the river Min — Entertainment for man and beast —
A rugged road and another pass — A gale amongst the mountains —
An amusing old China- woman — Sugar and tea-spoons — A kind
landlord — The Tein-sin — Arrive at the city of Tsong-gan-hien —
Its situation, size, and trade — Tea-farms .... 208

CHAPTER XIII.

Woo-e-shan — Ascent of the hill — Arrive at a Buddhist temple —
Description of the temple and the scenery — Strange rocks — My
reception — Our dinner and its ceremonies — An interesting con-
versation — An evening st"oll — Formation of the rocks — Soil —
View from the top of Woo-e-shan — A priests' grave — A view by
moonlight — Chinese wine — Cultivation of the tea-shrub — Chains
and monkeys used in gathering it — Tea-merchants — Happiness
and contentment of the peasantry 223

CHAPTER XIV.

Stream of " nine windings" — A Taouist priest — His house and temple

— Du Halde's description of these hills — Strange impressions of
gigantic hands on the rocks — Tea-plants purchased — Adventure
during the night — My visitors — Plants packed for a journey—
Town of Tsin-tsun and its trade — Leave the Woo-e hills — Moun-
tain scenery — The lance-leaved pine — Rocks, ravines, and water-
falls — A lonely road — Trees — Birds and other animals — Town of
She-pa-ky — Productions of the country — Uses of the Nelumbium

— Pouching teas — City of Pouchiog-hien .... 240

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CONTENTS. xiu

CHAPTER XV.

Some advioe to the reader — Botany of the black-tea country —
Geological features — Soil — Sites of tea-farms — Temperature —
Rainy season — GultiTation and management of tea-plantations —
Size of fanns — Mode of packing — Chop names — Boute from
the tea-country to the coast — Method of transport — Distances
— Time occupied — Original cost of tea in the tea-country —
Expenses of carriage to the coast — Sums paid by the foreign
merchant — Profits of the Chinese — Prospect of good tea becoming
cheaper — Tiing-po's directions for making tea — His opinion on
its properties and uses Page 253

CHAPTER XVI.

Ge(^raphy of the tea-shrub — Best tea districts of China — Names of
tea-plants — Black and green tea made from the same variety — My
Chinamen asked to make tea from Pongamia glabra — They succeed I
— Difference between black and green tea depends upon manipulation
— Method of making green tea — Of makiitg black — Difference in
the manipulation of the two kinds — Mr. Warrington's remarks on
this subject — ^A familiar illustration — The tea-plant — Inferior teas
made from Thea hohea — Best teas ihade from JTiea viridis — The
Woo-e-shan variety — The tea-plant affected by climate and repro-
duction — Tea cultivation in America and Australia — In English
gardens 272

CHAPTER XVII.

Inn at Pouching-hien — Opium-smokers and gamblers — Value of life
in China — A midnight disturbance — Sing-Hoo fights with a joss-
stick — Difficulty of procuring men next day — Sing-Hoo carries
the luggage, and we march — His bamboo breaks — Scene amongst
hefSffos — Description of beggars in China — A *' king of the
beggars'* — Charity always given — I continue my journey — ^
Mountain passes and Buddhist temples — A border town and Tartar
guard — We are inspected and allowed to pass on • » • 288

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XIV CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVIII.

celebrated Buddhist temple — Scenery around it — Its trees and y^
shrubs — Buddhist worship — Leave the temple — Reflections on
Buddhism — Important station for Christian missionaries — Pri-
vations they would have to endure — Roman Catholics and their
labours — Christian charity — Protestant missionaries — Their views
as to the interior of China — A day-dream of China opened —
Bamboo paper — A mandarin on a journey — Town of Ching-hoo /
— Engage a boat for Nechow — Return to Shanghae . Page 302

CHAPTER XIX.

Tea-plants, &c., taken to Hong-kong — Shipped for India — I sail
again for the north — Shanghae gardens in spring — " South Gar-
den'*— Double-striped peach and other plants — Moutan gardens

— Fine new varieties of the tree-pseony — Chinese method of pro-
pafi;ating them — Mode of sending them to Canton — Value there

— Introduction to Europe — Size in England — Azalea gardens — -^
Skimmia Reevesiana — New Azaleas — The "Kwei-wha" — The
Glycine — Its native hills — Chinese mode of training it — The
yellow Camellia . * 315

CHAPTER XX.

Safe arrival of tea-plants in India — Means taken in China to engage
tea-manufacturers — I visit Chusan — My lodgings — A mandarin
who smoked opium — His appearance at daylight — A summer
morning in Chusan — An emperor's edict — The Yang-mae —
Beauty of its fruit — City of Ting-hae — Poo-too, or Worshipping
Island — Ancient inscriptions in an unknown language — A Chinese
caught fishing in the sacred lake — He is chased by the priests —
llie bamboo again — The sacred Nelumbium — My holidays expire
— Collections of tea-seeds and plants made — Return to Shanghae
— Tea-manufacturers engaged — We bid adieu to the north of
China 340

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CONTENTS. XV

CHAPTEE XXL

Experiments with tea-fleeds — Best method of sending them to distant
countries — How oaks and chestnuts might be transported —
Arrive at Calcutta — Condition of the collections — East India
Company's botanic garden — Amherstia and other plants in bloom
— Proceed onwards — The Sunderbunds — Arrive at Allahabad —
Land journey — Reach Saharunpore — State of the tea-plants —
Saharunpore garden — Mussooree garden — Its trees and other
productions — Its value to the country and to Europe . Page 356

CHAPTER XXIL

Ordered to inspect the tea-plantations in India — Deyia Doon planta-
tion — Mussooree and Landour — Flora of the mountains — Height
and general character — Our mode of travelling — Hill-plants
resemble those of China ^-GKiddowli plantation — Chinese manu-
facturers located there — I bid them farewell — The country im-
proves in fertility — Tea-plantations near Almorah — Zemindaree
plantations — Leave Almorah for Bheem Tal — View of the Snowy
range — Bheem Tal tea-plantations — General observations on tea
culture in India — Suggestions for its improvement — Other plants
which ought to be introduced — Nainee Tal — Arrive at Calcutta —
The Victoria regia 368

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. View in the Green Tea CJountry - - Frontxapiece

2. Engraved Title-page.

3. Map ------ tofacepage 1

4. Chirions mode of gathering the Ling near Kea-hing-foo „ 27

5. Palm-tree (C^amcerqpa cscccZsaf) - - - - 59

6. Funereal Cypress ------ 63

7. Relic-Cage ------- 138

8. Bnddha's Tooth ------ 139

9. Crystal Vase --^----140

10. Mo-ze, the Chinese Sportsman - - - - 151

11. Roadside Altar ------- 154

12. Mode of carrying the finest Tea across the Bohea moun-

tains --------202

13. Mode of carrying common Tea - - - - 203

14. Chinese Tomh ------- 239

15. Chinese Bird's-eye View of the " Stream of Nine Windings **

and strange Rocks ------ 241

16. Ancient Inscription ------ 347

It. Old Stone at Poo-too ------ 348

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Li^ '-

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JOURNEY

TO THE

TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA.

CHAPTER I.

Aniye at Hong-kong — Excitement on the arrival of the mail —
Centipeda boats — Bay of Hong-kong by moonlight — Town of
Yictoria — Ito trees and gardens — Mortality amongst the troops

— Its cause — A remedy suggested — Sail for Shanghae — Its
importance as a place of trade — New English town and shipping

— The gardens of the foreign residents.

On the 14th of August, 1848, the Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steam-ship " Braganza," in which
I was a passenger, dropped her anchor in the Bay of
Hong-kong, at nine o'clock in the evening. In a few
seconds our decks were crowded with the inhabitants of
the place, all anxious to meet their friends, or to hear
the news from home. As I did not intend to go on
shore until the following morning, I had sufficient lei-
sure to survey the busy and exciting scene around me.
Amongst the numerous boats which came off to us
there were two which presented a most striking ap-
pearance. They were very long and narrow, and
were each propelled by about fifty oars. They had
been built by the English and American merchants

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2 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. I.

to convey the news to Canton on the arrival of the
mail. The moment these boats received their de-
spatches they started on their journey, and, as they
belonged to opposition parties, each did its best to
outstrip the other ; and, as it was often a matter of
considerable importance to get the earliest news, a
large sum of money was distributed amongst the crew
of the winning boat.

The boatmen made a great noise ; Chinamen like,
all were talking, all were giving orders, for each had
a stake in the winning of the race. At last the
papers, letters, or whatever they had to take, were
put on board, and off they started across the bay for
the mouth of the Canton or " Pearl " river. They
ploughed the water like two enormous centipedes,
and, although they were going very fast, they were
visible for some time in the clear moonlight. I
watched them from the deck of the steamer until
they were lost in the distance, but even then and for
some time afterwards I could hear distinctly the
quick splash of the oars and the noise of the boisterous
crews. Steam has now invaded the quiet waters of
the Pearl river, and these boats are numbered amongst
the things that were.

The noise and excitement connected with the
arrival of the mail gradually subsided ; those of our
visitors who had been lucky enough to get hold of a
* Straits Times,' ' Home News,' or * Times,' re-
turned on shore to peruse it, while others hastened
home to communicate to their friends the news they
had been able to pick up from the officers or passen-

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Chap. I. BAY OP HONG-KONG— VICTORIA. 3

gers of the ship. By eleven o'clock at night all was
perfectly quiet. Captain Potts and myself had our
chairs taken up on deck, and we sat down to breathe
the cool air and enjoy the scene by which we were
surrounded.

It was a clear moonlight night; such a night as
one sees only in the sunny lands of the East. Those
who have anchored in the Bay of Hong-kong by
moonlight will agree with me that the scene at such
a time is one of the grandest and most beautiful
which can be imagined. On this evening the land-
locked bay was smooth as glass, scarcely a breath of
air fanned the water, and as the clear moonbeams
played upon its surface it seemed covered with glit-
tering gems. Numerous vessels, from all parts of
the world, lay dotted around us, their dark hulls and
tall masts looming large in the distance. The view
was bounded on all sides by rugged and barren hills,
and it required no great stretch of fancy to imagine
oneself on a highland lake.

The white town of Victoria was distinctly visible
from where we lay, and very pretty it appeared in
the moonlight It is built along the southern shores
of the bay, and in some places extends a considerable
way up the side of the hill. The background of the
picture consisted of a chain of rugged mountains,
which are nearly two thousand feet above the level of
the sea. Altogether the view was a charming one.

When I went on shore the following morning I
found a great change had taken place since 1845;
many parts of the town, then bare, were now densely

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4 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. I.

covered with houses. Our merchant-princes had
built themselves houses not inferior to those in the
far-famed " City of Palaces ;" and the barracks for
the troops were equally handsome and expensive,
although unfortunately not equally healthy. And,
last of all, a pretty English church was rising slowly
on the hill side.

An interest in gardening and planting had sprung
up which promises to lead to most satisfactory results.
When I was formerly in Hong-kong every one com-
plained of the barren appearance of the island, and of
the intense heat and glare of the sun. Officers in
the army, and others who had been many years in
the hotter parts of India, all agreed that there was a
fierceness and oppressiveness in the sun's rays here
which they had never experienced in any other part
of the world. From 1843 to 1845 the mortality was
very great ; whole regiments were nearly swept away,
and many of the Government officers and merchants
shared the same fate. Various opinions were ex-
pressed regarding the cause which produced these
great disasters ; some said one thing and some ano-
ther; almost all seemed to think that imperfect
drainage had something to do with it, and a hue and
cry was set up to have the island properly drained.
But the island is a chain of mountains ; there is very
little flat ground anywhere upon it, and hence the
water which flows from the sides of the hills gushes
rapidly down towards the sea. Imperfect drainage,
therefore, could have very little to do with its un-
healthiness.

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Chap. I. MORTALITY AT HONG-KONG. 5

I have always thought that, although various causes
inay operate to render Hong-kong unhealthy, yet one
of the principal reasons is the absence of trees and of
the shade which they afford. In a communication
which I had the honom: to make to the Government
here in 1844 I pointed out this circumstance, and
strongly recommended them to preserve the wood
then growing upon the island from the Chinese, who
were in the habit of cutting it down annually, and at
the same time to plant extensively, particularly on
the sides of the roads and on the lower hills. I am
happy to say that these recommendations have been
carried out to a certain extent, although not so fully
as I had wished. It is well known that a healthy
vegetation, such as shrubs and trees, decomposes the
carbonic acid of the atmosphere, and renders it fit for
respiration; besides which there is a softness and
coolness about trees, particularly in a hot climate,
that is always agreeable.

Many of the inhabitants have taken up the matter
with great spirit, and have planted all the ground
near their houses. Some of them have really beau-
tiful gardens. I may instance those of His Excellency
the Governor at " Spring Gardens," of Messrs. Dent
and Co. at "Green Bank," and of Messrs. Jardine
and Matheson at "East Point." In order to give
some idea of a Hong-kong garden I shall attempt to
describe Messrs. Dent's, which was then in the pos-
session and under the fostering care of Mr. Braine : —

This garden is situated on the sloping sides of a
.valley near the bottom of one of the numerous ravines

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6 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. I.

which are seen on the sides of the Hong-kong hills.
It is near the centre of the new town of Victoria, and
is one of its greatest ornaments. On one side nothing
is seen but rugged mountains and barren hills, but
here the eye rests upon a rich and luxuriant vegeta-
tion, the beauty of which is greatly enhanced by the
contrast.

Every one interested in Chinese plants has heard
of the garden of the late Mr. Beale at Macao, a iriend
of Mr. Reeves, and like him an ardent botanical
collector. Nearly the whole of the English residents
left Macao and went to Hong-kong when that island
was ceded to England, and all the plants in Mr.
Beale's garden which could be moved with safety
were brought over in 1845 and planted in the garden
at " Green Bank."

On entering the garden at its lower side there is a
wide chunamed walk leading in a winding manner up
the side of the hill, in the direction of the house.
On each side of this walk are arranged the trees and
shrubs indigenous to the country, as well as many of
the fruits, all of which grow most luxuriantly. Ficus
nitidoy the Chinese banyan, grows on the right-hand
side, and promises soon to form a beautiful tree.
This is one of the most valuable trees for ornamental
purposes met with in the south of China. It grows
rapidly with but little care, its foliage is of a glossy
green colour, and it soon affords an agreeable shade
from the fierce rays of the sun, which renders it pecu-
liarly valuable in a place like Hong-kong. The
India-rubber tree {Ficus elasticd) also succeeds well.

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Chap. I. MESSRS. DENT'S GARDEN. ^

ia the same part of the garden, but it grows much
slower than the species just noticed. On the other
side of the main walk I observed several specimens
of the Indian "neem" tree (Melia Azedarach), which
grows with great vigour, but is rather liable to have
its branches broken by high winds, owing to the
brittle nature of the wood. This defect renders it of
less value than it otherwise would be, particularly in
a place so liable to high winds and typhoons. This
same Melia seems to be found all round the world in
tropical and temperate latitudes; I believe it exists
in South America, and I have seen it in Gibraltar,
Malta, Egy])t, Aden, Ceylon, the Straits, and in the
south and north of China, at least as far north as the
31st degree of north latitude. Amongst other plants
worthy of notice in this part of the garden are the
Chinese cinnamon, the pretty Aglaia odorata, and
Murraya exoticay both of which are very sweet
scented and much cultivated by the Chinese. Two
specimens of the cocoa-nut palm imported from the
Straits are promising well. Other fruits — such as the
loquat {Eriobotrya japonica), the Chinese gooseberry
(Averrhoa Carambola\ the wangpee {Cookia punc-
tata)^ and the longan and leechee — are all succeeding
as well as could be expected, considering the short time
they have been planted. The Pinus sinensis^ which
is met with on the sides of every barren hill, both in
the south and north of China, and which is generally
badly used by the natives, who lop off its under
branches for fuel, is here growing as it ought to do.
The Chinese have been prevented, not without some

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8 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. I.

difficulty, from outting off the under branches, and
the tree now shows itself in its natural beauty. It
does not seem to grow large, but in a young state,
with its fine green foliage reaching to the ground, it is
not unhandsome.

As the main walk approaches the terrace on which
the house stands it turns to the right, between two
rows of beautiful yellow bamboos. This species of
bamboo is a very striking one, and well worthy of
some attention in England ; the stems are straight, of
a fine yellow colour, and beautifully striped with
green, as if done by the hand of a first-rate artist. I
sent a plant of it to the Horticultural Society in 1844.

At the bottom of the terrace on which the house
stands there is a long narrow bamboo avenue, which
is called the " Orchid Walk," This always affords a
cool retreat, even at mid-day, as the rays of the sun
can only partially reach it, and then they are cooled
by the dense foliage. Here are cultivated many of
the Chinese orchids and other plants which require
shade. Amongst them I observed Phaius grandifo-
lilts, Cymbidium sinense and aloifolium, Aerides odo-
ratum, Vanda multiflora and teretifolia, Renanthera
coccinea, Femandezia ensifoUa, Arundina sinensis^
Habenaria Susannce, a species of Cypripedium, and
Spathoghttis Fortuni. There are also some other
plants, such as Chirita sinensis, the " man-neen-
chung" (a dwarf species of Lycopodium, highly
prized by the Chinese), and various other things
which, taken all tc^ether, render this shaded " Orchid
Walk " a spot of much interest.

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Chap. I. MESSRS. DENT'S GARDEN. 9

Above the "Orchid Walk" is a green sloping
bank, on which are growing some fine specimens of
hsmhooSj Poindana piUcherHmaj myrtleSj Gardenias^
oleanders (which thrive admirably in China), Croton
variegatum and jncturrij Magnolia fuscataj Oka fra-
gransy Draccena ferrea^ and Buddlea Lindleyana.
The latter was brought down from Chusan by me in
1844, and is now common in several gardens on the
island, where it thrives well, and is almost always in
bloom, although the flower-spikes are not so fine as
they are in a colder climate. A large collection of
plants in pots are arranged on each side of the broad
terrace in front of the mansion. These consist of
camellias, azaleas, roses, and such plants as are seen
in the Fa-tee gardens at Canton ; many of the pots
are prettily painted in the Chinese style, and placed
upon porcelain stands.

When it is remembered that six years before Hong-
kong was but a barren island, with only a few huts
upon it, inhabited by pirates or poor fishermen, it is
surprising that in so short a time a large town should
have risen upon the shores of the bay, containing
many houses like palaces, and gardens, too, such as
this, which enliven and beautify the whole, and add
greatly to the recreation, comfort, and health of the
inhabitants.

If we except the troops in the new barracks, the
inhabitants generally — at least those who use common
precaution — are now enjoying as good health as falls
to the lot of our countrymen elsewhere in Eastern
countries ; but the state of the troops has been, until

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10 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. I.

very lately, most melancholy and alarming. General
D'Aguilar, when commander-in-chief in the colony,
predicted the loss, in three years, of a number equal
to the strength of one regiment, and his prediction
has been almost verified. This sacrifice of human
life is fearful to contemplate. The merchant may
complain of the dulness of trade in the colony, the
political economist may cry out about its expensive-
ness, but these matters sink into insignificance when
compared with such loss of human life.

The question " Why do soldiers sufler more than
other men ? " naturally presents itself, and I humbly
think it is not difficult to answer. They have not
the same occupation for the mind as tradesmen, mer-
chants, and others ; of excitement they have little or
none ; day after day the same dull routine of duty
has to be got through, and, in addition to this, they
are often exposed to the night air. When some of
them get an attack of fever, others who look on
become nervous and predisposed to disease, and are
soon laid up in hospital with their comrades. And
add to all these things the efiects of the Chinese
spirit called "Samshoo," which drives men mad,
and, as Captain Massie, of the "Cleopatra," so justly
observed in the Supreme Court, " makes bad men of
the best in the ship."

If these are the main causes of fever and death
amongst the troops, it surely is not difficult to point
out a remedy. The editor of the * China Mail*
justly remarks that "the climate was blamed for*
much that arose from a blind adherence to regulations

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Chap. I. SHANGHAE. 11

as to diet, drill, discipline, and quarters, which, if
tried on the civil community, would, in all proba-
bility, have produced similar disastrous effects." It
is satisfactory to observe that now the system of
treatment has been completely changed, and appa-
rently with the most satisfactory results. The editor
of the paper already quoted observes that General
Jervois " has done much to improve the condition of
the soldiers, hy considering them as men^ and not mere
machines. They have more freedom, and, it is said,
better food and more airy quarters. Something has
been done also to relieve the ennui of idleness, by the
introduction and encouragement of amusements."*
It is to be hoped that these measures will be crowned
with entire success, and that the soldiers will soon be
as healthy as the rest of the community.

Having nothing to detain me in Hong-kong, I
took the earliest opportunity of going northwards to
Shanghae. This town is the most northerly of the
five ports at which foreigners are permitted to trade,
and is situated nearly one thousand miles north-east
from Hong-kong. In 1844 I published an account
of it in the * Athenaeum,' and in 1846 I described it
more fully in my * Wanderings.' In both these
works I ventured to point it out as a place likely to
become of great importance both to England and
America as a port of trade easy of access from the sea.
" Taking into consideration its proximity to the large
towns of Hangchow, Souchow, and the ancient capital
of Nanking ; the large native trade ; the convenience

• Overland China Mail, June, 1851.

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12 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHmA. Chap. L

of inland transit by means of rivers and canals ; the
fact that teas can be brought here more readily than
to Canton ; and, lastly, viewing this place as an im-
mense mart for our cotton manufactures, — there can be
no doubt that in a few years it will not only rival Can-
ton, but become a place of far greater importance."*

When these remarks were written the war had just
been brought to a satisfactory termination, and the
treaty of Nanking had been wrung from the Chi-
nese. The first merchant-ship had entered the river,
one or two English merchants had arrived, and we
were living in wretched Chinese houses, eating with
chop-sticks, half starved with cold, and sometimes
drenched in bed with rain. When the weather hap-
pened to be frosty we not unfrequently found the
floors of our rooms in the morning covered with snow.
A great change has taken place since those days. I
now found myself (September, 1848), ailer having
been in England for nearly three years, once more in
a China boat sailing up the Shanghae river towards
the city. The first object which met my view as I
approached the town was a forest of masts, not of
junks only, which had been so striking on former
occasions, but of goodly foreign ships, chiefly from
England and the United States of America. There
were now twenty-six large vessels at anchor here,
many of which had come loaded with the produce of
our manufacturing districts, and were returning filled
with silks and teas. But I was much more surprised
with the appearance which the shore presented than

♦ Three Years' Wanderings in China.

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Chap. I. ENGLISH TOWN AND SHIPPING.: 13

with the shipping. I had heard that many English
and American houses had been built, indeed one or
two were being built before I left China ; but a new
town, of very considerable size, now occupied the
place of wretched Chinese hovels, cotton-fields, and
tombs. The Chinese were moving gradually back-
wards into the country, with their famiUes, effects,
and all that appertained imto them, reminding one of
the aborigines of the West, with this important dif-
ference, that the Chinese generally left of their free
will and were liberally remunerated for their property
by the foreigners. Their chief care was to remove,
with their other effects, the bodies of their deceased
friends, which are commonly interred on private pro-
perty near their houses. Hence it was no uncommon
thing to meet several coflins being borne by coolies
or friends to the westward. In many instances when
the coflSns were uncovered they were found totally
decayed, and it was impossible to remove them.
When this was the case, a Chinese might be seen
holding a book in his hand, which contained a list of
the bones, and directing others in their search after
these the last remnants of mortality.

It is most amusing to see the groups of Chinese
merchants who come from some distance inland on a
visit to Shanghae. They wander about along the
river side with wonder depicted in their countenances.
The square-rigged vessels which crowd the river, the
houses of the foreigners, their horses and their dogs,
are all objects of wonder, even more so than the
foreigners themselves. Mr. Beale, who has one of

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14 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. I.

the finest houses here, has frequent applications from
respectable Chinese who are anxious to see the inside
of an English dwelling. These applications are
always complied with in the kindest manner, and the
visitors depart highly delighted with the view. It is
to be hoped that these peeps at our comforts and
refinements may have a tendency to raise the " bar-
barian race " a step or two higher in the eyes of the
" enlightened " Chinese.

A pretty English church forms one of the orna-
ments of the new town, and a small cemetery has
been purchased from the Chinese ; it is walled round,
and has a little chapel in the centre. In the course
of time we may perhaps take a lesson fix)m the Chi-
nese, and render this place a more pleasing object
than it is at present Were it properly laid out with
good walks, and planted with weeping willows,
cypresses, pines, and other trees of an ornamental
and appropriate kind, it would tend to raise us in
the eyes of a people who of all nations are most par-
ticular in their attention to the graves of the dead.

The gardens of the foreign residents in Shanghae
are not unworthy of notice ; they far excel those of
the Chinese, both in the number of trees and shrubs
which they contain, and also in the neat and tasteful
manner in which they are laid out and arranged.

The late Mr. Hetherington* was the first to

* Mr. Hetherington fell a victim to a fever of a very fatal kind
which prevailed in the autumn of 1848. He was a true specimen of
the old English gentleman, and was deeply regretted by all who had
the pleasure of knowing him.

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Chap. I. GARDENS OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS. 15

attempt rearing vegetables on a large scale. He
introduced asparagus, which now succeeds admirably
at Shanghae, rhubarb, seakale, and all the vegetables
common in English gardens. He also raised the
strawberry from some seeds I sent him in 1846, and
large quantities of this fine fruit were seen for the
first time in Shanghae in the summer of 1850. The
ground about the town is too low and wet for the
growth of the potato, and hence no one has succeeded
in rearmg what would be called a good crop of this
desirable vegetable. In the course of time, however,
when the cultivation is attempted in the higher parts
of the country, we may expect to get better potatoes
here than at Macao, although the latter are usually
most excellent.

The English consul, Mr. Alcock, has also a good
vegetable garden on the grounds attached to the con-
sulate. There is a noble plant of the Glycine sinen-
sis in this garden, which flowers most profusely, and
becomes covered with its long legumes, or pea-like
fruit, which ripen to perfection.

The two most beautiful ornamental gardens are
those of Mr. Beale and the Messrs. Mackenzie. Mr.
Beale's house, a fine square building of two stories, is
placed in the centre of the garden. In front is a fine
grass lawn, which extends from the house to the
boundary-wall near the river. Behind the house
there is another lawn surrounded with a dwarf orna-
mental wall. A wide gravel walk, leading from the
entrance to the back part of the garden, divides the
house from the business part of the premises. This

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16 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. I.

garden is rich in plants indigenous to China, and also
contains many which have been introduced from other
parts of the world. On entering the gate the first
thing which strikes a botanist is a fine specimen of the
new funereal cypress, nearly six feet high, and just
beginning to show its beautiful weeping habit. This
has been obtained from the interior, as it is not found
in the neighbourhood of Shanghae. Mr. Beale
intends to plant another on the opposite side of the
gate, and, when the two grow up, a very striking and
pretty efiect will be produced. In the same border
there are fine specimens of Weigela rosea^ Forsythia
viridissimay Chimonanthus^ Moutans^ LagerstroemiaSj
roses, &c., and of nearly all the new plants sent home
to the Horticultural Society from 1843 to 1846. In
this part of the garden there is also a fine plant of the
new Berberisjaponicay lately obtained from the interior.
The American Magnolia grandiflora has been
introduced here, and promises to be a very orna-
mental tree ; its fine green leaves and noble flowers
are much admired by the northern Chinese. Several
plants of Cryptomeria japonica are succeeding admi-
rably, and will soon be much more beautiftil than any
in this part of the country. The garden has been
raised with a large quantity of fresh soil considerably
above the level of the surrounding ground, so that all
the family of the pines succeed much better than in
those places where they are usually planted by the
Chinese ; besides, the latter generally spoil all the
trees belonging to this family by lopping oflF the lower
branches for firewood.

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Chap. I. GARDENS OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS. 17

Large quantities of the Olea fragranSy the Qui
Wha, are planted in different parts of the garden.
These succeed much better here than in the south of
China* In the autumn, when they are in bloom, the
air is perfumed with the most delicious fragrance.
Another most fragrant plant is the new Gardenia
{G. Fortuniana)y now common in English gardens, to
which it was introduced by the Horticultural Society
in 1845. In Mr. Beale's garden many of the bushes
of this charming species are ten or twelve feet in cir-
cumference, and in the season are covered with fine
double white flowers, as large as a camellia, and highly
fragrant. Altogether this is a most interesting garden,
and promises to be to Shanghae what the well-known
garden of Mr. Beale's father was to Macao.

The Messrs. Mackenzie's garden here is also
well worthy of notice. It resembles some of those
attached to the neat suburban residences near Lon-
don. The shrubs are arranged with great taste in
groups and single specimens on the lawn, and consist
of all the species and varieties common in this part of
China. The collection of Azaleas is particularly fine.
During the summer time, when these plants are in
bloom, they are placed on a stage, and protected
from the sun and rain. They flower in great pro-
fiision; the individual flowers are larger, and the
colours are more brilliant, than they are in England.
Here, too, are gorgeous specimens of the new Vibur-
nums {V. plicatum and V. macrocephalum) sent to
Chiswick in 1845. The first English apple-tree
firuited in this garden about a year ago.

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18 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. I.

The gentlemen connected with the London Mis-
sionary Society have a village of their own about a
quarter of a mile back from the English town. Each
house has a good garden in front of it, full of inter-
esting Chinese shrubs and trees. Dr. Lockhart has
the finest collection.

These short statements are suflScient to show what
has been done since the last war. Chinese plants
have not only been introduced to Europe and Ame-
rica, to enliven and beautify our parks and gardens,
but we have also enriched those of the Celestial
Empire with the productions of the West. Nothing,
I believe, can give the Chinese a higher idea of our
civiUsation and attainments than our love for flowers,
or tend more to create a kindly feeling between us
and them.

Before all these gardens could be stocked the
demand for shrubs and trees was necessarily great,
and varieties which in former days were compara-
tively rare about Shanghae have been brought down
in boat-loads and sold at very low prices. Good
young plants of Cryptomeria^ three to fom* feet in
height, are now sold for thirty cash each, about a
penny of our money ; a hundred fine bushy plants of
the new Gardenia just noticed have frequently been
bought for a dollar. It is amusing to see the boat-
loads of plants ranged along the river banks to tempt
the eye of the English planter. They are chiefly
brought from the large towns of Soo-chow and Hang-
chow, the former fifty miles distant, and the latter
about a hundred.

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Chap. n. OBJECT IN COMING NORTH. 19

CHAPTER 11.

My object in coming north — Difficulty in procuring tea-plants — No
dependence can be placed upon the Chinese — Adopt the dress of
the country — Start for the interior — Mode of getting my head
shaved — City of Kea-hing-foo and its old cemetery - — Lakes and
" ling " — Mode of gathering the " ling " — Great silk country —
Increase in exports — City of Seh-mun-ynen — Fear of thieves —
Hang-chow-foo — The " Garden of China" — Description of the city
and its suburbs — Gaiety of the people — Adventure in the city
— Ean-du — A " chop " — A Chinese inn -* 1 get no breakfast
and lose my dinner — Boat engaged for Hwuy-chow — Importance
of Hang-chow both for trading and " squeezing,'*'*

My object in coming thus far north was to obtain
seeds and plants of the tea shrab for the Hon. East
India Company's plantations in the north-west provinces
of India. It was a matter of great importance to pro-
cure them from those districts in China where the
best teas were produced, and I now set about accom-
plishing this object. There were various tea districts
near Ning-po where very fair green teas were prepared
for Chinese use ; but these teas were not very well
suited to the foreign market. It might be that the
plant was precisely the same variety from which the
finer sorts were made, and that the difference consisted
only in climate, in soil, or, more likely still, in a
different mode of manipulation. This might or might
not be the case ; no one, so far as I knew, had ever
visited the Hwuy-chow district and brought away
plants from the tea hills there. In these circum-

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20 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. IL

stances I considered that it would be a most unsatis-
factory proceeding to procure plants and seeds from
the Ning-po district only, or to take it for granted
that they were the same as those in the great green-
tea country of Hwuy-chow.

It was a very easy matter to get plants and seeds
from the tea countries near Ning-po. Foreigners are
allowed to visit the islands in the Chusan archi-
pelago, such as Chusan and Kin-tang, in both of
which the tea shrub is most abundant. They can
also go to the celebrated temple of Tein-tung, about
twenty miles inland, in the neighbourhood of which
tea is cultivated upon an extensive scale.

But the Hwuy-chow district is upwards of 200
miles inland from either of the northern ports of
Shanghae or Ning-po. It is a sealed country to
Europeans. If we except the Jesuit missionaries, no
one has ever entered within the sacred precincts of
Hwuy-chow.*

Having determined, if possible, to procure plants
and seeds from this celebrated country, there were
but two ways of proceeding in the business. Either
Chinese agents must be employed to go into the
country to procure them and bring them down, or I
must go there myself. At first sight the former way
seemed the only one possible — certainly it was the
easiest. But there were some very formidable objec-
tions to this course. Suppose I had engaged Chinese
agents for this purpose — and plenty would have

* Since this was written I have been informed that the Rev, Mr.
Medhurst passed through some part of this district.

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Chap. II. NO DEPENDENCE ON THE CHINESE. 21

undertaken the mission — how could I be at all cer-
tain that the plants or seeds which they would have
brought me had been obtained in the districts in
question? No dependence can be placed upon the
veracity of the Chinese. I may seem uncharitable,
but such is really the case ; and if it suited the pur-
pose of the agents employed in this matter they
would have gone a few miles inland to the nearest
tea district — one which I could have visited myself
with ease and safety — and have made up their col-
lection there. After staying away for a month or
two they would have returned to me with the collec-
tion, and, if requisite, have sworn that they had
obtained it in the country to which I had desired
them to proceed. It is just possible that they might
have done otherwise ; but even if they had I could
not have been certain that such was the case, and I
therefore abandoned all idea of managing the business
in that way, and determined to make an effort to
penetrate into the Hwuy-chow country myself, where
I could not only procure the true plants which pro-
duce the finest green teas of commerce, but also gain
some information with regard to the nature of the
soil of the district and the best modes of cultiva-
tion.

I had two Hwuy-chow men in my service at this
time. I sent for them, and inquired whether it was
possible to penetrate so far into the country. They
replied that we could easily do so, and that they were
quite willing to accompany me, only stipulating that
I should discard my English costume and adopt the

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22 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap, II.

dress of the country. I knew that this was indis-
pensable if I wished to accomplish the object in view,
and readily acceded to the terms.

My servants now procured me a Chinese dress,
and had the tail which I had worn in former years
nicely dressed by the barber. Everything was soon
in readiness except the boat which had to be engaged
for the first stage of our journey. This was, just
then, a difficult matter, owing to some boatmen hav-
ing been severely punished by the Chinese autho-
rities for taking three or four foreigners some distance
inland to see the silk districts. These gentlemen
went in the English dress, and complaints were con-
sequently made by the officers in the districts through
w];iich they passed to the mandarins in Shanghae.
On this account it was impossible to engage a boat as
a foreigner, and I desired my servant to hire it in
his own name, and merely state that two other per-
sons were to accompany him. He agreed to this
plan, and soon returned with a "chop," or agree-
ment, which he had entered into with a man who
engaged to take us as far as the city of Hang-
chow-foo.

Thus far all was right; but now my two men
began to be jealous of each other, each wanting to
manage the concern, with the view, as it proved
ultimately, of getting as many dollars out of me
as possible. One of them had been engaged as a
servant and linguist, and the other was little better
than a common coolie. I therefore intrusted the
management of our affairs to the former, much to

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Chap. II. START FOR THE INTERIOR. 23

the disgust of the other, who was an older man. In
an ordinary case I would have sent one of them
away, but, as I had but little confidence in either, I
thought that in their present jealous state the one
would prove a check upon the other. The projected
journey was a long one, the way was unknown to me,
and r should have been placed in an awkward posi-
tion had they agreed to rob me, and then run off and
leave me when far inland. The jealous feeling that
existed between them was therefore, I considered,
rather a safeguard than otherwise.

As I was anxious to keep the matter as secret as
possible, I intended to have left the English part of
the town at night in a chair, and gone on board the
boat near to the east gate of the city, where she lay
moored in the river. Greatly to my surprise, how-
ever, I observed a boat, such as I knew mine to be,
alongside of one of the English jetties, and apparently
ready for my reception. " Is that the boat that you
have engaged ?" said I to my servant Wang. '* Yes,"
said he, " that coolie has gone and told the boatman
all about the matter, and that an Englishman is
going in his boat." " But will the boatman consent
to go now ?*' " Oh ! yes," he replied, " if you will
only add a trifle more to the fare." To this I con-
sented, and, after a great many delays, everything
was at last pronounced to be ready for our starting.
As the boatman knew who I was, I went on board
in my English dress, and kept it on during the first
day.

When I rose on the morning of the second day,

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24 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. H.

we were some distance from ShaDghae, and the boat-
man suggested that it was now time to discard the
English dress, and adopt that of the country, accord-
ing to our agreement To put on the dress was an
easy matter, but I had also to get my head shaved —
an operation which required a barber. Wang, who
was the most active of my two men, was laid up that
morning with fever and ague, so that the duty de-
volved upon the coolie. The latter was a large-
boned, clumsy fellow, whose only recommendation to
me was his being a native of that part of the country
to which I was bound. Having procured a pair of
scissors, he clipped the hair from the front, back, and
sides of my head, leaving only a patch upon the
crown. He then washed those parts with hot water,
after the manner of the Chinese, and, having done so,
he took up a small razor and began to shave my
head. I suppose I must have been the first person
upon whom he had ever operated, and I am cha-
ritable enough to wish most sincerely that I may be
the last. He did not shave, he actually scraped my
poor head until the tears came running down my
cheeks, and I cried out with pain. All he said was,
" Hai-yah — very bad, very bad," and continued the
operation. To make matters worse, and to try my
temper more, the boatmen were peeping into the
cabin and evidently enjoying the whole affair, and
thinking it capital sport. I really believe I should
have made a scene of a less amusing kind had I not
been restrained by prudential motives, and by the
consideration that the poor coolie was really doing

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Chap. II. AN " UNEASY" SHAVE. 25

the best he could. The shaving was finished at last ;
I then dressed myself in the costume of the country,
and the result was pronounced by my servants and
boatmen to be very satisfactory.

The whole country to the westward of Shanghae
is intersected with rivers and canals, so that the tra-
veller can visit by boat almost all the towns and
cities in this part of the province. Some of the
canals lead to the large cities of Sung-kiang-foo, Soo-
chow-foo, Nanking, and onward by the Grand Canal
to the capital itself. Others, again, running to the
west and south-west, form the highways to the Tartar
city of Chapoo, Hang-chow-foo, and to numerous other
cities and towns, which are studded over this large
and important plain.

We proceeded in a south-westerly direction — my
destination being the city of Hang-chow-foo. Having
a fair wind during the first day, we got as far as the
Maou lake, a distance of 120 or 130 le* firom
Shanghae. Here we stopped for the night, making
our boat fast to a post driven into the grassy banks
of the lake. Starting early next morning, we reached
in the forenoon a town of considerable size, named
Kea-hing-yuen, and a little farther on we came to the
city of Kea-hing-foo, a large place walled and for-
tified.

This city seems nearly as large as Shanghae, and
probably contains about the same number of inha-

* Ale has generally been set down as the third part of an English
mile, but if we suppose a fourth, or even a fifth, we shall be nearer the
truth.

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26 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. II.

bitants — 270,000. Its walls and ramparts had been
in a most dilapidated and ruinous condition, but the
people got such a fright when the English took
Chapoo — ^which is not a very great distance off —
that they came forward with funds, and had the de-
fences of their city substantially repaired. Such was
the boatmen's story when accounting for the excel-
lent order in which the fortifications were. A num-
ber of old grain junks, of great size considering the
depth of water, are moored in the canal abreast of
the city, and are apparently used as dwelling-houses
by the natives ; some, however, are half sunk in the
water, and appear entirely abandoned. Junks of the
same description as these are seen abreast of all the
large towns on the grand canal. When too old for
the Government service they seem to be drawn up to
the nearest city, and either used by Govemmeiit
officers as dwelling-houses, or sold to the highest
bidder.

We had now entered the great Hang-chow silk
district, and the mulberry was observed in great
abundance on the banks of the canal, and in patches
over all the country.

I was greatly struck with the appearance of a
cemetery on the western side of the city of Kea-
hing-foo, not very far from the city walls. Its large
extent gave a good idea of the numerous and dense
population of the town. It had evidently existed for
many ages, for a great number of the tombstones
were crumbling to pieces, and mingling with the
ashes of the dead. But this " place of skulls " was

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Chap. II. GATHERING LING. 27

no barren waste, like those churchyards which we see
in lai^e towns at home. Here the dead were interred
amidst groves of the weeping willow, mulberry-trees,
and several species of juniper and pine. Wild roses
and creepers of various kinds were scrambling over
the tombs, and the whole place presented a hallowed
and pleasing aspect

Leaving the old town behind us, and sailing west-
ward, we entered a broad sheet of water of consider-
able size, which is probably part o^ or at least joins,
the celebrated Tai-ho lake. The water is very shal-
low, and a great part of it is covered with the Trapa
hkomia — a plant called ling by the Chinese. It
produces a fruit of a very peculiar shape, resembling
the head and horns of a bullock, and is highly
esteemed in all parts of the empire. I have seen
three distinct species or varieties, one of which has
fruit of a beautiful red colour.

Women and boys were sailing about on all parts of
the lake, in tubs of the same size and form as our
common washing-tubs, gathering the finit of the ling.
I don't know of any contrivance which would have
answered their purpose better than these rude tubs,
for they held the fruit as it was gathered as well as
the gatherer, and at the same time were easily pro-
pelled through the masses of ling without doing the
plants any injury. The sight of a number of people
swimming about on the lake, each in his tub, had
something very ludicrous about it.

After we had passed the lake, the banks of the
canal, and indeed the greater part of the country,

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28 TP:A districts of china. Chap. II.

were covered with mulberry trees. Silk is evidently
the staple production in this part of China. During
the space of two days — and in that time I must have
travelled upwards of a hundred miles — I saw little
else than mulberry trees. They were evidently care-
fully cultivated, and in the highest state of health,
producing fine, large, and glossy leaves. When it is
remembered that I was going in a straight direction
through the country, some idea may be formed of the
extent of this enormous silk district, which probably
occupies a circle of at least a hundred miles in
diameter. And this, it must be remembered, is only
one of the silk districts in China, but it is the prin-
cipal and the best one. The merchant and silk-
manufacturer will form a good idea of the quantity
of silk consumed in China, when told that, after the
war, on the port of Shanghae being opened, the
exports of raw silk increased in two or three years
from 3000 to 20,000 bales. This fact shows, I
think, the enormous quantity which must have been
in the Chinese market before the extra demand
could have been so easily supplied. But as it is
with tea, so it is with silk, — the quantity exported
bears but a small proportion to that consumed by the
Chinese themselves. The 17,000 extra bales sent
yearly out of the country have not in the least degree
affected the price of raw silk or of silk manufactures.
This feet speaks for itself.

Seh-mxm-yuen, a town about 140 le north-east
from Hang-chow-foo, was the next place of any note
which I passed. It is apparently a very ancient

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Chap. II. FEAR OP THIEVES. 29

city, but has no trade, and is altogether in a most
dilapidated condition. The walls were completely
overrun with wild shrubs, and in many places were
crumbling into ruins. It had evidently seen better
and more prosperous days, which had long ago passed
by. The boatmen informed me that this part of the
country abounded in thieves and robbers, and that
they must not all go to bed at night, otherwise
something would be stolen from the boat before
morning.

We reached the city about three o'clock in the
afternoon. The morning had been cold and rainy,
and the boatmen, who were all wet to the skin,
refused to proceed further that day. I was therefore
obliged to make up my mind to stay there all that
night, and a more disagreeable one I never spent.
After dark my servants and the boatmen told stories
of celebrated pirates and robbers, until they frightened
themselves, and almost made me believe myself to be
in dangerous company. The wind was very high,
and, as it whistled amongst the ruinous ramparts, the
sound was dismal enough ; and what added still more
to our discomfort, the rain beat through the roof of
our boat, and kept dripping upon our beds.

Before retiring to sleep it had been arranged that
my cooKe and one of the boatmen were to sit and
keep watch during the night for our protection from
thieves. The coolie's station was inside the boat,
where I was, and the other man was to keep watch
in the after-part of the boat, where the cooking de-
partment was carried on. How long these sentries

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30 TEA DISTEICTS OF CHINA. Chap. TI.

kept watch I cannot tell, but when I awoke, some
time before the morning dawned, the dangers of the
place seemed to be completely forgotten, except per-
haps in their dreams, for I found them sound asleep.
The other men were also sleeping heavily, and no
one seemed to have harmed us during our slumbers.
I now roused the whole of them, and, the morning
being fine, we proceeded on our journey towards the
city of Hang-chow-foo.

During this three days' journey we had been
passing through a perfectly level country, having
seen only three or four small hills near the city of
Sung-kiang-foo. Now, however, the scene began to
change, and the hills which gird this extensive plain
on the west and south-west sides came into view.
We passed a town named Tan-see, which is on the
side of the grand canal on which we were now sailing.
Tan-see is a bustling town of considerable size, a few
miles to the north-east of Hang-chow-foo. The ap^
pearance of the flat countr}^ here was rich and beau-
tifiil. Still the mulberry was seen extensively culti*
vated on all the higher patches of ground, and rice
occupied the low wet land.

As we approached Hang-chow the vegetation of
the country was richer and under a higher state of
cultivation than any which had come under my
notice in other parts of China. It reminded me of
the appearance which those highly cultivated spots
present near our large market towns in England.
Here were beautiful groves of the loquat {Eriohotrya
japonica\ yang-mai {Myrica sp.), peaches, plums,

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Chap. U. THE "GARDEN OF CHINA." 31

oranges, and all the fruits of Central China, in a high
state of cultivation.

The country around Hang-chow-foo may well be
called "the garden of China.*' The grand canal,
with its numerous branches, not only waters it, but
also affords the means of travelling through it, and
of conveying the productions for which it is famous
to other districts. The hills in the background, the
beautiful bay which comes up to the town and
stretches far away towards the ocean, and the noble
river which here falls into the bay, all contribute to
render the scenery strikingly beautiful.

On the evening of the 22nd of October I ap-
proached the suburbs of Hang-chow-foo — one of the
lai^est and most flourishing cities in the richest dis-
trict of the Chinese empire- The Chinese autho-
rities have always been most jealous of foreigners
approaching or entering this town. It is generally
supposed that, in addition to the natural antipathy
which they manifest to the "outside barbarians,"
they have a custom-house here in which they levy
duties on merchandise imported or exported by
foreigners, which duties are opposed to the terms of
the treaty of Nanking. They know well enough
that, if foreigners were allowed to come here, this
system of extortion would soon be exposed and
broken up.

As I drew nearer the city, everything which came
imder my observation marked it as a place of great
importance. The grand canal was deep and wide,
and bore on its waters many hundreds of boats of

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32 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IL

different sizes, all engaged in an active bustling trade.
Many of these were sailing in the same direction as
ourselves, whilst others were leaving the city and
hurrying onwards in the direction of Soo-chow, Hoo-
chow, Kea-hing, and other towns. Canals were seen
branching off from the grand canal in all directions,
and forming the high roads of the coimtry.

When I reached the end of this part of my
journey my boatmen drew up and moored the boat
amongst thousands of the same class, and, it being
now nearly dark, I determined to rest there for the
night. When the next morning dawned, and I had
time to take a survey of our position, I found that
we had been moored on the edge of a large broad
basin of water which terminates the grand canal.
As I had nothing to do in the city, and merely
wanted to pass onwards on my journey to the green-
tea country, I did not wish to run the risk of passing
through it. Before leaving Shanghae, when consult-
ing the map and fixing my route, I asked if it were
possible to get to the mouth of the Hang-chow river
without actually passing through the city itself. Both
my men informed me that this was quite easy, and
even protested strongly against my entering the town.
They said we could go by the See-hoo lake, at which
place we could leave the Shanghae boat, and then
proceed on foot or in chairs a distance of 30 le. By
this means we should merely skirt the town, and
attain the object we had in view. This plan seemed
feasible enough. When we reached the suburbs of
Hang-chow, therefore, not knowing the locality, I

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Chap. II. HANG-CHOW-FOO. 33

naturally supposed that we were at See-hoo, which
is only a part of the suburbs. This, however, was
not the case.

Wang, who had been sent on shore at daybreak to
procure a chair, and coolies for our luggage, now
came back and informed me that he had succeeded
in arranging all this at an inn hard by, to which we
must now go. Leaving the boat, we walked up a
crowded street for nearly a quarter of a mile, and
then entered the inn in question. No one took the
slightest notice of me, a circumstance which gave me
a good deal of confidence, and led me to conclude
that I was dressed in a proper manner, and that I
made a pretty good Chinaman.

Our Shanghae boatmen accompanied us, carrying
our luggage; indeed I believe they had recom-
mended us to the inn at which we had now arrived.
To my astonishment they at once informed their
friend the innkeeper that I was a foreigner. Having
been paid their fare, they had nothing more to expect,
and I suppose could not contain the secret any
longer. I now expected that some diflSculties would
be experienced in procuring a chair, either through
fear of the mandarins, or with the view of extorting
money. The old man, who made his living by let-
ting chairs and selling tea, took everything very
quietly, and did not seem to despise a good customer,
even if he was a foreigner. A chair was soon ready
for me to proceed on my journey. The bearers were
paid by the master of the house to take me one
stage — about half way — and a sum of money was

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34 TEA DISTRICTS OF CfflNA. Chap. n.

given them to engage another chair for the remainder
of the journey, to a place called Ean-<[u, which is
situated on the banks of the large river which here
falls into the bay of Hang-chow.

Everything being satisfactorily arranged, I stepped
into the chair, and, desiring my two servants to follow
me, proceeded along the narrow streets at a rapid
pace. After travelling in this way for about a mile,
and expecting every moment to get out into the open
country, I was greatly surprised by finding that I was
getting more and more into a dense town. For the
first time I began to suspect that my servants were
deceiving me, and that I was to pass through the city
of Hang-chow after all. These suspicions were soon
confirmed by the appearance of the walls and ram-
parts of the city. It was now too late to object to
this procedure, and I thought the best way to act
was to let matters take their course and remain
passive in the business.

We passed through the gates into the city. It
seemed an ancient place : the walls and ramparts were
high and in excellent repair, and the gates were
guarded as usual by a number of soldiers. Its main
street, through which I passed, is narrow when com-
pared with streets in European towns ; but it is well
paved, and reminded me of the main street of Ning-
po. Hang-chow, however, is a place of much greater
importance than Ning-po, both in a political and
mercantile point of view. It is the chief town of
the Chekiang province, and is the residence of many
of the principal mandarins and oflScers of govern-

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Chap. II. THE CITY AND SUBURBS. 35

ment, as well as of many of the great merchants. It
has been remarked not unfrequently, when compar-
ing the towns of Shanghae and Ning-po, that the
former is a trading place, and the latter a place of
great wealth. Hang-chow-foo has both these advan-
tages combined. Besides, it is a fashionable place,
and is to the province of Chekiang what Soo-chow-foo
is to Kiang-nan. Du Halde quotes an old proverb
which significantly says that ^^ Paradise is above^ but
helow are Soo-chow and Hang-chow."

The walls of this terrestrial paradise are said to
be forty le in circumference, that is, about eight
English miles. Although there are a great many
gardens and open spaces inside, yet the extent of the
city is very great, and in many parts the population
is most dense. The suburbs also are very extensive,
and must contain a very large population. Sir
George Staunton supposed that the population of the
city and suburbs was equal to that of Peking, and
Du Halde estimates it at a million of souls.

The houses bear a striking resemblance to those
of Ning-po, Soo-chow, and other northern towns.
Were I set down blindfolded in the main street of
one of these Chinese towns, even in one which I
knew well, and the bandage removed from my eyes,
I should have great diflSculty in saying where I was.
There are doubtless distinctions with which the
^' barbarian" eye is unacquainted, but which would
be plain enough to a Chinese.

I observed in many parts of the city triumphal
arches, monuments to great men, and gorgeous-look-

D 2

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36 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. II.

ing Buddhist temples ; but although these buildings
have a certain degree of interest about them, and
many of them are certainly curious, yet as works of
art they are not to be compared with the buildings of
the same class which one meets with at home.

The shops in the main streets have their fronts
entirely removed by day, so that the passenger may
have an opportunity of seeing and of forming a good
idea of the wares which are for sale. I observed
many shops where gold and silver ornaments and
valuable Jade stone were exposed for sale. Old
curiosity shops were numerous, and contained articles
of great value amongst the Chinese, such as ancient
porcelain jars, bronzes, carved bamboo, jars cut out
of the beautiful Jade stone, and a variety of other
things of like description. I observed some large
silk-shops as I passed along, and, judging from the
number of people in the town who wear silk dresses,
they must have a thriving trade. Everything, indeed,
which met the eye, stamped Hang-chow-foo as a place
of wealth and luxury. As usual in all the Chinese
towns which I have visited, there were a vast number
of tea and eating houses for the middle classes ^nd
the poor. They did not seem to lack customers, for
they were all crowded with hundreds of natives, who,
for a few cash or " tseen," can obtain a healthy and
substantial meal.

Besides the officers of Government, merchants,
shopkeepers, and common labourers connected with
any of these professions, the city contains a large
manufacturing population. Silk is the staple article

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Chap. II. LOVE OP DRESS. 37

of manufacture. Du Halde estimates the numbers
engaged in this operation at sixty thousand. I ob-
served a great number employed in the reeling
process, and others were busily engaged with the
beautiful embroidery for which this part of China is
80 famous.

The people of Hang-chow dress gaily, and are
remarkable amongst the Chinese for their dandyism.
All except the lowest labourers and coolies strutted
about in dresses composed of silk, satin, and crape.
My Chinese servants were one day contrasting the
natives of Hang-chow in this respect with those of the
more inland parts from which they came. They said
there were many rich men in their country, but they
all dressed plainly and modestly, while the natives
of Hang-chow, both rich and poor, were never con-
tented unless gaily dressed in silks and satins.
" Indeed," said they, " one can never tell a rich man
in Hang-chow, for it is just possible that all he pos-
sesses in the world is on his bacL"

When we were about halfway through the city
the chairmen set me down, and informed me that
they went no farther. I got out and looked round
for my servants, from whom I expected an explana-
tion, for I had understood that the chairmen had
been paid to take me the whole way through. My
servants, however, were nowhere to be seen — they
had either gone some other road, or, what was more
probable, had intentionally kept out of the way in
case of any disturbance. I was now in a dilemma,
and did not clearly see my way out of it. Much to

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38 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. H.

my surprise and pleasure, however, another chair
was brought me, and I was informed that I was to
proceed in it. I now understood how the business
had been managed. The innkeeper had intrusted
the first bearers with a sum of money sufficient to
hire another chair for the second stage of the journey.
Fart of this sum, however, had been spent by them
in tea and tobacco as we came along, and the second
bearers could not be induced to take me on for the
sum which was left. A brawl now ensued between
the two sets of chairmen, which was noisy enough ;
but as such things are quite common in China, it
seemed, fortunately for me, to attract but little notice.
The situation in which I was now placed was rather
critical, and far from an enviable one. Had it been
known that a foreigner was in the very heart of the
city of Hang-chow-foo, a mob would have soon col-
lected, and the consequences might have been
serious.

" Take things coolly and never lose your temper"
should be the motto of every one who attempts to
travel in China. This is always the best plan, for, if
you allow things to take their course, ten to one you
will get out of a dilemma like that in which I was now
placed ; but if you attempt to interfere, you will pro-
bably make matters worse. These were the prin-
ciples on which I generally acted ; but in the present
instance I was not allowed to carry them out to their
fullest extent

I had taken my seat in the second chair, and was
patiently waiting until such time as the first men

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Chap. II. A DILEMMA. 39

could give the second satisfactory reasons for spend-
ing part of their cash in tea and tobacco. The first
notice, however, which I received of the unsuccessful
result of this attempt, was an intimation that I was
to be ejected from the chair, I knew this would not
do, as from my imperfect knowledge of the lan-
guage I might have some difficulty in finding another
conveyance, and I did not know one foot of the way
which I was going. I was therefore obliged to in-
quire into the dispute, and put an end to it by pro-
mising to pay the difference when we arrived at the
end of our stage. This was evidently what the first
rascals had been calculating upon; but it had the
effect of stopping all fiirther disputes, and my bearers
shouldered their burthen and jogged onwards.

The distance from the basin of the Grand Canal
to the river on the opposite side is 28 or 30 le,
between five and six miles. After leaving the city
behind us, we passed through a pretty undulating
country for about two miles, and then entered the
town of Kan-du, which is built along the banks of the
river Tcien-tang-kiang, sometimes called the Green
River, which here falls into the Bay of Hang-chow.
Kan-du is the seaport of Hang-chow.

I had seen nothing of my servants during the
whole way, and was beginning to expect a scene or
adventure at the end of this part of the journey. The
chair-bearers spoke a peculiar dialect, which I could
scarcely make out, and I kept wondering as we went
along what would happen next. The only thing I
could make out was, that they were taking me to a

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40 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. H.

Hong-le^ but what a Hong-le was, was beyond my
comprehension.

To carry out my own principles and trust to cir-
cumstances seemed to be the only way of proceeding,
and I gave myself very little uneasiness about the
result. At length I heard the men say that here was
the Hong-le, and, as I was about to look and see
what this might be, the chair was set down, and it
was intimated to me that we had reached the end of
the journey. Greatly to my surprise and pleasure I
now found that this Hong-le was a quiet and com-
fortable Chinese inn, which was frequented by pas-
sengers from all parts of the country. Getting out
of my chair, I walked quietly up to the farther end
of the large hall, and began to look amongst a number
of packages which were heaped up there for my own
luggs^e. I had seen nothing of either that or my
servants since I left the former inn. It had arrived,
however, quite safely, having been sent on by a
coolie before me, and in a few minutes my two men
also made their appearance.

We now informed the innkeeper that we wanted
to go up the river to Hwuy-chow, and made inquiries
regarding a boat. We soon found that it was part
of his trade to give "chops," or to "secure" boat-
men. Everything is done upon this plan in China.
When a servant is engaged, or a boat hired, it is
always necessary for the said servant or boatman to
produce some respectable householder, who for a
certain sum becomes bound for him in a written
" chop" or agreement. This " chop" is handed over

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Chap. II. A « CHOP"— A CHINESE INN. 41

to the master of the servant, or to the hirer of the
boat, who retains it until his contract is satisfactorily
fulfilled. This system is practised universally amongst
the Chinese, who seem to have no faith in the lower
orders of the people.

I quickly despatched Wang to look after a boat,
and desired him to bring the boatman with him to
the inn, to have his agreement drawn up and signed.
The other man ran out along with him, and I was
again left in a strange place amongst strangers.

The inn in which I was located was a large old
building, pleasantly situated on the banks of the
Green River. All the lower part formed a sort of
shed or warehouse, which was filled with goods of
various kinds and the luggage of passengers. At
the upper end of this apartment a table was placed
in the middle of the floor, and served for the host and
his guests to dine upon. Around this table were
sitting five or six respectable-looking Chinese mer-
chants smoking from long bamboo pipes, and discuss-
ing the news of the day and the state of trade.
These men politely made way for me at the table.
I took the seat offered, and to be neighbour-like
commenced smoking as fast as any of them. In
other parts of the warehouse the servants of these
men, and other travelling servants, were lolling about,
or sound asleep upon the chairs or goods. No one
seemed to take any particular notice of me, and I
soon sat perfectly at my ease.

A little incident happened which gave me some
uneasiness at the time, but at which I have often had

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42 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Cha.p. n.

a good laugh since. Preparations began to be made
for dinner, and the travellers who were seated around
tibe table arose and wandered about the other parts of
the house. It was mid-day, and, as I had eaten no
breakfast, I felt rather hungry. In these circum-
stances it may be thought that the appearance of
dinner would have afforded me some pleasure. This,
however, was not the case, and for the following
reason: I had not eaten with chop-sticks for three
years, and I had no confidence in my talents in the
use of them. This important circumstance had not
struck me before, otherwise I would have practised
all the way from Shanghae to Hang-chow, and might
have been proficient by this time. As it was I was
quite certain that I should draw the eyes of the Chi-
namen upon me, for nothing would astonish them so
much as a person using the chop-sticks in an awk-
ward manner. I was therefore obliged, reluctantly I
confess, to abandon all ideas of a dinner on that day.
Meanwhile the dishes were placed upon the table,
and the guests were called by their names and re-
quested to sit down. " Sing Wa, Sing Wa " (the
name I bore amongst the Chinese), "come and sit
down to dinner." I felt much inclined to break my
resolution and sit down, but prudence came to my
aid, and I replied, " No, I thank you, I shall dine by
and by, when my servants come back." I believe it
is common enough for travellers to dine at different
hours and in different ways, according to circiun-
stances, so that my refusal did not seem to attract
much notice.

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Chap. II. EMBARK FOR HWUY-CHOW. 43

A short time afterwards my servants returned,
bringing a boatman with them to have a chop made
out, and to have him "secured" by the innkeeper.
As soon ss this was done to our satisfaction we left
the inn and walked down to the boat, which lay
alongside of one of the wharfs at the river side.
Several other passengers had also arrived, and we
were all to sleep on board, as the boat was to start at
daybreak on the following morning. To me this had
been an exciting and adventurous day, and I was not
sorry when the darkness closed ground us and we all
retired to rest.

The river Tcien-tang-kiang, on which I was now,
has its sources far away amongst the mountains to
the westward. One of its branches rises amongst the
green-tea hills of Hwuy-chow, another near to the
town of Changshan, on the borders of Kiang-see, and
a third on the northern side of the Bohea mountains.
These streams unite in their course to the eastward,
and, passing Hang-chow, fall into the bay which bears
the same name. All the green and black tea comes
down this river on its way to Shanghae, and at
Hang-chow is transhipped from the river-boats into
those which ply upon the Grand Canal. The im-
portance of Hang-chow-foo, in a mercantile point of
view, is therefore very great. All goods from the
south and westward must of necessity pass through
this town on their way to the large and populous dis-
tricts about Soo-chow, Sung-kiang, and Shanghae. In
the same manner all foreign imports, and the pro-
ducts of the low countries, such as silk and cotton, in

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44 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. n.

going to the southward and westward, must also pass
through Hang-chow. It therefore appears to be like
a great gate on a public highway, through which
nothing can pass or repass without the consent and
cognizance of the authorities.

The power which this place gives the Chinese
authorities over our imports and exports through
Shanghae is very great, and hence complaints of
stoppages and illegal charges, or ^^ squeezesj"* have
been not unfrequeut. The day cannot be very far
distant when we shall be allowed to trade and travel
in China as in other countries — when all those foolish
regulations regarding boundary-lines will be swept
away; but, in the event of these changes being
gradual, it may be a question whether our Govern-
ment should not endeavour to open the town of
Hang-chow-foo, or at all events have a consular agent
there for the encouragement and protection of our
trade.

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Chap. IH. A CHINA PASSAGE-BOAT. 45

CHAPTER III.

Leave Hang-chow-foo — A China passage-lioat — Scenery and natural
productions — Eemarkable hills — Our fellow-passengers — A
smoker of opium — I am discovered to be a foreigner — City of
Yen-chow-foo — A Chinaman cheats a Chinaman ! — ITae river and
water-mills — Botany of the country — A valuable palm-tree —
Birds — Lime-kilns and green granite — Tea-plant met with —
The new Funebbal Cypbbbs discovered — Its beauty — How its
seeds were procured — Dr. Lindley's opinion of its merits — Strange
echo — River and land beggars — Charity.

When the next morning dawned we got under way
and steered out into the river, which is here three or
four miles in width. The boat was strongly built,
flat-bottomed, and very sharp both fore and aft.
Ordinary boats, such as those seen at Shanghae,
would be perfectly useless here, for they would soon
be broken to pieces on the rocks and stones which
abound in this shallow but rapid river.

We were deeply laden with cargo, and carried
about twenty passengers. The cargo was packed in
the bottom of the boat, and the passengers above it.
Two rows of sleeping-berths were constructed along
each side of the boat, and a passage between them, so
that both passengers and boatmen could walk from
stem to stern without any inconvenience. The first-
class passengers occupied the side-berths, and their
servants and coolies slept in the passage*

A Chinese bed is not a very luxurious one. It

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46 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. HI.

consists simply of a mat to lie upon, a hard square
pillow for the head, and a coverlet stuffed with cotton
to draw over the body as a protection from the
cold,

I had the berth nearest the stern of the boat, a
dwarf occupied the one opposite, and my two servants
slept in the passage between us. The galley, or, I
should rather say, cooking apparatus, was placed out-
side in the stem, near to the steersman.

Each passenger, when he takes his passage in these
boats, agrees for three meals a-day at a certain fixed
rate. We were to have congfe in the morning, rice
at mid-day, and rice-cong6 again in the evening.
Anything else the passengers wanted, such as tea,
fish, meat, or vegetables, they had to provide and
cook for themselves. The arrangement seems a good
one, and it enables those who are so inclined to travel
at a very small cost Many of the passengers had
nothing else than what was provided by the boatmen,
excepting perhaps a little tea, which they all carried
with them, and which in this country is cheap
enough.

In the morning a basin of hot water, with a cloth
in it, was brought to me to perform my ablutions.
The following is the Chinese way of using this : the
cloth is dipped in the hot water and then wrung imtil
the greater part of the water is pressed out. In this
hot and damp state it is spread out on both hands,
and the face, neck, and head rubbed over with it
This mode of washing is not the most effectual^ but
there is nothing more refreshing on a warm day, if

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Chap. in. BREAKFAST ON BOARD. . 47

one comes in from a walk hot and weary ; it is far
more refreshing than bathing in cold water, and
perhaps more conducive to health.

After I was dressed I received a cup of tea — tea
in the strict sense of the word — without sugar or
milk, these additions never being used in this part of
China. About eight o'clock the cook had six large
earthenware basins placed at the side of the rice-pot ;
each of these he filled brim full of conge, and set
them in the open air to cool. When it was cool
enough to be eaten, the basins were placed in a row
in the passage between our berths; the passengers
then arranged themselves into messes, four in each,
and breakfast began. By this arrangement the dwarf,
who occupied the berth opposite to mine, my two
Chinese servants, and myself formed the mess nearest
to the stem of the boat Each man was furnished
with a small basin and a pair of chop-sticks; a
wooden ladle was placed in the earthen pan, with
which each filled his basin.

Having had little to eat the day before, except
some sweet potatoes which one of my men brought
me, I was hungry enough not only to eat the conge,
uninviting as it certainly was, but also to disregard
the presence of the Chinese, or what they might
think of the awkward way in which I used the chop-
sticks. I got on very well, however, and found that
I had not quite forgotten the art of eating with these
highly-civilized instruments. It is, however, easier
to eat rice and conge with them than other kinds of
food, for the basin is generally brought quite dose up

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48 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. III.

to the mouth, and its contents partly sucked and
partly shovelled in.

The tide and wind were both fair, so that we
glided up the river with great rapidity; it was a
beautiful autumnal day, and the scene altogether
was a most charming one. We had left behind
us the ^eat plain of the Yang-tse-kiang, and the
country was now hilly and most romantic. The hills
were richly wooded; pines, cypresses, and junipers
clothed their sides fipom the base nearly to the top,
and their foliage of a sombre green contrasted strongly
with the deep-red, ripened leaves of the tallow-tree,
which grows in great abundance on the plains. A
few mulberry-trees were seen in the neighbourhood of
Hang-chow, but^ as we got higher up the river, their
cultivation appeared to cease. Tobacco, Indian com,
millet, and a small portion of rice seemed to be the
staple productions of the plains ; millet and Indian
com were also observed on the lower sides of the
hills.

Buddhist temples and pagodas were observed,
here and there, rising high above the trees ; one of
the latter is called Lui-foong-ta, or the " temple of
the thundering winds." It stands on the borders of
the Se-hoo lake, and appeared to be a very ancient
edifice. Wild briers and other weeds were growing
out of its walls, even up to its very summit, and it
was evidently fast going to decay. It formed a
striking feature in the landscape, and reminded me of
those ancient castle ruins which are so common on
the borders of England and Scotland.

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Chap. III. SCENERY AND PRODUCTIONS. 49

At nighty when it became too dark to see our
course, the boat was anchored abreast of a small
village until the following morning, when we again
got under way. We were now forty or fifty miles to
the south-west of Hang-chow-foo.

The hills here had not that rich appearance which
those nearer the sea had presented, but they were far
more striking in their formation. Their sides were
ridged and furrowed in a most remarkable manner,
and their summits broken up into many curious peaks
and cones. Some were low, others were three or
four thousand feet in height, and all were rugged,
barren, and wild.

The river now became narrow, shallow, and in
many parts very rapid. Near Hang-chow-foo the
country seemed densely populated, but up here there
is so little ground capable of cultivation that a nume-
rous population could not find subsistence. We only
passed two towns of any note, named Fu-yang and
Tung-yu, all the way fTX)m Hang-chow to Yen-chow-
foo, a distance of 380 le. The people in the villages
amongst these hills seemed to earn a scanty subsist-
ence by cutting firewood and sending it down to the
lowland towns for sale.

My fellow-passengers, who were chiefly merchants
and servants, were quiet and inoffensive, indeed they
did little else but loll in bed and sleep, except when
they were eating or smoking. One of them was a
confirmed opium-smoker, and the intoxicating drug
had made him a perfect slave. I have seen many
opium-smokers in my travels, but this one was the

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50 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. III.

most pitiable of them all ; he was evidently a man of
some standing in society, and had plenty of money.
His bed was surromided with silk curtains, his pillows
were beautifully embroidered, and his coverlet was of
the richest and softest satin. Everything about him
told of luxury and sensual pleasures.

But let me take a peep inside his bed-curtains and
describe what I saw on the first day of our acquaint-
ance. The curtains were down and drawn close
round, particularly on that side firom which the wind
came. He was clothed in the finest silks, and had
lain down on his side upon a mat ; his head was resting
on one of the embroidered pillows. A small lamp
was bummg by his side, an opium-pipe was in his
mouth, and he was inhaling the intoxicating fiimes.
After smoking for a few minutes he began to have
the appearance which a drunken man presents in the
first stage of intoxication ; the fimies had done their
work, and he was now in his " third heaven of
bliss."

In a minute or two he jumped up and called for
his teapot, firom which he took a good draught of
tea ; he then walked about the boat evidently a good
deal excited, and talked and joked with every one he
met. After spending some time in this manner he
began to smoke tobacco; he then took another draught
out of his teapot and lay down to sleep; but his
slumbers were not of long duration, and were evi-
dently disturbed by strange and frightfiil dreams.
He awoke at last, but it was only to renew the dose
as before ; and so on from day to day. Even in the

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Chap. III. AN OPITJM-SMOKER. 51

silent night, when all around was sunk in repose, his
craving for the stimulant was beyond his feeble powers
of resistance. Often and often during this passage,
when I happened to awake during the night, I could
see his little lamp burning, and could smell the sick-
ening ftimes as they curled about the roof of the
boat

The effects which the immoderate use of opium
had produced upon this man were of the most melan-
choly kind. His figure was thin and emaciated, his
cheeks had a pale and haggard hue, and his skin had
that peculiar glassy polish by which an opium-smoker
is invariably known. His days were evidently num-
bered, and yet, strange to tell, this man tried to con-
vince others and himself also that he was smoking
medicinally, and that the use of opium was indispen-
sable to his health. As I looked upon him in these
moments of excitement I could not help feeling what
a piteous object is man, the lord of Creation, and
noblest work of God, when sensual pleasures and
enjoyments take such a hold upon him as they had
upon this poor opium-smoker.

During the first day all the passengers looked upon
me as one of themselves, and I fancied I had become
a very fair Chinaman ; but my coolie, who was a
silly, talkative fellow, imagined he was in possession
of a secret, and doubtless felt the weight of it rather
uncomfortable. I observed him once or twice in
close conversation with one of the boatmen, and it
turned out aft;erwards that he told this man, as a
great secret of course, that I was a foreigner, — one

E 2

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52 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. HI.

of those Hong-mous who were so numerous in Shang^
hae. By-and-by the secret began to ooze out, and
both boatmen and passengers were taking sly peeps at
me when they thought I did not see them. Suspect-
ing that all was not right, I called Wang aside, and
asked him how it was that I had become all at once
such an object of interest "Oh," he said, "that
coolie he too much a fool-o ; he have talkie all that
men you no belong this country; you more better
sendie he go away, suppose you no wantye too much
bobly." In plain English, he informed me that the
coolie was a fool, that he had told all the people that
I was a foreigner, and that I had better send him
away if I did not wish to have a disturbance.

It was too true, my secret was such no longer. I
felt much inclined to punish the coolie for his con-
duct, and .he had to thank the peculiar circumstances
in which I was placed for getting off " scot free." I
believe the poor fellow was sufficiently punished
afterwards by his own countrymen, who thought they
had him, to a certain extent, in their power. Nothing
more occurred worthy of notice until we arrived at
the city of Yen-chow-foo, a large town about 380 le
from Hang-chow, in latitude 29° 37' 12" north, and
in longitude 119° 32' 47" east It is walled and
fortified in the same manner as all Chinese towns;
the walls are ftdly four miles in circumference. It
seems an ancient place, but, judging from the small
number of boats moored in the river opposite, I
should not imagine it of much importance as a place
of trade. A considerable quantity of rough lacquered

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Chap. IH. YEN-CHOW-POO. 53

ware is manufactured here, and sold much cheaper
than in the towns nearer to the sea. It is a place of
call for all the Hwuy-chow boats, and a considerable
trade is carried on in all the conmion necessaries of
life. Judging from its size, it may contain about
200,000 inhabitants. They do not seem so ricli, or
at all events they are not so gaily dressed, as their
neighbours in Hang-chow.

A little below the town there are two very pretty
pagodas ; one of these is built on a curious conical
hiU, and is named the Hoo-lung-ta. Here the river
divides, or, I should rather say, two streams unite,
one of which comes down from the southward, taking
its rise partly on the borders of Kiang-see and Kiang-
nan, and partly on the northern sides of the Great
Bohea mountains. To this I may return afterwards.
In the mean time I went up the northern branch,
which comes down from the green-tea country of
Hwuy-chow.

l?he hills about Yen-chow-foo are barren, but the
valleys and low lands are rich and fertile. This city
is considered half-way between Hangrchow and Hwuy-
chow, and our boatmen seemed to think themselves
entitled to make it serve the purpose of a half-way
house, at which they could remain some time. More-
over the river had increased much in rapidity, and it
was necessary to add considerably to the number of
our crew. Two days were spent here in making
these arrangements, and in making various purchases,
such as straw shoes for the men, rice to serve us
during the remainder of the journey, and also articles

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54 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. III.

which would sell at a profit fiirther up the country.
I did not regret this delay, as it gave me an oppor-
tunity of seeing the old town, as well as a portion of
the country which was entirely new to me.

During our stay here, my servant Wang, who was
a foolish, obstinate man, nearly got us all into a very
serious scrape. It seemed he had given one of our
boatmen a bad dollar in payment of a debt, which the
latter brought back, not being able to pass it in the
town. In the mean time Wang had been indulging
in a little sam-shoo (a Chinese spirit), and was in a
very excited state when the dollar was brought back.
He aflirmed that it was not the same one he had
given the boatman, and that he would have nothing
to do with it. After some altercation, however, he
took it back, and set off into the city, as he said, to
change it himself. In a few minutes he returned
with a dollar's worth of copper cash strung over his
shoulders, exclaiming, in triumph, that ^^the dollar
was good enough, and that he had found no difficulty
in passing it, although the fool of a boatman had."
He now threw down the dollar's worth of cash to the
other, and asked him, in an enraged and excited
manner, if he was satisfied now. The latter took up
the strings of cash very quietly, and began counting
and examining them. In a second or two he returned
them, saying that they were so mixed and inferior
that it would be impossible to pay them away, except
at a considerable loss, and that he would not receive
them. He again demanded to be paid in good and
perfect coin. Wang now pretended to be very indig-

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Chap. III. WATER-MILLS. 55

nant '*I gave you a dollar," said he, "and you
said that was bad ; I changed it, and gave you copper
cash, and you return them ; pray what do you want ?"
The passengers now gathered round them, and there
was every prospect of a serious riot. After a great
deal of noise, however, the poor fellow pocketed his
cash, protesting, at the same time, that he had been
badly iised, and threatening to have his revenge on
Wang at some future time.

At the end of two days, the additional men having
been engaged, and all the purchases completed, we
passed up the river, and left the town of Yen-chow
behind us. Our course was now in a north-westerly
direction. The stream was very rapid in many parts,
so much so that it is used for turning the water-
wheels which grind and husk rice and other kinds of
grain. The first of these machines which I observed
was a few miles above Yen-chow-foo. At the first
glance I thought it was a steamboat, and was greatly
surprised. I really thought the Chinese had been
telling the truth when they used to inform our coun-
trymen in the south that steamboats were common in
the interior. As I got nearer I found that the
" steamboat " was a machine of the following descrip-
tion. A large barge or boat was firmly moored by
stem and stem near the side of the river, in a part
where the stream ran most rapidly. Two wheels,
not imlike the paddles of a steamer, were placed at
the sides of the boat, and connected with an axle
which passed through it. On this axle were fixed a
number of short cogs, each of which, as it came

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56 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. III.

round, pressed up a heavy mallet to a certain height,
and then allowed it to fall down upon the grain placed
in a basin below. These mallets were continually
rising and falling, as the axle was driven rapidly
round by the outside wheels, which were turned by
the stream. The boat was thatched over to afford
protection from the rain. As we got farther up the
river we found that machines of this description were
very common.

About ten or twelve miles above Yen-chow the
coimtry appears more fertile; the hills are covered
^ain with low pines, and the lowlands abound in
tallow-trees, camphor-trees, and bamboos. Large
quantities of Indian com and millet are grown in this
part of the country, which is, for the most part, too
hilly for rice crops.

Our progress upwards was now very slow, owing
to the great rapidity of the river. Every now and
then we came to rapids, which it took us hours to get
over, notwithstanding that fifteen men, with long
ropes fastened to the mast of our boat, were tracking
along the shore, and five or six more were poling
with long bamboos. Nothing shows so much as this
the indefatigable perseverance of the Chinese. When
looking upon a river such as this is, one would think
it quite impossible to navigate it, yet even this diffi-
culty is overcome by hard labour and perseverance.

The slow progress which we necessarily made
suited my purposes exactly, and enabled me to ex-
plore the botanical riches of the country with conve-
nience and ease. I used to rise at break of day, and

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Chap. m. BOTANY OF THE COUNTRY. 57

spend the morning inspecting the hills and valleys
near the sides of the river, and then return to the
boat in time for breakfast Breakfast over, I gene-
rally went on shore again, accompanied by my men,
who carried the seeds, plants or flowers we might
discover daring our rambles. The first thing we did
on these occasions was to ascend the nearest hill and
take a survey of the windings of the river, with the
number of rapids, in order that we might form some
idea of the progress our boat would make during our
absence. If the rapids were numerous we knew that
she would progress slowly, and that we might wander
to a considerable distance with perfect safety; i^ on
the other hand, the river seemed smooth, and its bed
comparatively level, we were obliged to keep within
a short distance of the banks.

During these rambles I met with many plants
growing wild on the hills, which I had never seen
before, except in gardens. Here the curious and
much-prized Edgworthia chrysantha was growing in
great abundance. Eeeves's Spiraea and Spircea pruni-
folia were foimd in great profusion. Several species
of the Chimonanthus or Japan allspice, Forsythia vin-
diasimay Bvddha Lindleyana, and numerous Daphnes,
Gardenias, and Azaleas, were also met with. Many
kinds of mosses and Lycopods were growing out of
the crevices of the moist rock ; amongst the latter,
and very abundant, was a fine species named Lyco-
podium Willdenovii.

Amongst the trees the most common were the
Dryandra cordata of Thunberg, the tung-eu of the

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58 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. HI.

Chinese, which is valuable on account of the quantity
of oil found its seeds, and the tallow-tree, which fur-
nishes both tallow and oil. Here and there were
plantations of the common Chinese pine, and the
lance-leaved one known to botanists as Cunninghmaia
lanceolata. A palm-tree, and the only species of the
genus indigenous to, or cultivated in, the northern or
central provinces of the empire, was seen on the hill-
side here in a high state of perfection. It seems a
species of Chamcerops. It is particularly valuable
to the northern Chinese, who use its large, brown, hair-
like bracts for many purposes. Ropes and cables for
their junks are made out of this substance, and seem
to last, even under water, for a very long time. It is
probably better and stronger for those purposes than
the fibre of the cocoa-nut, which it resembles to a
certain extent. Bed-bottoms are wrought out of this,
and are largely used in the country by all classes of
the natives. Agricultural labourers and coolies are
fond of wearing hats and cloaks made out of the
same substance, which in wet weather keeps out a
great deal of rain ; and there are many other purposes
to which this usefiil tree is applied. Besides all
this, it is most ornamental in the country where it
grows.

I am in hopes that one day we shall see this beau-
tiful palm-tree ornamenting the hill-sides in the south
of England, and in other mild European countries.
With this view I sent a few plants home to Sir Wil-
liam Hooker, of the Royal Gardens at Kew, with a
request that he would forward one of them to the

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Chap. m.

A VALUABLE PALM.

garden of His Royal Highness Prince Albert, at
Osborne House, Isle of Wight*

For the accompanying sketch of this interesting
palm, and for several others in this work, I am
indebted to the kindness of Captain Cracroft, R.N.,
a gentleman whose services in China, when in com-
mand of the "Reynard," were highly and justly
appreciated by the foreign community.

[The Hamp Palm.]

* In the * Botanical Magazine ' for March, 1850, Sir Wm. Hooker
thus writes of it : — " A palm, Chamcerops excelmy (?) sent to the Royal
gardens by Mr. Fortune, has braved, unharmed, and unprotected by
any sort of covering, the severe winter now passed" (1849-50).

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60 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. IH.

Limestone rock is very plentiful in this district,
and there are a great number of kilns for burning it,
constructed exactly like those we see at home. Large
quantities of water-fowl, such as geese, ducks, teal,
and several fine varieties of the kingfisher, were com-
mon about the river. Inland, on the hill-sides, phea-
sants, woodcocks, and partridges were most abundant.
I believe deer are also plentiful, but I did not see any.

Thus day after day passed pleasantly by ; the wea-
ther was delightfiil, the natives quiet and inoffensive,
and the scenery picturesque in the highest degree. My
Chinamen and myself often footsore and weary, used
to sit down on the hill-top and survey and enjoy the
beautiftil scenery around us. The noble river, clear
and shining, was seen winding amongst the hills ; here
it was smooth as glass, deep and still, and there shal-
low, and running rapidly over its rocky bed. At
some places trees and bushes hung over its sides,
and dipped their branches into the water, while at
others rocks reared their heads high above the stream,
and bade defiance to its rapid current.

The whole country was hilly, and the distant
mountains, varying in height from three hundred to
three thousand feet, were peaked, ridged, and fur-
rowed in a most remarkable manner. Altogether
the views were most charming, and will long remain
vividly impressed upon my memory.

On the 29th and 30th of October we passed the
towns of Tsa-yuen, Tsasa-poo^ Kang-koo, and Shang-i-
yuen, all places of considerable note, particularly the
last, which must contain at least 100,000 inhabitants.

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Chap. IH. GREEN GRANITE— BOTANY. 61

Opposite to the town of Tsa-yuen there is a curious
shaped hill, which is composed chiefly of granite of a
beautiful greenish colour, much prized by the Chinese.
The slabs which are quarried out of the hill are used
for various ornamental purposes, but they are more
particularly in demand for the building of tombs.
Large quantities are taken down the river to Yen-
chow and Hang-chow for this purpose.

The tea-plant was now frequently seen in cultiva-
tion on the hill sides, this being the outskirt of the
great green-tree country to which I was bound.
Large camphor-trees were frequently seen in the
valleys, particularly near the villages. Tallow-trees
were still in extensive cultivation, and at this season
of the year, being clothed in their autumnal hues,
they produced a striking effect upon the varied land-
scape. The leaves had changed from a light-green
to a dark blood-red colour. Another tree, a species of
maple, called by the Chinese the fung-gze, was also
most picturesque from the same cause. These two
trees formed a striking contrast with the dark-green
foliage of the pine tribe.

But the most beautiful tree found in this district
is a species of weeping cypress, which I had never
met with in any other part of China, and which was
quite new to me. It was during one of my daily
rambles that I saw the first specimen. About half a
mile distant from where I was I observed a noble-
looking fir-tree, about sixty feet in height, having
a stem as straight as the Norfolk Island pine, and
weeping branches like the willow of St. Helena. Its

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62 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. HI.

branches grew at first at right angles to the main
stem, then described a gracefijl curve upwards, and
bent again at their points. From these main
branches others long and slender hung down perpen-
dicularly, and gave the whole tree a weeping and
graceful form. It reminded me of some of those
large and gorgeous chandeliers, sometimes seen in
theatres and public halls in Europe.

What could it be ? It evidently belonged to the pine
tribe, and was more handsome and ornamental than
them all. I walked, no, — to tell the plain truth, I ran
up to the place where it grew^ much to the surprise of
my attendants, who evidently thought I had gone crazy.
When I reac^hed the spot where it grew it appeared
more beautiful even than it had done in the distance.
Its stem was perfectly straight, like Cryptomeria^ and
its leaves were formed like those of the well-known
arbor-vitsB, only much more slender and graceful.

This specimen was fortunately covered with a
quantity of ripe fruit, a portion of which I was most
anxious to secure. The tree was growing in some
grounds belonging to a country inn, and was the pro<-
perty of the innkeeper. A wall intervened between
us and it, which I confess I felt very much inclined
to get over; but remembering that I was acting
Chinaman, and that such a proceeding would have
been very indecorous, to say the least of it, I
immediately gave up the idea. We now walked
into the inn, and, seating oinrselves quietly down at
one of the tables, ordered some dinner to be brought
to us. When we had taken our meal we lighted our

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Chap. ID. THE FUNEREAL CYPRESS. 63

(Cnprenut ftinebrlii ]

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64 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. HI.

Chinese pipes, and sauntered out, accompanied by
our polite host, into the garden where the real attrac-
tion lay. " What a fine tree this of yours is 1 we
have never seen it in the countries near the sea
where we come from; pray give us some of its
seeds. " " It is a fine tree," said the man, who was
evidently much pleased with our admiration of it,
and readily complied with our request. These seeds
were carefully treasured; and as they got home
safely, and are now growing in England, we may
expect in a few years to see a new and striking fea-
ture produced upon our landscape by this lovely tree.
Afterwards, as we journeyed westward, it became
more common, and was frequently to be seen in
clumps on the sides of the hills.

This tree has been named the Funereal Cypress.
Professor Lindley — to whom I sent one of the dried
specimens procured during this journey — pronounces
it " an acquisition of the highest interest ;" and adds,
"We have received a specimen of it, which enables
us to say that it must be a plant of the greatest
beauty. It may be best described as a tree like the
weeping willow in growth, with the foliage of the
savin, but of a brighter green ; it is, however, not a
juniper, as the savin is, but a genuine cypress. It
has long been a subject of regret that the Italian
cypress cannot be made to endure our climate, and
to decorate our burial-places; but we have now a
finer tree, still better adapted for the purpose."*

Leaving the town of Shang-i-yuen, abreast of which

♦ Gardener's Chronicle, 1849, p. 243.

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Chap. IH. STRANGE ECHO. 65

we had anchored during the night, we proceeded on
our journey on the morning of the Slst of October.
After going a short distance we came to a wild-look-
ing part of the hills where there was a most curious
and distinct echo, called by the Chinese Fung-shu.
The boatmen and passengers amused themselves by
yelling and uttering strange sounds at the highest
pitch of their voices ; these were taken up and dis*
tinctly repeated again and again, first by the nearest
hills, and then by others more distant, until they
gradually died away. The Chinese have strange
prejudices and opinions about this place. They told
me that the spirits of men after death often chose to
dwell amidst this wild and beautiful scenery; and
they said it was they that now repeated these sounds,
and echoed them from hill to hill.

As the day wore on we came to one of those rapids
which were so difficult to pass, and observed a great
number of small boats waiting for and visiting all
the larger ones as they came up. These were river
beggars. Each of them had a very old man or
woman on board, whose hair in most instances was
whitened with age, and who was evidently in a state
of imbecility and second childhood. They all ex-
pected alms from the boatmen who arrived from the
rich towns of the east near the sea. The Chinese,
to their honour, revere and love old age. It was
. said that a celebrated English admiral was once in
danger of an attack from the Canton mob, but the
moment he lifted his hat and showed his gray hairs
they drew back and allowed him to pass on unmo-^

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66 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. III.

lested. Be this as it may, it is certain that they
revere and love old age and gray hairs'.

It was a custom with the boatmen every morning
to set aside a small portion of rice in a bamboo cup
to give to the poor. Hence the beggars were gene-
rally successful in their applications ; indeed, it was
a most difficult matter to get rid of them otherwise,
for they were most importunate and even trouble-
some. We were visited by so many that the boat-
man often complained of his inability to give more
than an ounce or two of rice to each, and appealed to
them on the subject. But unless the whole of the con-
tents of the bamboo cup was emptied into the basket
held out, the mendicants made a great noise, and
complained that they had been deprived of their due.

Sometimes the river was so shallow and so foil of
stones that the only passage for boats was close in
shore. The land beggars knew these places well, and
always took their stations there. Each w^as provided
with a basket suspended from the point of a bamboo
pole, which he held out to the boatman and asked
for alms. These landsmen were quite as importunate
as their brethren in the boats, and were generally .as
successfol in their applications.

I was not aware until now that the lower orders
in China — such as these boatmen — were so charitable.
Few of the be^ars — and *' their name was legion" —
were sent away without "an alms.'.' It might be
that, ignorant and idolatrous as these boatmen were,
they had yet some idea that a blessing would result
from " casting their bread upon the waters."

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Chap. IV, WANG IN DANGEB. 67

CHAPTER IV.

City of Wae-ping — Threatened attack from boatmen — A false alarm

— A border country and a border guard — Enter the district of
Hwuy-chow — The tea-plant and other crops — A Chinese play —
Ferry-boat and ladies — Cargo transshipped — Two coffins below
my bed — A mandarin's garden — Botany of the hills — A new
plant (Berberis japonica) — My servant's advice — Leave the boat

— The opium-smoker outwitted — Town of Tun-che — Its im-
portance in connection with the tea-trade — Features of country,
soil, and productions — First view of Sung-lo-shan.

On the evening of the 31st of October we reached
Wae-ping. It is a city of considerable size, walled and
fortified, and probably contains 150,000 inhabitants.
This place is just on the borders of the district of
Hwuy-chow.

The dispute between Wang and the boatman had
not been forgotten, and the latter considered this
a fitting time to have his revenge. During the last
two days he had been hinting to some of the pas-
sengers that he intended doing something at Wae-
ping. These men duly reported to Wang what had
been told them, and he began to be very much
frightened. The rest of the Chinamen, with whom
he was no favourite, seemed to enjoy his fears, and
did everything in their power to exaggerate the
dangers to which he had exposed himself. He had
had several disputes with them also during the journey,
and nearly the whole of them bore him a grudge.

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68 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV.

Things were in this very unsatisfactory state when we
reached the city of Wae-ping.

It was about eight o'clock in the evening, and
quite dark, when we moored our boat close under the
city walls. The boatmen went on shore, as they did
every evening when we happened to stop near a
town. One or two of their number, who had been
left to take care of the boat, tired with the labours of
the day, lay down to sleep, and the greater part of
the passengers followed their example. I now ob-
served my two men in close conversation, but as
this was a matter of frequent occurrence I paid
little attention to the matter. Tired with my day's
rambles, I lay down upon my bed, and allowed my
thoughts to wander to far distant lands.

My meditations were gradually merging into
dreams when I felt a hand touch me, and a voice,
which I knew to be Wang's, informed me that I
must not go to sleep. When I asked the reason,
he informed me that he had just discovered that the
boatmen had entered into a conspiracy against us,
and that we were all to be drowned that night in the
river. " They have now gone into the town to get
some of their friends to assist them," said he, ** and
they are only waiting until they think we are fast
asleep."

I scarcely knew what to think of the business. We
were now about three hundred miles from either Shang-
hae or Ning-po, the night was very dark, and if the
threatened attempt should be made we had little chance
of receiving any assistance from others. But I could

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Chap. IV. THREATENED ATTACK. 69

not allow myself to believe that in the interior of this
country, where the people were generally quiet and
harmless, an act of the kind could be committed with
impunity. I therefore did not get up as Wang
wished, but told him that I should take care to re*
main awake.

The city of Wae-ping stands on the high banks of
the Hwuy-chow river. One of the gates was visible
to us owing to a blaze of light thrown over it by the
torches and lanterns of the Chinese. An inclined
plane, which formed the road, reached from the river
up to the gate, and was visible from the boat As
all the Chinese carry lanterns, it was easy for us to
see those who came out of the city and descended
towards the river. The evening, although dark, was
perfectly still, so that the slightest noise could be
distinctly heard at a considerable distance. At last
the city gat^ opened, and about a dozen men came
out, each carrying a lantern, and descended the hill
towards the boat. " Get up, get up ! quick, quick !*'
said my servant, " for here they come." I jumped
up immediately, and waited for the threatened attack
with all the composure I could command. My two
Chinamen appeared in a state of great alarm, and
kept as close to me as they possibly could. At last the
foremost man in the band approached, and, jumping
lightly on board, peeped in at the door of our boat.
" Hilloa ! what do you want ? " cried both of my men
at the same time. The fellow gave a grin, said
he did not want us, and jumped from our boat to
another which lay alongside. His companions also

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70 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV.

disappeared amongst the surrounding boats, and left
us unmolested. "Now, do you see that?" said
Wang ; " you would not believe me when I told you
that they intended to seize and drown us ; but had
we not been awake and fully prepared, it would soon
have been all over with us."

I must confess I felt a little shaken in my opinion,
and scarcely knew what to think of the business.
The whole scene, to a looker-on who could have
foreseen the result, would have been highly amusing,
but it appeared to be much too serious for me to
enjoy it None of the other passengers were asleep,
although they were all in bed, and they kept up a
whispering conversation, which seemed ominous and
suspicious. I felt quite certain that no assistance
would be rendered us by them; on the contrary, it
was not impossible that they would turn against us
and assist the boatmen.

About half an hour after the first alarm the
city gate was again opened, and some men were
observed coming down the hill with lanterns, as the
former ones had done. This time it proved to be
the missing boatmen, who were supposed to be con-
cocting a conspiracy with their friends inside the
city. When they came on board they tried to look
astonished at the state in which they found us. They
laughed at Wang, and said they had no intention of
drowning him. He quietly told them that he did
not believe them, and, turning to me, said he was
sure they still meditated an attack. The fellows now
lay down to sleep, and requested us to put out our

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Chap. IV. THE DANGER OVER. 71

lantern and do the same. This, however, my ser-
vants would not consent to do, as they firmly believed
that the sleep of the boatmen was only feigned.

We were in this state of excitement fipom eight
o'clock in the evening until three next morning.
Long before this time the boatmen seemed to be
sound asleep. The night was perfectly calm, and
the only sound which I heard was the clank of water-
wheels, similar to those of the machines I have
already described, several of which were moored on
the rapids opposite the city. The walls and ramparts
of the old town loomed black and prison-like in the
darkness, but everything was perfectly quiet, and the
whole place seemed sunk in deep sleep. I felt very
much inclined to go to sleep myself. This, however,
my men remonstrated against, and I was obliged to
keep them company for an hour longer. At the end
of that time, nothing having happened to keep up the
excitement, I felt cold and sleepy — so much so, that
no persuasion could keep me awake. Telling Wang
to call me if anything suspicious occurred, I lay down
without undressing, and was soon dreaming of robbers,
boatmen, and water-wheels.

When I awoke I found that it was daylight, and
that we were under way, and proceeding rapidly up
the stream. Fifteen of our men were on shore,
tracking the boat; the cook was busily employed
making preparation for our morning meal, and every-
thing was going on in the usual way, as if nothing
had happened to disturb us. My own men, wearied
with watching, had fallen into a sound sleep, and

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72 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV.

were stretched at full length on the floor of the boat
As the other passengers were also sleeping soundly, I
had a little time to think quietly over the events of
the preceding night, and, being anxious to see the old
town by daylight, I stepped out of the cabin, and took
my place on the high stern of the boat, near to the
old man who stood at the helm.

The sun was just rising, and its earliest rays were
playing upon the old walls and watch-towers of Wae-
ping. How difierent the old place looked in day-
light from what it had done in the darkness ! Then
the imagination assisted in making it appear like a
dungeon, dark and gloomy, and inhabited by thieves
and robbers. Now it seemed an ancient city, watered
by a clear and beautiftil river, surrounded by hills
and romantic scenery, and defended by time-honoured
walls. Such is the difference between night and
morning, and such the power of imagination.

When I returned to the cabin I found my servants
rubbing their eyes and scarcely awake. "Well,"
said I, "you see nothing has happened, and we are
now under way, and some distance from Wae-ping."
" Oh ! that is all very well," said one of them, ** but
had we not been on our guard we should n^ver have
lived to see the morning."

As the river was now shallow, and in many parts
very rapid, I had daily opportunities of rambling over
the country, and rf inspecting its productions. Soon
after leaving Wae-ping one of my guides informed
me that we were now on the border of another pro-
vince, and that here I had better not go much out of

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Chap. IV. HWUY-CHOW DISTRICT. 73

the boat. I found that this advice was good and
worth attending to. The river here is considered the
highway or passage from the one district to the other,
and this pass is well guarded by soldiers Each pro-
vince has its own guard-town. On the Che-kiang
side we passed a long, straggling town on the river's
banks, chiefly inhabited by troops, who were the
guards of the pass, and under the orders of the Hang-
chow mandarins. As soon as the boundary-line was
crossed we came to another place of like size and
appearance, also filled with soldiers, who were under
the orders of the authorities of Hwuy-chow-foo, in
the province of Kiang-nan. These two parties formed
a sort of border guard, and bore each other, I be-
lieve, little good-will. They reminded me of our
own border clans in ancient feudal times. Boats
passing up and down the river were generally boarded,
and had their papers examined by one of the officers.

The boatman who had the dispute with Wang now
threatened to have him punished here, at which he
was greatly frightened. The man, however, if he
ever intended it, did not put his threat into execu-
tion, and we passed the dreaded border in safety.

When we got fairly inside the Hwuy-chow district
I was able to ramble about in the country as before.
The river became not only shallow, but in many
parts so foil of rocks and stones that it was next to
impossible to pick out a passage for the boat It still
wound through a hilly and mountainous country.
The hills, however, became gradually more fertile as
we proceeded, and in many parts they were culti--

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74 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV.

vated to their summits. Crops of millet and Indian
com were growing amongst the tea-bushes, which were
now observed in large quantities on the sides of the
hills. The corn and millet, growing up in the hot
months of summer and autumn, seemed to afford a
partial shade to the tea, which was probably beneficial
to it. Another reason for the practice may be found
in the fondness of the Chinese for mixing crops —
a practice in operation all over the country. I never
saw finer crops of millet and Indian corn than those
which were growing on these hills. The crops were
just ripening (November 2nd), and the Chinese had
begun to harvest them.

This part of the country was exceedingly beautiful
and. full of interest Many of the less fertile hills
were clothed with junipers and pines, whilst on others
the patches of ripening com afforded a striking con-
trast to the dark-green leaves of the tea-bushes with
which they were dotted. I had now the pleasure of
seeing many groups of the beautiful " funereal
cypress ;" it was growing on the sides of the hills,
generally near villages or amongst the graves. Every-
where it was beautiful, and produced a striking effect
in the appearance of the landscape.

In walking over the country I always, when pos-
sible, avoided entering lai^e towns. About this
time, however, all the passengers were obliged to get
out of the boat, in order to lighten it, and allow it to
be drawn up one of the shallow rapids. We all walked
on together, and in a short time came to a town of
considerable size. It happened that the day we

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Chap. IV. A CHINESE PLAY. 75

arrived was a holiday, and a scene presented itself
such as I had never before witnessed.

The town was on the opposite bank. Two rivers
unite here, and the town was built between them
just at their junction. One of the rivers was nearly
dry, and its bed was now used for the purpose of
giving a grand fete. The bank where we were was
probably about 150 or 200 feet above the bed of the
river, so that we had a capital view of what was
going on below us.

The first and most prominent object which caught
my eye was a fine seven-storied pagoda, forty or fifty
feet high, standing on the dry bed of the river ; near
to it was a summer-house upon a small scale, gaudily
got up, and supposed to be in a beautiful garden.
Artificial figures of men and women appeared sitting
in the verandahs and balconies, dressed in the richest
costumes. Singing birds, such as the favourite wa-
me and canaries, were whistling about the windows.
Artificial lakes were formed in the bed of the river,
and the favoured Nelumbium appeared floating on
the water. Everything denoted that the place be-
longed to a person of high rank and wealth.

At some little distance a theatre was erected, in
firont of which stood several thousands of the natives,
packed as closely as possible, and evidently, highly
interested in a play which was going on. Some-
times the piece appeared so pathetic that the im-
mense multitude were perfectly still ; at other times
something seemed to tickle their fancies, and to
afford them the greatest amusement. The actors on

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76 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV.

the sta^e were very gaily dressed in rich silks and
satins of many colours, and evidently did their best to
afford amusement to this immense audience.

Such was the scene presented to us as we ap-
proached the town. "Come," said all my fellow
passengers, " come and see the play ;" and they set
off as fast as they could to a bridge a little higher up
the river, by which they could reach the town and
the place where the festivities were going on. I was
quite satisfied with the view I had of the whole
scene from the opposite bank, and therefore declined
the invitation to go nearer. The old dwarf, whom I
have already mentioned, and who had taken every
opportunity in his power to show his good will, volun-
teered to remain" with me and my two servants. We
sat down on the green grass, and had an excellent
view of the whole proceedings. The Chinese never
seemed to tire, and would have remained there all
day ; but as our boat would pass up the other branch
of the river, it was necessary for us to get to it. We
therefore crossed the bridge, and passed through the
centre of the town. No one seemed to have the
slightest idea that I was a foreigner ; indeed, the poor
old dwarf attracted far more attention than any of
us* I did not remark anything of interest in this
town, except some large tea-hongs and carpenters*
shops, where tea-chests were being made*

When we had passed through this place and
reached the other branch of the river, we entered a
ferry-boat, and crossed over to the other side.
Amongst the ferry-boat passengers were two very

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Chap. IV. FERRY-BOAT AND LADIES. ^^

pretty and handsomely dressed young ladies, with
whom I was greatly amused. When they came into
the boat they seated themselves quietly by my side,
and began chatting to each other in high spirits. I
could not help contrasting their conduct with that of
any of their countrywomen at the five ports where
foreigners are permitted to trade. Keepectably
dressed females always fly from foreigners as they
would do from a wild and ferocious animal. Had
these pretty diimsels known that a *' barbarian" was
seated at their side, how astonished and frightened
they would have been !

About evening, just before dark, the boat arrived
and lay abreast of the town during the night. All
the men now applied for leave to go on shore to see
the play. Some of them appeared very anxious that
I should go with them, but, being quite contented
with the adventures of the day, I declined the invi-
tation. It was very late before they all came back;
but this did not prevent us from getting under way
at the usual time next morning and proceeding on
our journey.

After we had gone some distance the head boat-
man came round and informed the passengers that it
would be necessary to engage another boat to take
part of his cargo, as the river was too shallow to
allow him to get up so deeply laden as he was.
Moreover, he coolly proposed that the expenses of
the second boat should be defrayed by the passengers,
giving as his reason that by this means they would
get sooner to their destination. As the sum was not

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78 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. IV.

a large one, this was agreed to, and a second boat
was engaged.

A circumstance now occurred which astonished
me not a little at the time, although it must be a
common thing in the country. When the second
boat was brought alongside, and the floor of our cabin
taken up to get at the cargo, I found that we had
some fellow-passengers which I had never calculated
upon. Two enormous coffins, each containing the
body of a Chinaman, had been lying^directly under
my bed for the last three weeks without my having
the least suspicion of the fact. It was, perhaps, just
as well that this was the case, for the knowledge of
the circumstance would not have added to my com-
fort, and might have made me sleep less soundly.
These coffins were now removed to the other boat, in
which they were taken onwards to their last resting-
place. On inquiring, I found that the deceased were
natives of Hwuy-chow-fbo, and had left their native
country some years before to reside at Hang-chow,
where they had died. Their friends were now taking
their remains back to their own land, to be buried in
the graves of their ancestors.

On the following day, while walking on shore with
some of the other passengers, we came to a village in
which there was a celebrated garden and temple be-
longing to a family of high rank and influence in the
country. The head of the family himself had died
a short time before, but the place was still kept up in
excellent style. It seemed to be open to the public^
and we determined to go and see it

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Chap. IV. A MANDARIN'S GARDEN. 79

The place had no pretensions to what in England
would be called a fine garden ; but it was evidently
considered unique by the Chinese in this part of the
country. Small square courts were seen here and
there, ornamented with rockwork, and planted with
the favourite flowers of the district. The fragrant
olive, moutan, sacred bamboo {Naridina domestka\
and other common shrubs, were met with in great
abundance. Some pretty ponds were filled with the fa-
vourite water-lily. But the most interesting plant of all
was a new evergreen holly, with leaves somewhat like
the Portugal laurel, very handsome and ornamental.*

Amongst the buildings there was a pretty small
pagoda, which we ascended, and firom its top had
an excellent view of the surrounding country. The
whole place had evidendy been laid out for the pur-
pose of giving plays and fStes on an extensive scale.
Summer-houses, ornamental towers, balconies, and
ancestral temples, were scattered over the grounds.
The tout ensemble had an imposing appearance, and
was just such as the Chinese most admire. Guides
conducted us through the place in the same way as
at the show-houses in England, and also expected to
be paid for their services. The resemblance went a
little further, for we were passed on fix)m one guide
to another, and each had to be paid.

On the hill sides in this part of the country I met
with many plants which are rare in other parts of
China, at least on the hills nearer to the sea. The
fragrant Chimonanthus, which is now such a fiivourite

* Seeds of this were procured here and sent home to England.

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80 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV,

in England (where it blooms in the open air at Christ-
mas), was quite common. But the most interesting
of these plants I found in an old garden, and it is
likely to be much prized at home. I will here relate
the accident by which it was discovered while we
were at Tung-che. My coolie and myself were busy
collecting tea-seeds on a small hill not far from the
town. After collecting all the seeds we could find, I
happened to get a glimpse of a very fine specimen of
the funereal cypress, with which I was so charmed,
that I determined to go to the spot where it was
growing and enjoy a nearer view. I desired my
attendant to accompany me, in case any ripe seeds
might be found upon it As we approached the
villj^e we discovered that the tree was inside a
garden, which was surrounded by very high walls.
Naturally supposing that there must be a gate some-
where, we walked round the walls until we came to a
little cottage, which seemed to have served the pur-
pose of a lodge. We passed in here with all the
coolness of Chinamen, and soon found ourselves in a
dilapidated old garden. A large house, which had
formerly been the mansion, was, like the garden, in a
ruinous condition. The funereal cypress which I
had seen in the distance stood in the midst of the
garden, and was covered with ripe seeds, which in-
creased the collection I had formerly obtained.

Having taken a survey of the place, we were
making our way out, when an extraordinary plant,
growing in a secluded part of the garden, met my
eye. When I got near it I found that it was a v^

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Chap. IV. WANG'S ADVICE. 81

fine evergreen Berberis, belonging to the section of
Mahonias, and having of course pinnated leaves.
Each leaflet was as large as the leaf of an English
holly, spiny, and of a fine dark, shining green colour.
The shrub was about eight feet high, much branched,
and far surpassed in beauty all the other known
species of Mahonia. It had but one fault, and that
was, that it was too large to move and bring away.
I secured a leaf, however, and marked the spot
where it grew, in order to secure some cuttings of it
on my return from the interior.

I had been greatly annoyed at the cowardice and
fear of Wang. He had still the most serious appre-
hensions for his safety, as his enemy, the boatman,
continued to threaten him. I tried to laugh at him
and convince him that the boatman would do him no
harm, but it was of no use. At last he came to me,
and explained a plan which he had been concocting,
and which he proposed putting into execution next
day. It was simply this : — he and I were to leave
the boat ostensibly to walk in the country as usual,
but with the intention of not returning to it I
asked him what was to be done with our beds and
luggage, and what he proposed doing with the other
man. He replied that all must be left behmd ; that
if he attempted to leave the boat openly, measures
would be taken to stop him ; and that, as the coolie
could not be trusted, he must be left also. He did
not intend even to pay what was due upon our passage
money ! Such was the plan which, after days and
nights of deep thought, as he told me, he had at last

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82 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IV.

made up his mind to put into execution, and to which
he now begged that I would agree.

I thought over the business for some few minutes,
and then came to the determination not to adopt his
suggestions. I was unwilling to leave behind me the
seeds of the tea-shrub and of the other new plants
which I had discovered, and I did not think the state
of the case so urgent as to force me to the unworthy
measure of leaving the other man behind and the
boatman unpaid. " This plan of yours will not do,"
said I ; "if you can leave the boat in an open man-
ner, taking your companion along with you and pay-
ing all charges, I have no objection either to go on
shore or to hire another boat, but I cannot consent to
go away in the manner you propose." I was very
glad afterwards that I was firm enough to pursue this
course.

A day or two after this I was informed in the
morning that we were within thirty le of the town of
Tun-che, and that we should arrive there in the
evening. This was the destination of our boat, and
here we should leave it. In the afternoon, about two
o'clock, we were only four miles distant from this
place, and as the water was very shallow, and we
were making but little progress, most of the passen-
gers determined to walk onwards to the town- We
all began to pack up our luggage and make prepara-
tions for the journey. The opium-smoker, who, with
all his civility, was a man I could not trust, was now
very anxious to know to what part of the country we
were bound. My Chinese servants, who had learned

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Chap. IV. IMPORTANCE OP TUN-CHE. 83

a little wit by experience, took good care to keep all
these matters to themselves, their great object being
to cut off all connection between their friends in the
boat and those with whom we might have to associate
afterwards.

Our passage-money was now fiiUy paid up, our
luggage packed, and an arrangement made between
my two men with regard to the station to which we
were bound. When this was all arranged I left the
coolie in charge of the luggage, took Wang on shore,
and walked onwards to Tun-che, which we reached
between three and four o'clock in the aftiernoon. It
is a thriving, busy town, and forms as it were the
port of Hwuy-chow-foo, from which it is distant about
twenty miles. It is situated in lat. 29° 48' N., and
in long. 2° 4' E. of Peking. All the large Hang-chow
and Yen-chow boats are moored and loaded here, the
river being too shallow to allow of their proceeding
higher up, " and hence it is a place of great trade.
Nearly all the green teas which are sent down the
river to Hang-chow-foo, and thence onward to Shang-
hae, are shipped at this place. The green teas des-
tined for Canton are carried across a range of hills to
the westward, where there is a river which flows in
the direction of the Poyang lake.

This part of the country is very populous. Nearly
the whole way from the place where we had left our
boat was covered with houses, forming a kind of
suburb to Tun-che. This place itself is supposed to
contain about 150,000 inhabitants. The great article
of trade is green tea. There are here a number of

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84 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. lY.

large dealers who buy this article from the farmers
and priests, refine and sort it, form it into chops, and
forward it to Shanghae or Canton, where it is sold to
the foreign merchant. Seven or eight hundred chops
are said to be sent out of this town annually. I
observed also a great number of carpenters' shops for
the manufacture of chests, a trade which of itself
must employ a large number of men. In fact, this
town and the surrounding populous district may be
said to be supported by the foreign tea-trade.

Nearly all the way from Yen-chow-foo the river
was bounded by high hills on each side. Now, how-
ever, they seemed, as it were, to fall back, and left an
extensive and beautiful valley, through the middle of
which the river flowed. Nearly all this low land is
under tea cultivation, the soil is rich and fertile, and
the bushes consequently grow most luxuriantly. I
had never before seen the tea-plant in such a flourish-
ing condition, and this convinced me that soil had
much to do with the superiority of the Hwuy-chow
green teas.

The very sandy soil near the river yielded good
crops of the ground-nut {Arachis hypogcea).

After spending about an hour in the town we in-
quired where we could hire a chair to take us onward
about thirty le farther, and were directed to an inn or
tea-house, where chairs are let on hire. A circum-
stance happened in this inn which gave me some
amusement at the time, and which 1 have often
laughed at since. When we entered this house we
found a great number of travellers of all ranks ; some

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Chap. IV. A FRIEND IN NEED. 85

were drinking tea, others smoking, and the remainder
stretched upon chairs or tables sound asleep. Seeing
strangers arrive, some of the more restless were rather
inquisitive, and began to put a number of questions
to us. My man Wang was a native of this district,
and of course understood the dialect perfectly, but he
evidently wanted to have as little to say as possible.
As for myself, I told them I did not understand what
they said. One fellow in particular, who probably
was sharp enough to detect something unusual in ray
appearance, was determined not to be put off in this
way, and kept asking me a variety of questions. At
length the old innkeeper came tip and said with the
utmost gravity, " It is of no use your talking to this
person, he understands the Kwan-hwa (or Court dia-
lect) only ; you do not speak that, and of course he
cannot understand you, nor you him." This seemed
to be perfectly satisfactory to all parties, and I was
left unmolested.

Our chairs being ready, we got into them, and,
passing through the town, crossed the river and took
the road for Sung-lo and Hieu-ning. We reached
our destination a little before dark, and I had the
first view of the far-famed Sung-lo-shan, the hill where
green tea is said to have been first discovered.

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86 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. V.

CHAPTER V.

Sung-lo-shan — Its priests and tea — Its height above the sea — Kock
formation — Flora of the hills — Temperature and climate —
Cultivation of the tea-shrub — Mode of preserving its seeds — The
young plants — Method of dyeing green teas — Ingredients employed
— Chinese reason for the practice — Quantity of Prussian blue and
gypsum taken by a green-tea drinker — Such teas not used by the
Chinese — Mr. Warrington's observations.

The hill of Sung-lo, or Sung-lo-shan, is situated iji.
the province of Kiang-nan and district of Hieu-ning,
a town in lat. 29° 56' N., long. 118° 15' E, It is
famous in China as being the place where the green-
tea shrub was first discovered, and where green tea
was first manufactured. In a book called the ' Hieu-
ning-hien chy,' published ad. 1693, and quoted by
Mr. Ball, there is the following notice of this place : —

" The hill or mountain where tea is produced is
Sung-lo mountain. A bonze of the sect of Fo taught
a Kiang-nan man, named Ko Ty, the art of making
tea, and thus it was called Sung-lo tea. The tea got
speedily into great repute, so that the bonze became
rich and abandoned the profession of priest. The
man is gone, and only the name remains. Ye men
of learning and travellers who seek Sung-lo tea may
now search in vain, that which is sold in the markets
is a mere counterfeit."

Sung-lo-shan appears to be between two and three

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Chap. V. 't SUNG-LO^HAN. 87

fliousand feet above the level of the plains. It is
very barren, and, whatever may have formerly been
the case, it certainly produces but little tea now;
indeed, from all I could learn, the tea that grows
upon it is quite neglected, as far as cultivation is con-
cerned, and is only gathered to supply the wants of
the priests of Fo, who have many temples amongst
these rugged wilds. Nevertheless it is a place of
great interest to every Chinaman, and has afforded a
subject to many of their writers.

The low lands of this district and those of Moo-
yuen, situated a few miles further south, produce the
greater part of the fine green teas of commerce ;
hence the distinction betwixt hill-tea and garden-tea,
the latter simply applying to those teas which are
carefiiUy cultivated in the plains. The soil here is a
rich loam, not unlike the cotton soil of Shanghae, but
more free in its texture, being mixed with a consider-
able portion of sand.

When forming our ideas regarding the low lands,
or plains, where the fine garden-tea is produced, it
should be kept in mind that the level country here is
not in reality low, but is a very considerable height
above the level of the sea — much higher, for example,
than the plain of Shanghae. From Hang-chow-foo to
Hwuy-chow-foo the distance is about 800 le (150 to
200 miles) ; and, when we take into consideration the
rapidity of the current, we see at once that the plains
about Hwuy-chow-foo must be a very considerable
height above those of Hang-chow or Shanghae, which
are only a few feet above the level of the sea.

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88 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINa'! Chap. V.

The rocks in this part of the country are chiefly
composed of Silurian slate, like that found in England,
and resting upon it is a red calcareous sandstone
similar to the new red sandstone of Europe, This
sandstone has the effect of giving a reddish tinge to
the barren hills, as it crumbles to pieces, I met
with no fossil organic remains in these rocks, but my
time and opportunities did not permit me to investi-
gate them very minutely.

All these hills are very barren and wholly unsuited
to the cultivation of the tea-shrub, and hence their
geological formation can have little to do with the
success which has attended its management on the
plains. Their vegetable productions, however, de-
pending as they do in a great measure upon climate,
afford us some valuable information, and to these I
paid particular attention.

The flora here has a northern character, that is,
the genera common in England or in the northern
parts of India are common, while those shrubs and
trees which are met with only in tropical countries
are entirely unknown. The only plant seen here
which has any resemblance to those of the tropics is
the species of palm which I have already noticed, but
it seems much more hardy than any other variety of
its race. A species of holly not unlike the English
is common ; and various species of the oak, the pine,
and the juniper are also found in great abundance.
The grasses, ferns, and other low-growing bushes and
herbaceous plants of northern countries are here re-
presented by various species of the same genera.

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Chap. V.

FLORA— CLIMATE.

If we were to draw our conclusions from the flora
of the country only, we should be apt to suppose that
the tea-shrub might be successfully cultivated in some
parts of Great Britain ; but this would be erroneous.
We must examine the climate as well as the soil and
its natural productions, and thus obtain a view of the
question in all its bearings.

Shanghae is the nearest place to the green-tea
country at which observations that can be relied upon
regarding climate have been made to any extent

The following table, prepared in Shanghae (lat.
31° 20' N.) from daily observations with Newman's
best maximum and minimum thermometers, will give
the requisite information as regards temperature : —

Thermometer.

1844-0

Mean
Maiimlun*

Minimam.

Highert
daring Month.

Lowest
daring Month.

July . •
August .
September
October .

December
January •
February .

April . •
May . .

June . • .

89.

77
77
67
55
52
37
36
37
42
51
59
68

100
94
91
85
73
64
62
62
80
75
87
90

71
74
63
32
40
26
24
30
32
41
49
58

It is necessary to state, in connection with these
observations on temperature, that the winter of

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90 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. V.

1844-5 was unusually mild. I have no doubt that
in ordinary seasons the thermometer may sometimes
sink as low as 10° or 12° of Fahrenheit. The winter
months are not unlike those which we experience in
England; sometimes heavy and continued falls of
rain take place, at other times the frost is very severe,
the rivers and lakes are frozen over, and the ground
is covered with snow. The spring is early and plea-
sant. In April and May, when the monsoon changes
from north-east to south-west, the weather is generally
very wet ; in fact, this is what is commonly called
the " rainy season." From June to August it is often
oppressingly hot, the sky is generally clear, little rain
falls, but vegetation is often refreshed with heavy
dews at night The autumnal months are cool and
agreeable, and about tte end of October slight frosts
are not unfrequent.

When we consider that Shanghae is 9° 30' further
south than Naples, the extremes of heat and cold
will appear excessive. But in order to account for
this we must bear in mind the observations made by
Humboldt many years ago. " Europe," he observes,
" may be considered altogether as the western part
of a great continent, and therefore subject to all Uie
influence which causes the western sides of continents
to be warmer than the eastern, and at the same time
more temperate, or less subject to excesses of both
heat and cold, but principally the latter."

Shanghae is situated on the east side of the lai^e
continent of Asia, and is consequently liable to ex-
tremes of temperature — to excessive heat in summer

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Chap. V. CULTIVATION OF TEA. 91

and extreme cold in winter— such as are unknown in
many other places in the same degree of latitude.

But Sfaanghae is near the sea, and the extremes
of heat and cold are therefore less than in the green-
tea district of Hwuy-chow. I have no doubt that the
thermometer rises several degrees higher in summer
in the town of Hwuy-chow-foo than it does either
in Shanghae or Ning-po, and in like manner sinks
much lower during the winter. If we allow eight or
ten degrees each way we shall probably be very near
the truth — quite near enough for all the purposes of
this inquiry.

In the green-tea district of Hwuy-chow, and I
believe in all other parts where the shrub is culti-
vated, it is multiplied by seeds. The seeds are ripe
in the month of October. When githered they are
generally put into a basket, and mixed up with sand
and earth in a damp state, and in this condition they
are kept until the spriug. If this plan is not pursued
only a small portion of them will germinate. Like
the seeds of the oak and chestnut, they are destroyed
when exposed to sudden changes in temperature and
moisture.

In the month of March the seeds are taken out
of the basket and placed in the ground. They are
generally sown thickly, in rows or in beds, in a
nursery, or in some spare corner of the tea-farm, and
sometimes the vacancies in the existing plantations
are made up by sowing five or six seeds in each
vacant space.

When the young plants are a year old they are in

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92 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. V.

a fit state for transplanting. This is always done at
the change of the monsoon in spring, when fine warm
showers are of frequent occurrence. They are planted
in rows about four feet apart, and in groups of five or
six plants in the row. The distance between each
group or patch is generally about four feet The
first crop of leaves is taken from these plants in the
third year. When under cultivation they rarely
attain a greater height than three or four feet.

When the winters are very severe the natives tie
straw bands round the bushes to protect them from
the frost, and to prevent it and the snow from
splitting them.

In my former work * I oflTered some remarks upon
the preference which many persons in Europe and in
America have* for coloured green teas, and I will
now give a "full and particular account" of the
colouring process as practised in the Hwuy-chow
green-tea country upon those teas which are destined
for the foreign market. Having noted down the
process carefully at the time, I will extract verbatim
from my note-book : —

" The superintendent of the workmen managed
the colouring part of the process himself. Having
procured a portion of Prussian blue, he threw it into
a porcelain bowl, not unlike a chemist's mortar, and
crushed it into a very fine powder. At the same
time a quantity of gypsum was produced and burned
in the charcoal fires which were then roasting the
teas. The object of this was to soften it in order

• Three Years* Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China.

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Chap. V. DYEING GREEN TEAS.' 93

that it might be readily pounded into a very fine
powder, in the same manner as the Prussian blue
had been. The gypsum, having been taken out of
the fire after a certain time had elapsed, readily
crumbled down and was reduced to powder in the
mortar. TJiese two substances, having been thus
prepared, were then mixed together in the proportion
of four parts of gypsum to three parts of Prussian
blue, and formed a light-blue powder, which was then
ready for use.

" This colouring matter was applied to the teas
during the last process of roasting. About five
minutes before the tea was removed from the pans —
the time being regulated by the burning of a joss-
stick — the superintendent took a small porcelain
spoon, and with it he scattered a portion of the
colouring matter over the leaves in each pan. The
workmen then turned the leaves rapidly round with
both hands, in order that the colour might be equally
diffused.

" During this part of the operation the hands of
the workmen were quite blue. I could not help
thinking that if any green-tea drinkers had been
present during the operation their taste would have
been corrected, and, I may be allowed to add, im-
proved. It seems perfectly ridiculous that a civilised
people should prefer these dyed teas to those of a
natural green. No wonder that the Chinese consider
the natives of the west to be a race of ' barbarians.'

" One day an English gentleman in Shanghae,
being in conversation with some Chinese from the

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94 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. V.

green-tea country, asked them what reasons they had
for dyeing the tea, and whether it would not be
better without undergoing this process. They ac-
knowledged that tea was much better when prepared
without having any such ingredients mixed with it,
and that they never drank dyed teas .themselves,
but justly remarked that, as foreigners seemed to
prefer having a mixture of Prussian blue and gypsum
with their tea, to make it look uniform and pretty,
and as these ingredients were cheap enough, the
Chinese had no objection to supply them, especially
as such teas always fetched a higher price I

",I took some trouble to ascertain precisely the
quantity of colouring matter used in the process of
dyeing green teas, not certainly with the view of
assisting others, either at home or abroad, in the art
of colouring, but simply to show green-tea drinkers
in England, and more particularly in the United
States of America, what quantity of Prussian blue
and gypsum they imbibe in the course of one year.
To 14i lbs. of tea were applied 8 mace 2i candareens
of colouring matter, or rather more than an ounce.
In every hundred pounds of coloured green tea con-
sumed in England or America, the consumer actually
drinks more than half a pound of Prussian blue and
gypsum ! And yet, tell the drinkers of this coloured
tea that the Chinese eat cats, dogs, and rats, and
they will hold up their hands in amazement, and pity
the poor celestials !"

Two kinds of Prussian blue are used by the tea-
manufacturers — one is the kind commonly met with,

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Chap. V. MR. WARRINGTON'S OBSERVATIONS. 95

the other I have seen only in the north of China.*
It is less heavy than common Prussian blue, of a
bright pale tint, and very beautiful. Turmeric root
is frequently employed in Canton, but I did not
observe it in use in Hwuy-chow.

I procured samples of these ingredients from the
Chinamen in the factory, in order that there might
be no mistake as to what they really were. These
were sent home to the Great Exhibition last year,
and a portion of them submitted to Mr. Warrington,
of Apothecaries' Hall, whose investigations in con-
nexion with this subject are well known. In a paper
read by him before the Chemical Society, and pub-
lished in its ' Memoirs and Proceedings,' he says, —

" Mr. Fortune has forwarded from the north of
China, for the Industrial Exhibition, specimens of
these materials (tea dyes), which, from their appear-
ance, there can be no hesitation in stating are fibrous
gypsum (calcined), turmeric root, and Prussian blue ;
the latter of a bright pale tint, most likely from
admixture with alumina or porcelain-clay, which
admixture may account for the alumina and silica
found as stated in my previous paper, and the pre-
sence of which was then attributed possibly to the
employment of kaolin or agalmatolite.**

* I formerly mistook tliis for a kind of indigo.

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96 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. TI.

CHAPTER VL

My reception in the house of Wang's father — A smoky Chinese
cottage — My coolie and the dwarf — The dangers to which they
had been exposed — Chinese mode of warming themselves on a
cold day — Tea-seeds, &c., obtained — Anecdote of the new
Berberis — Obtain some young plants of it — Deceitful character
of the Chinese — Leave the far-famed Sung-lo-shan — Wang tries
to cheat the chairmen — Invents a story of a " great general " —
Leave Tun-ohe — Mountain scenery — Pleasure of going down the
river — Gale of wind amongst the mountains — Arrive at Nechow
— Shaou-hing-foo — Tsaou-o — Pak-wan — Arrive at Ning-po.

After this digression on the green-tea shrub, and
the country where it was first found, I now resume
the account of my travels.

When we reached the Sung-lo country I took up
my quarters in a house which belonged to the father
of my servant Wang. It was nearly dark before we
arrived at the house, which was situated amongst the
hills within two miles of the foot of Sung-lo. Had I
fixed upon the spot myself I could not have found
one better suited to the purposes I had in view.
Old Mr. Wang was a farmer who at one time had
been well off in the world, but, like many others, had
been unfortunate, and was now very much reduced
in circumstances. He received us in the kindest
manner, and seemed to have great affection for his
son. His wife also came to welcome us, at the same
time apologising for the poor reception they gave us,

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Chap. VI. A SMOKY COTTAGE. 97

as they were so poor. I tried not to be outdone in
politeness, and we were soon on the best possible
terms.

The table was soon spread with our evening meal,
and, chopsticks in hand, we went to work and did
ample justice to the fare set before us. Shortly
afterwards, the Chinese being early in their habits,
we retired to .rest

Next morning the rain was falling in torrents, so
that it was impossible to stir out of doors. In these
circumstances, a Chinese cottage is a most uncomfort-
able place of confinement Four families resided in
the building in which I was now located — two in the
lower and two in the upper story. Each of these
families had a separate kitchen, and, as there were no
chimneys, the smoke had to make its escape through
the doors, windows, and roof of the house. The
natives were accustomed to this, and did not greatly
mind it, but to me it was almost insupportable. The
smoke got into my eyes and almost drove me mad
with pain. Go where I would it was all the same,
for the house was quite full of it I quite dreaded
the approach of meal -time, when all the fires were
lighted. There was no remedy, however, except
going out into the heavy rain, so that I was obliged
to sufier as patiently as I could.

On the evening of the second day my coolie and
the good old dwarf arrived with my luggage, and
told Wang some wonderful stories about the narrow
escapes they had had fi-om his friends the boatmen.
The coolie ;said .he had been so much alarmed that

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98 TEA ])ISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI.

he had spent the whole night m a temple, it being
the only place where he considered himself safe. It
was not necessary for me to believe all these things,
more particularly as all the luggage had come safely
to hand, which could scarcely have been the case had
the boatmen been as bad as was represented.

For three days the rain fell incessantly, and it
was also very cold. The Chinese tried to keep
themselves warm by putting on thick clothing, and,
strange to say, by reading aloud, which they did in a
loud singing manner, repeating the words as fast as
they could. When tired with this way of amusing
themselves, nearly the whole of them went to bed,
•as being the most comfortable place under the cir-
cumstances, and strongly recommended me to follow
. their example.

Sung-lo mountain, which in ordinary weather I
could have seen from the windows, was now en-
veloped in a cloak of mist, and every tree and bush
was bent down with heavy drops of rain. At last,
on the fourth day, the clouds cleared away, the sun
shone out again with his usual brilliancy, and the
whole face of nature wore a cheerful and smiling
aspect. I was now out every day, from morning
until evening, busily employed in collecting seeds,
in examining the vegetation of the hills, and in
obtaining information r^arding the cultivation and
manufacture of green tea. By this means I obtained
a good collection of those tea-seeds and young plants
from which the finest green teas of commerce are
prepared, and much information of a useful kind,

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Chap. VI. THE NEW BERBERIS. 99

which I have endeavoured in the last chapter to lay
before the reader.

In the mean time I had not lost sight of the beau-
tiful new Berberis, whicih I have already described,
and which I was most anxious to procure, in order to
introduce it into Europe. I had frequently desired
Wang to endeavour to procure me some young plants
of it from some garden in the neighbourhood, as I
could not believe it to be so rare as only to exist in
the old place where I had first seen it However,
he either could not find it, or, what was more pro-
bable, he gave himself no trouble about the matter.
Knowing the potent influence of dollars, I called
three or four of the family around me one morning,
and, showing them the leaf which I had brought
with me, promised a dollar to any one of them who
would bring me a small plant of the same shrub.
One of them went out immediately, and, to .my sur-
prise and pleasure, .returned in less than five minutes
with a fresh leaf of the plant in question. " That
will do," said I ; " that is just the thing I want.:
bring me a young plant with good roots, and I will
give you the promised reward." They now held a
consultation amongst themselves in an under tone,
and at last said that the plant in question had some
peculiar medical virtues, and that the lucky possessor
would not part with it. ".Sell me this one,** said I,
" and you will be able to buy a dozen others with
the money." " No," one of them replied, " my
uncle, in whose garden it is growing, does not want
money ; he is rich enough ; but he requires a little

H 2

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100 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI.

of the plant now and then when he is unweD, and
therefore he will not part with it" This was very
provoking, but the Chinese were firm, and there was
nothing for it but to go, as sailors say, " upon another
tack." This I determined to do. '' Well, at all
events," said I, "let me see the plant; don't be
afraid, I shall not touch it." For some time they
refused to do even this, but through Wang's influ-
ence they were at last induced to consent, and led
the way down to a small cottage-garden, completely
covered with weeds. There the beautiful shrub was
growing apparently neglected and left to " bloom
unseen." It seemed very valuable in the uncle's
estimation, and he would not part with it, although
I tried hard to induce him to do so. It might be
that he really valued its medicinal properties, but, as
it must be common enough in that part of the coun-
try, he could easily have replaced it: it was not
unlikely, therefore, that he supposed I should ofler
some very large sum to induce him to part with it.

On the following day another relation of Wang's
came to me in a secret manner, and informed me
Aat he was acquainted with another place where the
same plant was to be had, and that for a consider-
ation he would go and fetch some of it for me.
I engaged him at once, merely telling him that he
must bring young plants with good roots, otherwise
they would be entirely useless to me. This he
faithfully promised to do, and he kept his word. In
the course of the day he returned with three good
plants, which he sold to me, and which I afterwards

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Chap. VI. ATTEMPT TO "SQUEEZE" WANG. 1.01

took back to Shanghae. These are now safely in*
England.

I spent a week in the neighbourhood of Sung-lOy
and then began to think of returning eastward with
the collections I had made. My coolie was now
giving Wang no little annoyance, in the hope of
extorting money from him. The coolie had observed
how he had been frightened by the boatmen, and
doubtless thought that he too might make something
out of his timidity. But Wang was now in his
father's house, and consequently more bold. He
refiised to be '* squeezed" to the amount of four
dollars — a sum which the other fellow demanded.
The latter, after a great deal of blustering language,*
left the house with the threat of bringing some
countrymen of his own to force compliance with his
demands. He returned, however, in the course of
an hour, without any companions, and, the subject
having been mentioned to me in the mean time, I
sent for him, and threatened to punish him by with-
holding his wages if 1 heard any more of the matter.
After this he became more quiet, and I believe the
matter was finally arranged by his accepting a loan !

In the mean time old Mr. Wang, in whose house
we were staying, having occasion to go down to
Tun-che on business, was desired by me to engage a*
boat to take us down the river again as far as a
place named Nechow. He returned in due time,
and brought a "chop" which had been entered into
with the boatmen. I could not read the Chinese
language, and therefore had to get Wang to read the

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102 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI.

chop over to me and explain it, more particularly
that part which specified the sum I was to pay.
The chop stated where we were to be taken to; the
number of men we were to have in the boat ; the
charges for good rice, which they were to supply
three times a day, and the Eire of the boat. With
regard to the last itern^ Wang informed me that it
stated I was to pay the sum of twenty-four dollars,
part before we started, and the remainder at the end
of the journey.

The sum which I had' brought with me was
reduced to about thirty dollars. I had been obliged
to pay very high prices for everything during the
# journey, and felt convinced that the Chinese system
of squeezing had been in full operation. Up to the
present time I had submitted to it with a good grace,
knowing that this was the only way by which I was
likely to attain the object I had in view. But now
it was absolutely necessary for me to rebel. The
place to which we were to be taken by this boat was
at least one hundred miles from any of the ports
where the English resided, and where money could
be procured, and I had- every reason to expect that a
sum equal to this would be demanded for taking me
on from Nechow to Ning-po — and this latter demand
I should not have been able to pay. Besides, I knew
very well, or at least I had every reason to suspect,
that the sum stated to me by Wang was much more
than his father had agreed for with the boatmen.
I therefore said to him that I was quite sure the
chop was not correct, and that, whether it was or not,

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Chap. VI. CHINESE "SQUEEZING." 103

I could not pay such a large sum, and must devise
some other means of proceeding down the country^
He pretended to be highly indignant at my even
suspecting his veracity, and was entering into a long,
explanation, when I cut the matter short by saying,
that my mind was made up upon the subject, and
that, as the sum he named, was out of the question,
I should endeavour to engage another boat myself or
through the coolie. Moreover I hinted that, if things
could not be managed in that way, I would call upon
the mandarin of Tun-che, and ask his assistance to
enable me to engage a boat at a fair and proper
price. I then desired him to say no more to me on.
this subject, and walked away.

This treatment produced exactly the effect which
I intended it should do, and in a few minutes old
Wang returned, and coolly asked me what sum L
was willing to give for the hire of the boat. " What
is the use of your asking that question ?" I replied ::
" you tell me you have engaged a boat at twenty-four
dollars ; if I take the boat I must of course pay this
sum ; if not, I only forfeit the bargain-money which
you say you have paid." " Never mind that," said
he ; " tell me what sum you can give for the hire of
this boat, and then we shall see whether it is suflScient
or not." " Well," said I, " I must reach Ning-po for-
twenty dollars, and I know that sum is quite sufficient
for the journey." " Very well," he replied with the
greatest coolness, " give fifteen for this boat from
Tun-che to Nechow, and I will guarantee that the
.other five shall take you on to Ning-po»" This was

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104 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI.

agreed to- on my part, and the business was appa-
rently arranged to Mr. Wang's satisfaction ; and no
wonder; for, having kept the chop, which I after-
wards got translated at Ning-po, I found that five
dollars, instead of twenty-four, was the sum charged
for the boat to Nechow; so that the Wangs had,
after all, made ten by the transaction.

Such is the character of the Chinese. They have
no idea of telling the truth unless it suits their in-
terests to do so; in fact I. used often to think that
they rather preferred lying unless it was against their
interests.

All our arrangemen^ts being complete,, the seeds
put up, and the plants packed, I hired a chair, and
on the afternoon of the 20th of November bade
adieu to Wang's family, and^ to the country of the
far-famed Sung-lo-shan. The day was wet and
stormy, and I had a most disagreeable ride to Tun-
che. Towards evening the gale increased, and the
rain fell in torrents. I had procured some oil-paper
to protect my feet and knees from the rain, which
was blown in upon me in front, and my men who
accompanied me also covered themselves with the
same material^ but it was of very little use to us, and
long before we reached our destination we were
drenched to the skin. To make matters worse, it
became quite dark before we reached Tun-che, and
it was with great difficulty that my chairbearers eould
keep on the narrow road, and prevent themselves
from slipping and falling down. Our road led along
the high bank of the river, and was rather dan-

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Chap. VI. WANG'S ROGUERY. 105

gerous to travel on in such a night. Once the fore-
most man came down, and I was all but blown over
the bank into the river ; indeed^ had the second man
not held on firmly by the chair, I believe I must
have fallen over the precipice, chair and all.

The lights of the town at last came in sight, and,
as we entered its narrow streets, I ordered the chair-
men to set me down and wait until my servants came
up. The bearers accordingly stopped in firont of a
tea-house, into which they entered' and^ called for
some refreshment. While they were inside the house
I was looking out for my men, as it was just possible
that they might pass us in the dark. In a few
minutes Wang came up to me in a state of great
excitement, and almost pulled me out of the chair.,
" Come away — ^be quick !" said he ; " leave the chair
where it is, and let us hurry onwards.'* I got out,
thinking that something very serious was about to
happen, and plunged onwards through the mud and
rain. We had not gone many yards when the chair-
men gave chase, and, coming up with, us, collared
Wang and demanded, their fare. " What is the
meaning of this proceeding?" said I ; "y4)u received
money from me to pay these men before we started,
and now you want to run off without paying them at
all." " Do not make any noise," he replied ; " i
will account for the money afterwards, but give me
some more now to get rid of these men." I did so;
and we then went on.

When the chairmen left us I was bringing Wang
to task for dishonesty. He then told me that, as he

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106 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI.

was coming up behind my chair, he had observed
another chair, in which there was a great general,
closely following mine, and that he suspected that
this man had some intention of seizing us and making
us prisoners.

We plunged onwards, and saw no more of the
** great general," who was probably all the time
thinking much more of getting indoors from the
pelting storm than of molesting us. Indeed I strongly
suspected, that the whole affair was only a trick of
Wang's to get rid of the chairbearers^ and to rob
them of their money, which ought to have been paid
to them on starting.

We were now in the town of Tun-che, and, having
crossed the river by a bridge, soon reached our boat.
My bed and all my clothes were soaked with rain,
and I spent a most uncomfortable night. Early on
the following morning the boat was pushed out into
the stream, and we proceeded rapidly down the
river.

The storm of the previous night had entirely passed
away, and never had I seen a more beautiful morn-
ing. The sun shone gaily, the atmosphere was clear
and bracing, and everything wore a cheerful and
smiling aspect. With little exertion on the part of
our crew, we floated rapidly down the stream, passing
in quick succession the woods, towns, and villages
which lined its banks. Sometimes, as we looked
onwards, our course seemed to be stopped by moun-
tain-barriers, but as we approached them a way
opened out, and we glided rapidly through, between

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Chap. VI. MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 107

mountains which frequently rose to a height of at
least three thousand feet.

The moon was^ just past the full, and the scenery
by moonlight was striking and grand. Sometimes
the moon rose in all her grandeur above the tops of
the mountains, and threw a flood of mellowed light
upon the clear and shining river, which made it
appear to sparkle as if covered with a thousand
bright gems. Again, as we approached the eastern
shore, the moon appeared to sink behind the moun-
tains, and set where she rose, and. we were left in
the shade ; and' so, as wc floated onwards, she rose
and set many times, until she was so high in tBe
sky that the mountains could no longer intercept
her rays.

On our way up the river I had maiied the spot
where the beautiful Berheris grew, and I now paid ifr
another visit, and procured some good-cutting* of it
from an old woman who seemed to be in charge of
the place. I would gladly have bought the plant
itself, but it was too laiige to move with any chance of
success. A goodly number of tea-seeds were also
collected on our way down, as well as more of the
seeds of the Funereal cypress. The boat being
wholly engaged by myself, I was able to stop when
and where I chose.

The river being rapid, and in many parts studded
with rocks and large stones most dangerous to navi-
gation, we were often obliged, when evening came,
to drive a bamboo pole into the bank, and fasten our
boat up for the night. On one occasion a sudden

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108 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VI.

change of weather took place, aiv event common
amongst these mountains. When we went to bed the
evening was calm and serene, and there was no ap-
pearance of any change in the weather. Before mid-
night, however, two or three sudden gusts of wind
followed each other in quick succession ; and in the
short space of a quarter of an hour it was blowing a
gale. I was awakened by a sudden gust which blew
the door open, and then nearly swept the roof off.
At the same time the boat was torn from her moor-
ings, and driven out into the stream. We were now
in a dangerous position, for this part of the river was
full of rocks. All the men were up, and with two
large sculls and bamboo poles tried to get the boat
inshore. Some of them were lashing the roof firmly
down ta the hull with ropes, and I thought it would
have been carried away before it could have been
secured. Chinamen-like, our crew were making a
great noise ; all were giving orders, and none obeying
them. In the mean time we were flying down before
the wind> and with a rapid, current. I expected every
moment that the boat would strike upon the rocks,
and be dashed to pieces. Luckily, however, they
managed t© get her inshore, and ran upon a bank of
sand, where she was made fast again.

At daylight the wind had abated considerably, but
it still blew too strong for us to get under way. We
were therefore obliged to remain where we were
during the greater part of the day. Our boatmen in-
vited some of their friends, who were detained by the
same cause as ourselves, to come on board to dine and

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Chap. VI. RAPID TIDE. 109

play cards ; and in this way they amused themselves
mitil the afternoon, when the weather had moderated,
and we proceeded on our voyage.

In three days we arrived at the city of Yen-chow-
foo — a journey which occupied twelve days in going
up ; and in three days more, that is on the sixth day
after leaving Tun-che, we arrived at the town of
Nechow.

Nechow is a small but busy town, a few miles
higher up the river than the city of Hang-chow-foo.
It is a place of some importance, as it stands on the
main road between Hwny-chow and Ning-po. Large
numbers of river boats were at anchor abreast of the
town, some from Hwuy-chow, Yen-cihow, and the
other towns up the river, and many from the city of
Hang-chow. I suppose the population of the town
and boats may amount to twenty or thirty thousand

I had frequently heard of the rapidity of the tides
in the river, but had never seen anything remarkable
about them until this evening. We were all seated
at dinner, or rather supper, for it was the third and
last meal of the day, when I heard a rush df water
and a great noise amongst the boats with which
we were moored. " Jan-shui ! jan-shui ! " (the flood-
tide! the flood-tide !) exclaimed a hundred voices-;
and two or three of our men jumped up, and ran out
to guide the boat. I went out also to see what was
going on, and observed a large wave coming rolling
up towards us. Taking boat sStev boat in its progress,
it whirled it round in an instant, until the whole fleet
were "riding to the .flood." *I can only compare the

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110 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. VI.

scene to that presented by some highland river,
which, swelled after a storm by many mountain
streams, comes rolling down to the lowlands, flooding
the country in its course, and bearing everything
before it.

Having discharged our Hwuy-chow boat, we pro-
ceeded through the town to the terminus of a small
canal, where another boat was engaged to take us on
to a town called Shang-o, or Tsaou-o, a place not very
far from the source of the Ning-po River. The canal
was narrow, and led us through a beautiful hilly
country. All the low land was evidently very wet,
and only fit for the cultivation of rice and vegetables.

A few miles below Nechow we passed a small town
where there are Government salt warehouses. About
this part of the canal, boats are not allowed to go on
by night, in order, 1 suppose, to prevent smuggling.
We were therefore stopped about nine o'clock in the
evening, and informed that we must not proceed until
daylight I thought this was quite settled, when
Wang came and asked me whether I wanted to go
on or not He .said, if I wished to proceed, it was
only necessary to pay the soldier who had stopped los
about twenty cash (one penny), and then I might do
as I pleased. This is the way these things are ma-
naged in China. We of course paid the cash and
went on.

Next morning we arrived at a town of considerable
size, named Shaou-hing-foo. It is situated in latitude
30° 6' N., and in longitude 120"^ 29' E. It seems
densely populated, and probably contains nearly as

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Chap. VI. SHAOU-HING-FOO. 1 1 1

many inhabitants as Shanghae (270,000). The city
is walled and fortified, in the same manner as all other
places of this class.

The canal passes round the city walls, and forms a
sort of moat A branch of it goes straight through
the city itself. Being anxious to visit this place, I
directed my boatmen to go through the city, and we
entered it by an arch in the ramparts.

The walls of Shaou-hing-foo are between three and
four miles in circumference, but, like most Chinese
cities, the space enclosed is not all built over. On
the sides of the canal the houses have a somewhat
mean and poor appearance, but they are better in
other parts of the town. A great trade seems to be
carried on in all the common necessaries of life ; and
as the town is as it were a half-way station between
Hang-chow and Ning-po, it is .visited by a great
number of travellers. A considerable quantity of
tea is grown on the hills not far rfrom here. It is,
I believe, of a very fair quality, and second only to
that of Hwuy-chow.

Amongst the sights here which the Chinese point
out, and are proud of, is a fine Buddhist temple
standing on a pretty little hill just outside the city
walls. I saw many ornamental gates in the town,
erected to the memory of virtuous women, who,
judging firom the number of these structures, must
have been unusually numerous in the place ; but its
chief fame results from the number of literary men
which it has produced, and who are scattered over the
whole of the empire. Wherever you meet them, it

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1 12 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. VI.

is their pride and boast to have received their edu-
cation in the city of Shaou-hing.

The surrounding country here is flat, and in every
direction intersected by canals. The hills, which are
seen at no great distance, have a barren appearance —
at least they are far from being so fertile as those in
the green-tea country, from which I had just come.
Kice appeared to be the staple production, as it is on
all low wet lands in this part of China. Tallow-trees
were abundant, both in the plains and on the lower
sides of the hills.

About three o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at
the town of Tsaou-o. Here we left the Nechow boat,
and walked about a mile across the country to another
email town named Pak-wan. This town stands on the
banks of a river which fells into the bay of Hang-
chow. When I first saw this river I imagined it to
be the one which flows down to the city df Ning-po,
but I soon found that this was not the case.

Pak-wan is a long straggling town, fiiU of pack-
houses, eating-houses, and tea-shops for the accommo-
dation of travellers and their goods. I found that
several foreigners had been here before, and conse-
quently the inhabitants were well acquainted with
their features. I was recognised as a foreigner im-
mediately on my entering the town, but was most
civilly treated, and had no difficulty in engaging a
boat to take me onwards. For this purpose I entered
the Hong-le, or boat-inn, and procured a chop, by
which the innkeeper bound himself to send me on to
Ning-po for the sum of three dollars.

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Chap. VI. CHINESE RIVER-LOCKS. 1 13

During the night we passed over two embank-
ments, which, for small vessels, answer the same pur-
poses as the locks on our canals at home. We were
drawn over the embankment by means of a windlass
and an inclined plane. This mode of getting from a
higher to a lower level, or vice versd, is common in
China, where locks, such as those seen in Europe, do
not seem to be used. As our boat glided swiftly
down the inclined plane at midnight, amidst the
lanterns of the Chinese, the effect was curious enough
to a person like myself who had never seen anything
of the kind before. The second launch brought us
upon the waters of the Ning-po river.

During the night we passed a large city named
Yu-eou, and next morning I found we were sailing
down a wide and beautiful stream, which I knew
passed by the city of Ning-po, and entered the sea at
Chinhae. The country in its general features was
hilly, but a plain of some extent was seen on each
side of the river. This low ground was wet and
marshy, and only fit for the cultivation of rice.

An immense number of tombs were seen covering
the sides of the hills, and plainly betokened that we
were approaching a large and populous city. Juniper
and pine trees were grouped about the graves, and
gave a sombre yet pleasing aspect to the last resting-
places of the dead. The tallow-tree still occupied a
prominent place on the edges of the fields and canals,
as well as on the hill-sides ; and showed, by the extent
to which it is cultivated, that it must be a most im-
portant tree to the Chinese.

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1 14 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. VI.

Nothing worthy of note occurred until I reached
the town of Ning-po. It was as welcome a sight as I
had seen for many a day, when the old town, with its
pagoda, temples, and ramparts, came in view. It
was well known to me in former years, and I felt
myself "quite at home," after a long and some-
what perilous, although in many respects a pleasant
journey.

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Chap. VII. SILVER ISLAND. 115

CHAPTER VII.

Kintang or Silver Island — Its inhabitants and productions — Bay of
Chapoo — Advantages of an inland route — New year at Shanghac
— Flower-shops and flowers — Sacred bamboo — The Chrysan-
themum — Mode of cultivating it — Weather-prophets — Sail for
Hong-kong — A game-ship — The Enkianthus — Canton seeds,
and mode of packing them — False notion regarding their being
poisoned.

On my arrival at Ning-po I engaged a Chinese boat
to take me to Kintang. Kintang or Silver Island is
' one of the islands of the Cbusan archipelago, situated
between Chusan and the mouth of the Ning-po river,
in about the 30th degree of north latitude. ■ It is about
seven miles in length, and from two to three in
breadth at its widest part. I found two opium vessels
at anchor in the little harbour of Leh-kong, and was
kindly received by Captain Priestman, who gave me
quai-ters on board his ship.

Silver Island, although near Chusan, was rarely
visited by the English during the time they held
that place. All sorts of stories used to be told about
it. It was said to be a place of banishment for
mandarins who had offended the Government ; and
this circumstance, taken in connexion with its name,
led us to believe that it was a place of wealth and
luxury. Moreover, the Chinese Government had
requested that none of our officers or soldiers might

I 2

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1 1 6 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA.. Chap. VII.

be allowed to go there, as it was fiill of Chinese
troops, who might be exasperated if they came in
contact with those who had vanquished them during
the late war. Having all these matters in my mind,
I naturally expected to find this a very important
place ; but my ideas with regard to its soldiers and
riches were not realized. Small villages are scattered
over the valleys, but there is no town of importance,
and judging from appearances the inhabitants gene-
rally are very poor. No fierce soldiers were met
with in any part of the island : these, however, might
have been withdrawn since 1844.

The inhabitants, like those of Chusan and Ning-po,
are quiet and inoflensive. They were very civil to
me, and often treated me with great kindness. They
had little to oflfer but their good will ; and this they
showed by asking me to sit down in their houses, or,
what was often preferable, under the awning in front
of the door. Here they never failed to oflfer a
draught of the national beverage — tea. I do not
know anything half so refreshing on a hot summer s
day as a cup of tea : I mean pure and genuine as the
Chinese drink it, without sugar and milk. It is far
better and much more refreshing than either wine or
beer. It quenches thirst, is a gentle stimulant, and
wards oflf many of the fevers incident to such a
climate.

If Silver Island is not inhabited by rich men and
brave soldiers, nature at least has been most bountiful,
for it is one of the most beautiful of the group to
which it belongs. On paying it a visit at this time

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Chap. Vll. PRODUCTIONS OF SILVER ISLAND. 117

I was particularly struck with the scenery. Passing
through the small town or village of Leh-kong, I
soon came to the foot of the first range of hills, and
ascended the pass which led over them into the in-
terior of the island. On the sides of the road and
scattered over the hills I observed large quantities of
the tallow-tree. Its seeds are carefully gathered by
the natives, and are valuable for the oil and tallow
which they contain. A few patches of tea were seen
dotted on the lower parts of the hills. When I
reached the top of the first ridge of hills, and looked
down on the other side, a most charming view pre-
sented itself A quiet and beautiful valley lay below,
here and there studded with small farm-houses, and
apparently bounded on all sides by hills richly clothed
with shrubs and trees. It was a fine autumnal day,
and many of the leaves had assumed their red and
yellow tints before falling to the ground. Those of
the tallow-tree and a species of maple had become of
a clear blood-red colour — others were nearly white ;
and the contrast between these colours and the deep
green foliage of the pines was most striking. Clumps
of fine bamboos, and the sung — the species of palm
already noticed — gave a tropical appearance to the
scenery.

The green-tea shrub is cultivated very extensively
in the interior of the island ; and my chief object in
coming here was to procure a quantity of its seeds.
For this purpose I took my two servants with me,
and examined all the tea-farms on our way. China-
men generally have a great aversion to long walks,

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118 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VII.

and my men were no exception to the rule. From
the way in which they lagged behind I suspected they
had some intention of turning back when I was far
enough advanced to be out of sight This they
contrived to do, and when they got home reported
that they had lost me amongst the hills. I felt
rather annoyed, as I expected to have secured a
considerable quantity of tea-seeds, but contented my-
self with a determination to look better after them the
next day. On the following morning I procured a
pony, and with my two defaulters set oflF for the tea-
farms situated in the middle of the island. Captain
Priestman accompanied me ; and as he had seen the
conduct of my two men on the day previous, he
assisted me to look after them with hearty good will.
When we had crossed the first range of hills and were
descending into the valley on the opposite side, the
two Chinese disappeared just as they had done the
day before. Riding back some distance, we found
them lingering behind, and evidently intending to
lose us again and return home. This time, however,
it would not do ; so calling them to come on, and
placing them between us on the narrow road, we
moved forwards. I fear, I must confess, that we
did not take the nearest road to our destination, which
we reached at last, having been between three and
four hours on the way. We gathered a good supply
of tea-seeds from various farms on the hill-sides ; and
when we had finished the day's operations rode quietly
homewards, leaving the Chinamen to bring the col-
lections which had been made. The same plan was

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Chap. VII. PRODUCTIONS OF SILVER ISLAND. 119

adopted daily until nearly all the farms were visited,
and a large supply of tea-seeds was obtained.

Silver Island consists of a succession of hills and
valleys not unlike those of Chusan, but even more
rich in appearance. Passing over the first hill and
descending into the valley, the traveller at first
imagines that he is surrounded on every side by hills ;
but proceeding onwards, the road gradually winds
round the base of the hills, and another valley as
pretty as the last opens up to view. Thus, like a
splendid panorama, picture after picture is presented
to the eye, painted by the hand of nature beautiful
and perfect.

There is more tea grown on Silver Island than on
any of the other islands in the Chusan archipelago.
The greater part of what is not consumed by the
natives is sent over to Ning-po and Chapoo for home
consumption or for exportation to the Straits. Al-
though good tea, it is not prepared in a manner to
suit the English or American markets. The tallow-
tree {StilUngia sebiferd) and the " Tung-eau '* {Dry-
andra cordata, Thunberg) both produce articles of
export. The former is well known to produce the
tallow and oil so much in use in China : the latter
furnishes a valuable oil which is used in mixing with
the celebrated varnish of the country, and hence this
tree is often called the varnish-tree.

Having procured a collection of the seeds of these
useftil trees, as well as a large quantity of tea-seeds,
I had the whole of them carefully packed, and left
Silver Island for Shanghae, vid Chapoo. This route,

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120 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. VII.

which I opened some years ago, is now commonly
used by foreigners travelling between the two northern
ports, and, although not provided for in the ^ treaty,"
is not objected to by the Chinese authorities. The
consuls of different nations and their families, mer-
chants, and missionaries, all avail themselves of it;
and when we consider the number of foreigners in
Shanghae, an outlet such as this* seems absolutely
necessary. All acknowledge the powerful influence
of change of air in cases of fever, and I have no doubt
that the lives of some have been saved by being able
to get down quickly to the islands in the Chusan
archipelago. But had there been no route via
Chapoo, this would oftentimes have been very diffi-
cult, as the only other way is by sea. While I
mention this to show the folly of the treaty we made
with the Chinese — a treaty, by-the-by, which is ob-
served neither by the Chinese nor by ourselves — it
also shows how much may be done by quietly and
peaceably breaking down those barriers which have
been erected by prejudice and ignorance.

The bay of Chapoo abounds with pirates, and
unless one's boat is well armed the passage across is
rather dangerous. It was here poor Mr. Lowrie, the
American missionary, was murdered in 1845 or 1846.
He was a man of great promise, and was much re-
gretted. My boat was well armed, and having more-
over two Lascars on board, I had little to fear. We
crossed the bay in safety. I then engaged a canal boat,
and jogged quietly onwards to Shanghae, which place
we reached without any adventure worth recording.

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Chap. VU. FLOWER-SHOPS AND FLOWERS. 121

It was now the middle of January, and the depth
of winter in the north of China. The Chinese new
year was approaching; it fell on the 24th, and all
the natives were busily employed in collecting their
debts and arranging their books. It is considered a
great disgrace to have outstanding debts at the begin-
ning of the year. Merchants and shopkeepers will
often make considerable sacrifices in order to raise
money at this season, and hence foreigners generally
consider this a good time to make cheap purchases.
These purchases must all be made before new year's
day, as then the shops are closed, and little or no
business is transacted for a week ; after which trade
begins again as before. At this festive season flowers
are as much sought after here for the purposes of
decoration as they are at home at Christmas time.
On visiting some of the flower-shops in Shanghae, in
the middle of January, I was surprised to find a
great many flowers which had been forced into bloom
and were now exposed for sale. I was not previously
aware that the practice of forcing flowers was common
in China. Many plants of Magnolia purpurea were
in ftiU flower ; as were also many kinds of double-
blossomed peaches, the pretty little Prunus sinensis
alba^ and a variety of camellias. But what struck
me as most remarkable was the facility with which
the Moutan Paeony had been brought into ftiU bloom.
Several varieties of this plant were in ftiU flower;
and at this season of the year, when everything out
of doors was cold and dreary, they had a most lively
effect Their blooms were tied up, to keep them

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122 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VII.

from expanding too rapidly. All these things had
been brought from the celebrated city of Soo-chow-
foo, the great emporium of Chinese fashion and
luxury.

It may be thought that the Chinese have glass
houses, hot-water pipes, and all those fine things
which assist gardeners and amateurs in Europe.
Nothing of the kind; they do all these things in
their houses and sheds, with common charcoal fires,
and a quantity of straw to stop up the crevices in the
doors and windows.

At this season of the year the "Kum-quat" (Ci-
tru8 japonicd)y which is extensively grown in pots, is
literally covered with its small, oval, orange-coloured
fruit. This as well as various other species of the
orange is mixed with the forced flowers, and to-
gether produce an excellent effect. I think if the
" Kum-quat " was better known at home it would be
highly prized for decorative purposes during the
winter months. It is much more hardy than any
other of its tribe ; it produces its flowers and fruit
in great abundance, and it would doubtless prove a
plant of easy cultivation. In order, however, to suc-
ceed with it as well as the Chinese do, one little fact
should be kept in view, namely, that all the plants
of the orange-tribe which bear fruit in a small state
are grafted. There is also a plant, with red berries,
which takes the place of our English holly. It is
the Nandina domestical and is called by the Chinese
the " Tein-chok,*' or Sacred Bamboo. Large quan-
tities of its branches are brought in at this time from

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Chap. VII. THE SACRED BAMBOO. , 123

the country and hawked about the streets. Each
of these branches is crowned with a large bunch of
red berries, not very unlike those of the common
holly, and, when contrasted with the dark, shining
leaves, are singularly ornamental. It is used chiefly
in the decoration of altars, not only in the temple,
but also in private dwellings and in boats — for here
every house and boat has its altar — and hence the
name of " Sacred Bamboo • * which it bears.

The Nandina is found in English gardens, but,
judging from the specimens which I have seen at
home, no idea can be formed of its beauty. It does
not appear to produce its fruit so freely in England
as it does in China, probably owing to the temperature
of our summers being lower than those of its native
country. But the chrysanthemum is the Chinese
gardener's favourite winter flower, although it is gene-
rally past its full beauty at the Chinese new year.
There is no other plant with which he takes so much
pains, or which he cultivates so well. His camellias,
azaleas, and roses are well grown and well bloomed,
but in all these we excel him in England ; in the
cultivation of the chrysanthemum, however, he stands
unrivalled. The plants themselves seem, as it were,
to meet him half way and grow just as he pleases ;
sometimes I found them trained in the form of ani-
mals, such as horses and deer, and at other times
they were made to resemble the pagodas, so common
in the country. Whether they were trained into
these fanciful forms, or merely grown as simple
bushes, they were always in high health, fiiU of fresh

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124 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VH.

green leaves, and never failed to bloom most pro-
fusely in the autumn and winter.

The method of cultivating the chrysanthemum in
China is as follows. Cuttings are struck every year
from the young shoots, in the same manner as we do
in England. When they are rooted they are potted
off at once into the pots in which they are to grow
and bloom ; that is, they are grown upon what would
be called by our gardeners " the one-shift system."

The soil used in potting is of a very rich descrip-
tion. About Canton it is generally obtained, in the
first instance, from the bottom of lakes or ponds,
where the Nelumbium or water-lily grows. It is
then laid up to dry and pulverise for some months,
when it is mixed with old night-soil taken from the
manure-tanks found in every garden. A heap of this
kind, after being laid up for some time and frequently
turned over, is in a fit state for potting the chrysan-
themum. Manure-water, taken also from the tanks,
is liberally supplied during the growing season, and
its effects are visible in the luxuriant dark-green
leaves which cover the plants.

In forming the plants into nice compact bushes,
which, with due deference to Chinese taste, I think
much prettier than animals and "seven-storied pa-
godas," their system is as follows: — The plants are
trained each with a single stem; this is forced to
send out numerous laterals near its base, and these
are tied down in a neat and regular manner with
strings of silk-thread. By having the plants clothed
with branches in this way, and by keeping the leaves

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Chap. VH. THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. 125

in a green and healthy state, the specimens never
have that bare and broom-headed appearance which
they often present in England when they are taken
into the greenhouse in winter.

About Shanghae and Ning-po the chrysanthemum
is still better managed than it is near Canton ; but
the success which attends it may be attributed, partly
at least, to the more favourable nature of the climate,
the plant being indigenous to the central or more
northern parts of the empire. The system of culti-
vation is nearly the same — the main points attended
to being those which have been noticed, namely,
choosing a rich soil, planting at once into large pots,
training to a single stem, and inducing it to send
out numerous laterals, and giving liberal supplies of
manure-water during the growing season. The Chi-
nese are fond of having very large blooms, and, in
order to obtain these, they generally pick oflF all the
small flower-buds.

In China, as in England, the chrysanthemum
flowers during the winter months. When in bloom
it is in great request among the people, and is used
in the decoration of court-yards, halls, and temples.
It is everybody's plant, and blooms alike in the
garden of the lowly Chinese cottager and in that of
the red-buttoned mandarin.

Although we are indebted to China for the parents
of those varieties of chrysanthemums which now
enliven our gardens during the dull months of winter,
yet, strange to say, the progeny is more numerous in
Europe than in China itself. Some of those beautiftd

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126 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VII.

kinds raised by Mr. Salter in France would be much ad-
mired even by the Chinese florist. It is a curious fact,
however, that many of those kinds, such as formosum
and lucidum^ which were originally raised from seed
in Europe, are also met with in the north of China.

The Chinese, like ourselves, have their weather-
prophets and cold winters. It had been predicted that
this winter (1848-9) was to be very severe. The
thermometer was now down to 17° Fahr., and there
was every appearance of the prediction being fulfilled.
This degree of cold is felt much more in Shanghae
than in England, owing to the piercing nature of the
wind, which seems to find its way through every pore
of the skin.

Since my return to Shanghae I had been engaged
in getting the tea-plants carefully planted in Ward's
cases, in order to send them to India. As there was
no vessel in Shanghae bound for Calcutta direct, I
determined to take the collection to Hong-kong, and
to ship them thence to India.

At the time we sailed game of all kinds was most
abundant in Shanghae, and the merchants took the
opportunity of sending a large quantity down to their
friends in Hong-kong and Canton. The poop of our
good ship looked like a row of poulterers' shops at
Christmas. Pheasants, woodcocks, hares, ducks,
geese, and teal were hanging about in all directions.
Every airy place, such as the davits, boats, poop-
rail, &c., was covered with them, besides which there
were a number of baskets filled with living pheasants
stowed away in the hold. Many of these birds were

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Chap. VII. A GAME-SHIP. 127

very beautiful, particularly the white-necked pheasants,
and the ducks and teal with feathers of every hue.

All cargo of this kind is taken down freight free ;
but, as it is of a perishable nature, there is generally
a tacit understanding between the sender and the
master of the vessel that, if any of it show signs of
becoming bad, it should either be eaten or thrown
overboard. Some masters of vessels, and passengers
who are perhaps a little sea-sick, caimot endure the
smell of game in this state, however agreeable it may
be to those for whom it is intended.

It may easily be believed, then, that we did not
fare badly on our passage to Hong-kong. We were
lucky in having a medical man on board of high cha-
racter, and I can honestly say that no plump wood-
cock, wild duck, or pheasant was condemned without
being examined by him and pronounced in imminent
danger : on the other hand, it must be confessed that
none, so far as I knew, were ever thrown overboard.

As soon as we got out to sea all sail was crowded
on our vessel, and we ran merrily on before the wind.
In four days after leaving the Yang-tse-kiang river
we were safely at anchor in the bay of Hong-kong,
having run fully one thousand miles.

The tea-plants having reached Hong-kong in good
order, I lost no time in getting them transshipped to
vessels bound for India, where they afterwards arrived
in excellent condition.

All my spare time in Hong-kong was spent in
rambling about the hills, I was frequently accom-
panied by Captain Champion, one of the best botanists

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128 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. Vn.

I met with in China, and the discoverer of the beau-
tiful Bhodoleia Championi figured by Sir William
Hooker in the * Botanical Magazine/

At this season of the year the well-known Enki-
anthus was just coming into bloom. This is one of
those few Chinese plants which will scarcely submit
to cultivation in England, or perhaps it would be
more correct to say that its proper management is
not understood there. A description of its habits, as
observed on its native mountains in Hong-kong, will
probably assist those who are trying to cultivate this
beautiful plant in England. The island of Hong-
kong has often been called a barren rock, an ex-
pression which, in our days at least, is not quite
correct. When it was formed by some convulsion of
nature, in the earlier periods of the world's history,
it was no doubt a barren chain of rocks of very irre-
gular outline. Gradually, however, like those islands
in the eastern seas which are every day forming by
the agency of animals, a great portion of the surface
of these rocks became partially covered with soil and
vegetation, although many of their peaks are still
uncovered, remaining as barren as they were when
first formed, and appearing to bid defiance to time
and change.

On these mountains, from 1000 to 2000 feet above
the level of the sea, the Enkianthus is found growing
abundantly, and in great luxuriance. It is never seen
in the valleys or low lands, unless when brought
down by the natives. The soil is loamy, not unlike
what we see at Shirley or Wimbledon, and mixed

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Chap, VII. THE ENKJANTHUS. 129

with stones and large pieces of granite which have
become detached from the rocks. The plant delights
in fixing itself in the crevices of the rock, and is often
found in such situations with very little soil about its
roots. About the end of April or beginning of May,
at the change of the monsoon, the wet season begins.
The Enkianthus then grows most luxuriantly, and all
the leaves, buds, and shoots are then fully formed.
In the autumn, with the exception of a week or two
in September, the weather is dry and very hot. At
this period the branches and buds of the plants get
perfectly ripened, many of the leaves fall off, and the
plant, having formed its secretions for the following
year, remains in a dormant condition during the
winter, which in Hong-kong is cool and dry. In the
hottest months in the year, namely, June, July, and
August, the maximum temperature in the shade
rarely exceeds 90° Fahr., but on a clear day one of
my thermometers indicated 140° in the sun. In
winter, although the north winds are cold and piercing,
frost and snow are almost imknown in this part of
China. When the first impulse is given to vegetation
by spring the Enkianthus bursts into bloom, and the
sides of the barren hills become gay with its number-
less flowers.

This is the way in which Nature treats this charm-
ing plant, and we must follow her example before we
can hope to see it half so beautiful as it is on its
native mountains. There are, however, two cir-
cumstances connected with its success in its natural
state which are difficult if not impossible to imitate.

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130 TEA DISTBICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VII.

The one is the bright sunshine which ripens the
wood in autumn, and the other is the peculiar
nature of the mountains on which the plant grows.
In the hottest weather, even when no rain has fallen
for months, and, when the valleys are parched and
burnt up for want of it, these mountain-sides are
always moist a few inches below the surface, and teem
in all directions with cool and refreshing springs.

The Enkianthus is always in blossom at the time
of the Chinese new year, when its flowers are in
great request in the south of China for the decoration
of the houses, boats, and temples, just as those of the
Nandina are in the north. It is brought in large
quantities from the hiUs, and sold in the streets, or
sent about in presents, after the same fashion as the
holly and mistletoe in England. If the branches
are cut and placed in a jar of water before the
flowers are ftiUy expanded, the latter will remain in
perfection for a fortnight or three weeks. The pretty
wax-looking globidar flowers are very handsome, and
are held in high esteem amongst the natives.

Having a few days to spare before commencing
my second campaign in the north, I determined on
paying a visit to the Fa-tee gardens near Canton.
I was curious to obtain some information concerning
the process of preparing and packing those seeds
which are usually sold to foreigners to be sent home
to friends in Europe and America. I had been ac-
customed to believe, with all good charitable people,
that these seeds were boiled or poisoned in some way
by the Chinese before they were sold to our mer-

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Chap. VII. PACKING CANTON SEEDS. 131

chants, in order that the floral beauties of China
should not find their way into other countries, and
the trade in seeds be injured.

The Chinese are certainly bad enough, but, like
other rogues, they are sometimes painted worse than
they really are. " Come, Aching," said I to the old
man who generally supplied these seeds, and in
whose good graces I stood pretty high, from having
made him a present of a rare and curious plant,
"I want to see your method of packing seeds for
foreigners. Take me to your seed-room and show
me the whole process from beginning to end." The
old man led me up to the middle of his garden,
where he had an ornamental shed or seed-room. It
was nicely fitted up with shelves, on which were
arranged a great number of small porcelain bottles,
such as I had often seen in London with seeds from
China. " Sit down," said he, " and I will explain
the business to you. I first gather the seeds from
the plants. I then put each kind, separately, into
one of these small bottles, and then pack the whole
into a little box, ready for being shipped to Europe
or America." " I understand that part of the
business," said I ; " but what is the substance which
you put into the bottles along with the seeds?"
This was a white ashy-looking matter, which we sup-
posed in England might be burnt bones, and some
conjectured that it was mixed with the seeds for the
purpose of manure. " Burnt lice," said Aching.
" Burnt what T I asked, with a smile which I could
not conceal. He repeated the assertion with all the

K 2

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132 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VIL

gravity of a judge. The reader may probably be
ignorant of the Chinese language, and I must there-
fore explain that a Chinese cannot pronounce our
letter r ; he has not such a sound in his language.
In trying to pronounce any word in which the letter
occurs, he invariably substitutes the sound of / for
that of r. It was therefore burnt rice, or the husks
of rice reduced to ashes, that he meant. I then
asked him the reason why he used this substance in
packing seeds, and he replied, in Canton English,
" S'pose my no mixie this seedy worms makie chow-
chow her Although the Chinese m Canton would
consider this excellent English, it may be as well to
explain that his meaning was, " Suppose I did not
mix ashes with the seeds, worms would eat them."
He alluded to a little maggot which would come out
during the voyage. " Don't be angry," said I, " but
we English fancy you do something to destroy the
vitality of the seeds, instead of endeavouring to pre-
serve it." " I know," said the old man, " you fancy
I boil them!"

It is a most difficult matter to preserve the seeds
of trees and shrubs in the south of China, owing to
the attacks of maggots. This is, without doubt, one
of the reasons why Canton seeds so seldom grow
when they are received in England ; another reason
is the age of the seeds. Old ones, gathered in former
years, are generally mixed up with the fresh ones,
and are all sent together. Most assuredly, however,
poor Aching does not boil them nor poison them in
any way.

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Chap. VIII. FC)0-CHOW-FOO. 133

CHAPTER VIII.

Foo^how-foo ^ Jealousy of the mandarins — A polite way of getting
rid of a spy — Scenery amongst the mountains — Temple of Koo-
shan — Its priests and idols — Buddha's tooth and other relics —
Trees and shrubs — City of Foo-chow-foo — Chinese mode of get-
ting out when the gates are shut — Journey up the Min — Chinese
sportsmen and their dogs — A deer-hunt — Scenery about Tein-
tung — Wild flowers — Roadside temples — The bamboo — A
priest and siphon — Lakes of Tung-hoo.

The vessel in which I had taken a passage for the
north being now ready for sea, my luggage was put
on board, and we sailed for Foo-chow-foo, the capital
of the province of Fokien. This port was opened to
foreigners by the treaty, but it has hitherto proved
of little value as a place of trade. The English
consular staff has been greatly reduced, and there is
only one merchant at the port. Many missionaries,
both English and American, have been stationed in
the city and suburbs, and are labouring patiently, but I
fear with little success, amongst an ungrateful people.

The mandarins at Foo-chow, and the people ge-
nerally, resemble their brethren at Canton. They
are jealous of foreigners, and would gladly see them
turned out of the province. A strict watch is kept
upon all their actions, which are duly reported to the
authorities.

On my arrival I had my luggage conveyed to an

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134 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VTH.

empty house, rented by Captain Hely, who had
kindly offered me the use of it during my stay, I
had just entered the house, and had gone up stairs to
look for a room in which I could have my bed placed,
when I heard a person below putting various ques-
tions to my servants. I paid little attention to this
at first, as I knew the Chinese to be very inquisitive ;
but as the examination continued longer than was
agreeable, I went down stairs to see what was the
matter. There I found an ill-looking fellow with a
brass button in his hat, and evidently belonging to
the lowest class of mandarins, standing over my ser-
vants, and putting questions to them in a most autho-
ritative maimer, and in the Fokien dialect, which, as
they were both northern men, they did not under-
stand. For ten minutes they had been going on in
this way, and neither party was any wiser than when
they began. Turning to my servants, I asked them
who the man was, and what he wanted. They
replied that he was a mandarin, that he had been
putting some questions to them concerning me ; but
as he spoke in the Fokien dialect they could not
understand him.

The Chinese generally stand in great dread of
their Government officers, and on this occasion my
servants thought they had given me a good and suffi-
cient reason for their having been detained so long.
But I had not forgotten the annoyances which I had
formerly endured at this place from Government
spies, and at once ordered my servants to leave their
interrogator, and attend to their duties. The officer

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Chap. Vin. GETTING RID OF A SPY. 135

looked rather disconcerted, and walked out of the
house.

Having completed my arrangements in the house,
I went out to call upon Mr. Morrison, interpreter to
the British Consulate, who was very unwell, and had
got as far as this place on his way to Hong-kong.
The house in which he had taken up his quarters
was only about two or three hundred yards from
mine. As I was walking thither, some one came
trudging behind me, and on looking round I disco-
vered my old friend the mandarin at my heels.
When I turned round he stopped for an instant, and,
as I looked intently at him, he seemed inclined to
pass on. I stopped him, and asked him, as politely
as I could, where he was bound for. He said he was
going to some place on the river side, with which I
was unacquainted. " Could you not go there to-
morrow ?" said I ; " pray do, for I am going there
to-day, and company is disagreeable to me." With
that I put my hand on his arm, turned him gently
round, and made him a very polite bow. The fellow
looked rather confrised, grinned, and walked away, and
I never saw him again. I was afterwards informed
that all foreigners are dodged in this way, and all
their operations duly reported to the authorities.

I had often heard of a celebrated Buddhist temple,
not very far from Foo-chow, so I determined to pay
it a visit. It is called the Temple of Eoo-shan, and
is situate amongst the mountains, a few miles to the
eastward of the city. This temple seems to be the
Jerusalem of this part of China, to which all good

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136 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VIII.

Buddhists repair at stated seasons to worship and pay
their vows. Having reached the foot of the moun-
tain, I passed through a spacious porch or gateway,
and began the ascent The hill of Eoo-shan is fully
3000 feet above the level of the river Min, and the
temple is about 2000 feet up, or 1000 feet below the
summit. A well-paved path, about six feet in width,
has been made the whole way up to the temple. As
the traveller ascends by this winding causeway, he
gets now and then the most charming view that can
be imagined, which well repays him for his toil in the
ascent. Now, he looks down amongst rocks and
trees into some retired and rugged valley, where the
soil is so barren that it will not repay the industry
even of the Chinese: — a comer is turned, and he
reaches one of those resting-places which are built at
regular distances for the accommodation of the weary
pilgrim, where a glorious view is spread before him.
It is the wide and fertile valley of the Min, inter-
sected everywhere by rivers and canals, and teeming
with a numerous and industrious population.

In about an hour I reached the porch of the
temple. Some idle-looking priests were lounging
about the steps which led up to the first range of
buildings. As soon as I was observed, one of them
ran off and informed the superior or abbot, who came
down and received me with great politeness. I told
him I had come to see the temple, of which I had
often heard, and requested he would send some one
to conduct me over it An old priest clothed in a
yellow gown now presented himself to conduct mo

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Chap. VIIL TEMPLE OF KOO-SHAN. 137

through the various parts of this extensive edifice and
over the grounds.

This temple is built upon the same plan as that
at Tein-tung, near Ning-po ; indeed, a description of
one would nearly do for the other. It consists of
three principal buildings, one behind the other, on
the side of the hill; the second being built on a
higher foundation than the first, and the third in like
manner higher than the second. At right angles
with the three large temples on each side are the
dwellings of the priests. The "three precious Bud-
dhas," past, present, and future, the deity with nu-
merous arms, and many other images crowd these
temples. In one I observed upwards of a hundred
cushions on which the devotees kneel in front of the
idols, and candles and incense were burning in all
directions.

Having seen the principal temples, I was led to
the kitchen and dining-room. When it is remem-
bered that upwards of a hundred priests take their
meals here daily, it may easily be imagined that these
places are worthy of a visit. The dining-room is a
large square building, having a number of tables placed
across it at which the priests eat their frugal meals.
At the time of my visit they had just sat down to
dinner, so that I had an opportunity of seeing a
greater number of them together than I had ever
seen before. They appeared a strange and motley
assembly. Most of them had a stupid and unintel-
lectual appearance — these were generally the lower
orders of the priesthood. The abbot and those who

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138

TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA.

Chap. VIII.

ranked highest were intelligent and active-looking
men ; but all had a kind of swarthy paleness of coun-
tenance, which was not agreeable to look upon. Many
of them rose as I entered their dining-hall, and po-
litely asked me to sit down and eat rice. I thanked
them, but declined the invitation, and proceeded
with an inspection of the place. In the kitchen the
wonders shown to the visitors are some enormously
large coppers in which the rice is boiled.

I was now taken to the library, which contains an
extensive assortment of religious books, carefully
locked up in presses, and apparently seldom perused.
I had heard that in this part of the building there was
a precious relic, nothing less than one of Buddha's
teeth, and other things, which were sometimes shown

to visitors with a great
deal of ceremony. Hav-
ing requested the priest
to show me these, he led
me to a small temple ad-
joining, where he said
they were kept " Have
you any money in your
pocket?" said he with
great gravity, "for before
the precious box can be
opened I must bum in-
cense on this altar." I
gave him a small piece of
money, but told him that
as I did not worship

iUH^

[Rdic Cage.]

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Chap. VIII.

BUDDHA'S TOOTH.

139

Buddha I could not burn incense upon the altar, and
that the money I gave him was a reward for his
civility. " Do you not worship Buddha in your
country?" he asked. I replied that we did not.
** Then whom do you worship ?'* I pointed upwards,
and said that we worshipped the great God, who
made the heavens and the earth. ** Oh, yes," said
he, "his name is Ye-su^ is it not?" They had
known something of the Catholic religion, it ap-
peared, there being in this part of China a number
of converts to that faith. While this conversation
was going on, one of the priests had lighted two
candles, and was burning incense on the altar.
** Now," said he, " come and see the precious tooth."

[Boddha'B Tooth.]

I Stepped up to the altar ; and the front of a large
case being removed, the relics were exposed to view,
protected by a grating of iron bars. On a flat bason

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140

TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA.

Chap. VIII.

in front lay the so-called tooth, a large whitish sub-
stance about six inches square, and much more like a
stone than a tooth. Behind this was another relic
which appeared to me much more curious than the
first. It appeared to be a small piece of crystal cut
in the form of a little vase, with a curious-looking
substance inside. I was afterwards informed that

this was only a crystal bottle,
with the relic suspended in
some way from its mouth;
but being inside the bars, I
could not examine it very
minutely. " Now," said the
priest, " look from this side,
and tell me what you see in
the vase." I looked from
the side indicated, and saw
what appeared very like a
man's head with the eyes
[cry»tai vaae 1 stariug' Sit mc. I was in-

formed, however, that this was a something which
had grown on Buddha's forehead ; and that, when-
ever the same thing was observed upon the heads of
mortals, it was a sign of their having arrived at a
very high state of perfection, approaching to the gods.
" Now turn to the other corner, and tell me what
colour the relic appears to you." I did so, and the
substance, whatever it was, presented a reddish hue.
" Ah ! that is very good," said the priest, " that is a
good omen, — for it appears of that colour only to the
most favoured persons. It appears of different co-

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Chap. VIII. RELICS — FAMOUS SPRING. 1 4 1

lours to different individuals; but that which you
have seen is the best."*

The old priest now led me to a different part of
the grounds, to see a famous spring. This was in
one of the most romantic looking dells or ravines that
I had ever beheld. We descended to it by a flight
of stone steps, crossed a bridge which spanned the
ravine, and found ourselves in front of a small temple.
On one side of it the water was gushing down, clear
and cool, from the mountain, into a small cistern
placed there to receive it; while on the other a
caldron or large kettle was always boiling during
the day, in order that tea might readily be made for
visitors. Here a number of priests were lounging
about, apparently attached to this temple. They
received me with great kindness, and be^ed me to
be seated at a table in the porch. One of them took
a cup and filled it with water at the spring, and
brought it to me to taste. They all praised its
virtues ; and it certainly was excellent water. I told
them it was the best I had ever tasted, and they
then brought me a cup of tea made with water from
the same spring.

* The grating prevented me from having a closer examination of
these curiosities, and I was ohliged to be contented with the information
I had obtained respecting them from the priests. VHien I returned to
Foo-chow-foo, however, I requested Mr. Morrison (a son of the well-
known Dr. Morrison, one of the earliest and best of Chinese scholars) to
send for his teacher, in order, if possible, to get further information.
This old gentleman was a native of the city of Shaou-hing-foo, a place
famed in China for its literary men. He, too, had visited the temple
of Koo-shau, and had seen the precious relics. Upon questioning him,
he gave us the same account as I had already received from the priests.

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142 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VUI.

After drinking the tea I wandered away along a
paved path that led me round the side of the moun-
tain, amidst vegetation which had been planted and
reared by the hand of nature alone. The Chinese
fir (Pinus sinensis) and a noble species of Abies
were the only trees of any size ; but the path was
lined with many beautiful shrubs, among which the
Azalea was most conspicuous. It was spring-time,
and these charming flowers were just bursting into
bloom. I have often seen them highly cultivated in
England, and they certainly produce a most gor-
geous effect in our greenhouses and at our flower-
shows ; but my taste leads me to admire them more
when growing wild and free on the mountain side,
peeping out from amongst the brushwood, or min-
gling their glowing colours with other flowers and
gaining additional beauty by the contrast.

My prc^ess onwards was at last arrested by a
steep precipice where the walk ended, and on the top
of which a summer-house had been erected. I entered
the house, and sat down upon one of the benches
placed there for visitors. The view which I now
obtained was one of the grandest I had seen for
many a day. Above me, towering in majestic gran-
deur, was the celebrated peak of Koo-shan, 1000 feet
higher than where I stood. Below, I looked down
upon rugged and rocky ravines, in many places
barren, and in others clothed with trees and brush-
wood, but perfectly wild. To afford, as it were, a
striking contrast to this scenery, my eye next rested
on the beautiful valley of the Min, in which the

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Chap. Vm. KOO-SHAN — SUNRISE. 1 43

town of Foo-chow-foo stands. The river was wind-
ing through ity and had its surface studded with boats
and junks sailing to and fro, and all engaged in active
business. Its fields were green, and were watered by
numerous canals; while in the background to this
beautiful picture were hills nearly as high as Koo-
shan, from amongst which the river runs, and where
it is lost to the eye.

A sight which is much prized by the Chinese is
the view of the sunrise from the peak of Koo-shan.
Many sleep in the temple, and by torchlight reach
the summit of the mountain in time to see the rising
sun. I can easily imagine what a striking effect
would be produced upon the mind of a Chinaman —
particularly if a native of an inland province — ^when
he saw for the first time the sun rising apparently out
of the ocean.

Pleased with what I had seen, I lingered for a
long time amongst this beautiful scenery. At last
my servants reminded me that it was time to take
our departure for Foo-chow, so, bidding adieu to the
priests, we descended to the plains. When we
reached the foot of the mountain we found our boat
waiting for us, and with a fair tide we soon sculled
up to the bridge of Foo-chow.

Being engaged to dine with my friend Mr. Comp-
ton, who resided inside the city, and between two
and three miles from the bridge near which I was
staying, I lost no time in securing a sedan-chair,
and hurried to his house. These chairs are the cabs
of Foo-chow : every one who can afford it goes about

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144 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VIII.

in them, just as we in England do in the hackney
cabs of our large towns.

The gates of the city are always locked soon after
dark, and the keys taken to the house of one of the
high mandarins. When I had been in the city on
former occasions, I had always hurried out before
nightfall, for fear of being locked in, for here the
gates, when once closed, are never opened until
morning, come who may. In other cities of less
note — such, for example, as Shanghae or Ning-po—
a few cash will always get them opened, at least
until a very late hour.

The Chinese, however, have always some way
of evading any very stringent regulation. Here they
had a mode of getting in and out of the city which
was leather amusing, and, strange to say, they were
assisted in it by the officers of Government, and no
doubt the system was well known to the magistrates
of the city.

When dinner was over Mr. Compton and myself
walked leisurely down to the city gate, and found it
closed for the night The Chinese, seeing what had
happened, good-naturedly pointed to the ramparts on
one side, and informed us that if we went there
we should find a way to get out. Following their
directions we were soon on the ramparts, where a
most curious and amusing scene presented itself. A
ladder was placed at the foot of the wall opposite one
of the embrasures, by which numerous men were
ascending and descending like a hive of bees. One
of the guards was evidently reaping a rich harvest,

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Chap. VIE. POO-CHOW— VOYAGE UP THE MIN. 145

for each man had to pay a few cash for the use of
the ladder. Following in the train of the Chinamen,
I descended the ladder, greatly to the astonishment
of the celestial guardsman, who little expected a
** quang-yang'** by this convenient route.

After spending a few days more in Foo-chow, and
procuring some tea-plants from the hills in the vici-
nity, I was anxious to proceed onwards to Ning-po
and Shanghae. There were three routes which
might be taken ; one was by sea, another was a land
road which led along the coast by the city of Wan-
chow, and the third was up the river Min to Kein-.-^
ning-foo and across the Bohea mountains. The latter
was much the longest way, as it leads far to the
westward, in the direction of the far-famed Woo-e-
shan. For many reasons I was most anxious to
reach this place, and so determined on the Min route.

Having finished my business in the district, I col-
lected my things together, and went down to the mouth
of the Min. Here I engaged a boat and set out on my
journey. A few miles above the town of Foo-chow
the river divides into two streams, one of which
passes the city, while the other takes a more southerly
course for some distance; they, however, reunite
about ten miles from the sea. I took the southern
passage, and thus avoided the city of Foo-chow alto-
gether. Both wind and tide being fair, my boat
glided up the river with great rapidity, and the first
night I had the satisfaction of getting as far as the
second bridge, three or four miles above the town.

* The name given to foreigners here.

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146 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VIE.

Here we sculled the boat in-shore, and rested for the
night. On the following morning at daybreak we
got under way again, and proceeded up the river.
Numerous boats accompanied us, being on their way
for the large towns of Suiy-kow, Yen-ping-foo, and
Kien-ning-foo, all on the banks of the Min. As I
was dressed in the costume of the country, no one took
the slightest notice of me, and I considered myself
in a fair way to accomplish the object I had in view.

The boatmen, who had been engaged at the mouth
of the Min, were perfectly ignorant of my intentions.
They now b^an to inquire how far I intended to go
in their boat, and whether it was my intention to
return with them. I told them I intended to take
their boat as far as Suiy-kow, a town said to be about
240 le from Foo-chow-foo. They held up their
hands in astonishment, and declared it was per-
fectly impossible for their boat to go so far. " Oh,
very well,*' I replied; "then I shall engage another
boat, and you may return." Thereupon they held a
consultation amongst themselves for a minute or two,
and at last came to the conclusion that such a thbg
was possible, and a^eed to take me to Suiy-kow.

Hitherto we had been passing through what is
commonly called the valley of the Min. It is rich
and fertile to an extraordinary degree. Groves of
leechee, longan, peach and plum trees, are seen over
all the plain. The sweet-scented Aglaia odorata is
lai^ely cultivated for mixing with and perfuming
tobacco, and the Chloranthus for scenting the finer
kinds of tea. Sugar-cane and tobacco are extensively

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Chap. Vni. VOYAGE UP THE MIN. 147

grown in all the fields, and, besides the usual quan-
tity of vegetables, I observed a large number of
sweet-scented flowers, amongst which the Italian tube-
rose and the jasmine (Jasminum Sainbac) occupied
a prominent place. The latter are sold in the mar-
kets, and eagerly bought by the ladies for the pur-
pose of ornamenting their hair.

When we got a few miles above Foo-chow we
seemed to leave the valley, and the scenery began
to change and assume quite a difierent aspect. The
hills in many places were close to the water's edge.
Many of them were rugged and barren, while others
appeared more fertile and were cultivated a consider-
able way up their sides; a third class were richly
clothed with trees and brushwood. The fruit-trees
already named were frequently seen growing on
little level spots near villages. The forest-trees con-
sisted chiefly of the common Chinese pine and Cun-
mnghamia lanceolata. Altogether the scenery was
most striking in its character, and richly repaid me
for the inconveniences attending the journey.

A large trade in wood is carried on here — indeed,
it is the principal trade of Foo-chow — and we were
constantly meeting large rafts floating down the
stream on their way to the city. I observed small
houses built on some of these rafts for the accommo-
dation of the persons who had chaise of them. Their
occupation seemed to me a most delightful one, and
as they glided gently down the stream, having on all
sides the most beautiful and romantic scenery, I
almost envied them their happy lot.

The country on the banks of the Min at this part

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148 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. VHI.

did not appear to be very thickly populated. I saw
no towns of any size from Foo-chow to Suiy-kow ;
even villages and small farm-houses were few and
far between. Whenever I landed — and I did so
every day during the ebb tide — I bad a good oppor-
tunity of forming an opinion on the character of the
natives. Most of them seemed miserably poor, but
all were quiet and harmless, and very different from
those at the mouth of the river and on the islands
near the coast The latter are a dangerous set ; they
live by robbery and piracy, and often set the Govern-
ment itself at defiance.

On the morning of the fourth day we arrived
at Suiy-kow. Travellers bound for the towns north
of this place generally leave the river here, and go on
by chair, as the rapids are numerous, and boats make
slow progress against the stream.

This place is most pleasantly situated on the left
bank of the river. It is but a small town, and I sup-
pose does not contain more than 5000 or 6000 inha-
bitants. A very large number of boats, for the size
of the place, were moored along the banks of the
river. The principal trade of the town seems to be
in ftirnishing supplies for the boatmen and their pas-
sengers, as they pass on their way either to the
interior or down towards the coast

My servants were now despatched to engage
another boat, while I took a stroll through the town
and its suburbs. In the course of two hours we met
again at the landing-place, when I found they had
not been successful, and were now most anxious
for me to proceed by chair, which they said was the

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Chap. VIII. MISSION FOR TEA-PLANTS. 149

usual way for travellers. As the journey was a long
one, I was afraid I had not brought money enough
to defray the expenses of travelling in that way, and
was obliged, from prudential motives, to defer this
interesting journey for a time.

I now considered that the best plan I could adopt,
under the circumstances, was to send my servants
onwards by themselves to the fine black-tea country
of Woo-e-shan, Were I to take them with me by
sea to Ning-po, and then send them back across the
Bohea mountains, what guarantee had I that they
would go there at all ? They would be much more
likely to provide themselves with plants in a country
nearer home, and return, pretending they had been
in Woo-e. But by sending them up the Min they
were necessarily obliged to pass through the black-tea
country in question on their route, and could have
no inducement to deceive me. If they brought me
any tea-plants at all I should be able to judge, from
various circumstances, whether they were from the
black-tea country.

Having arranged this matter in my own mind, I
gave them a sufficient number of doUars to pay the
expenses of their journey, and to make the purchases
I had directed, besides which I promised them a
liberal reward if they performed their mission to my
satisfaction. I then lefl them to prosecute their jour-
ney, and returned alone to the mouth of the Min.
Here I found a Portuguese lorcha ready to sail for
Ning-po, in which I took a passage, and reached that
city in twelve days.

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150 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap, Vin.

Three weeks afterwards one of my men arrived,
bringing with him a fine collection of young tea-
plants, which were no doubt obtained in the fine
black-tea district of Woo-e-shan. It appeared firom
his account that he and his companion had fallen out
by the way, and had parted company at Kein-ning-
foo, soon after I left them.

Wang had directions to proceed northwards from
Fokien into the district of Hwuy-chow, and to make
a ftirther collection of tea-plants in the green-tea
country. He had been there with me in the previous
autumn. It would of course be much easier for him
to get his collections in the Bohea hills than in Hwuy-
chow ; and he would have had no difficulty in telling
me he had been in a country where he had not been,
but I had the following check upon him, which
proved usefiil more than once, and with others besides
Wang : — It may be recollected that, during my visit
to the green-tea country in the autumn before, I
discovered a beautifiil evergreen shrub, the Berheris
japonicOj and that was the only place in which I had
met with it Wang was therefore told that he must
bring me some plants of this as well as the tea-plants, and
that if he did not do so he would have no claim to the
promised reward. He returned to Ning-po about five
weeks aft«r the other servant, bringing me only a few
plants and a very long bUl. However, he had really been
in Hwuy-chow, and what he brought me were valuable.
Whilst waiting for these men at Ning-po I deter-
mined to pay a visit to my old quarters, the temple
of Tein-tung, situated amongst the hills about twenty

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Chap. Vin.

CHINESE SPOBTSMEN.

151

miles fipom this town. On my way there I fejl in
with an old friend (Mr. Wills, of Shanghae), who
was enjoying a few days' sport amongst the Tein-tung
hills. During his rambles he had accidentally met
with a band of Chinese sportsmen, and had made an
engagement with them for the following day. I gladly
agreed to join the party, being most anxious to wit-
ness the manoBuvres of the natives in this character.

We started early the next morning for the ap-
pointed rendezvous, where we found the Chinamen,
with their guns and dogs, already waiting for us. The
group was a most striking one, as may easily be ima^
gined. The leader of the band was one of the best
specimens of a Chinaman I had ever seen. He was
tall, well made, and had a fine high forehead and
open expression of countenance. Here he is, with

[Mo-xe the Chinese Sportnztan]

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152 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VHI.

his gun and dogs, taken to the life by the pencil of
Mr. Scarth, a gentleman to whom I am Indebted for
several of the sketches in this work.

All the others seemed to look up to Mo-ze, for
that was his name, and were guided entirely by him.
Their guns were all of the same description : they
were long matchlocks, very slender in their make,
and apparently not very safe when English powder
was used instead of Chinese. All who had guns now
came and begged from me a supply of powder and
shot, which they seemed to think much superior to
their own. They then lighted the cord-matches which
each carried on his arm, called the beaters and dogs
together, and started in pursuit of deer.

It was a lovely spring morning, and spring is really
lovely amongst these northern hills. The dew was on
the grass, the little birds were chanting their morning
song of praise, and the Chinese labourer was already
at work in the fields. Many grass-cutters were work-
ing in the woods or on the borders of the dense un-
cultivated jungle, and to these our companions applied
for information regarding the haunts of the wild deer.
They succeeded at last in obtaining some specific in-
formation, and determined on beating an adjoining
hill covered with coppice and jungle.

Those who had guns were now stationed at difierent
places on the edge of the wood, and the beaters and
dogs were sent into the jungle. I had never seen
Chinese dogs hunting before, and was highly amused
with their performance. They seem to have little or
no scent, but they have a quick eye and a swift foot,

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Chap. Viri. CHINESE DOGS— DEER-HUNT. 153

and a wounded animal rarely gets away from them.
They are clever beaters, when taught as these dogs
were, and at all events make noise enough. They are
not, however, to be compared for a moment with our
English dogs.

In a few minutes after the beating began, a deer
was seen bounding over the brushwood across the side
of the hill. One of the dogs pursued it, and all eyes
were turned to the place, watching the point where it
was likely to emerge from the coppice* At last it
came within the range of om^ sportsmen's guns. Mr.
Wills and a Chinaman both fired at the same instant.
One of the shots broke the animal's hind leg, and the
dogs soon hunted him down. Coppice after coppice
was afterwards beat in the same manner with varied
success, and when evening came we had no reason to
be dissatisfied with our day's sport.

Returning to our boat, weary and ravenously
hungry, we enjoyed our dinner, fought our battles
o'er s^in, and enjoyed a sound and refreshing sleep.
Next morning I rose early, and walked across the
hills to the ancient temple of Tein-tung, a distance of
five or six miles. When I reached the top of the
first pass, where there is a small temple and a ruined
pagoda, the view was grand indeed. Behind me lay
the wide valley of Ning-po, watered by a network of
rivers and canals, and exceedingly fertile. Before me
lay a quiet and lovely valley, bounded apparently on
all sides by hills. Rice was growing in the valley,
and patches of tea were seen dotted on the lower
sides of the hills ; but all above this was in a state of
nature, untouched by the hand of man.

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154

TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA.

Chap. VIII.

All around wild flowers grew in great profusion.
The yellow Azalea chinensia seemed to paint the
hill-sides, so large were its flowers and vivid the
colours. There was another shrub which is new to
botanists, and scarcely yet known in Europe, called
Amelanchier racemom^ not less beautiful than the
azalea, and rivalling it in its masses of flowers of the
purest snowy white.

As I descended the hill I passed a small and un-
assuming temple, erected, as the tablet states, to the
"honoured gods of the soil." The accompanying
sketch by Captain Gracroft gives a good idea of it.

Small temples, or " tablets," of this description are
often met with on the roadsides, particularly in the
vicinity of monastic buildings. Idolatrous as they
are, they show a spirit of thankfulness to the Supreme
Being for the " showers that usher in the spring, and
cheer the thirsty ground."

[Roodaldtf Alt«r ]

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Chap. VIII. ROADSIDE TEMPLES— THE BAMBOO. 155

Having visited many places on my route to the
temple, it was past midday ere I reached its sacred
precincts. The large bronze bell in the belfiy was
tolling, and the priests were hurrying to the great
hall, where their devotions were about to commence,
for " it was the hour of prayer.**

The hills in the vicinity of the temple are richly
wooded. Indeed the priests of this sect seem to pre-
serve, in a most scrupulous manner, the trees which
grow in the neighbourhood of their temples, and thus
contribute greatly to the beauty of the scenery. Some
fine trees of Cryptorneria japonica adorn the ap-
proaches to the temple ; and the largest specimens of
the Chinese pine (Pinus sinensis) which I have met
with in the country stand near it. There are also
some fine bamboo woods here, which deserve more
than a passing glance. The stems of this variety are
sometimes a foot in circumference, clean, straight,
and from thirty to fifty feet in height Those rough
branching kinds which I have seen in India, and in
other parts of the world, are not to be compared to
the northern Chinese variety. It ought by all means
to be introduced into our Indian possessions in the
Himalayas, where it would be as usefiil to the natives
as it is to the Chinese.

The bamboo is one of the most valuable trees in
China, and is used for almost every conceivable pur-
pose. It is employed in making soldiers' hats and
shields, umbrellas, soles of shoes, scafiblding poles,
measures, baskets, ropes, paper, pencil-holders, brooms,
sedan-chairs, pipes, flower-stakes and trellis-work in

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156 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. VIII.

gardens ; pillows are made of the shavings ; a kind
of rush cloak for wet weather is made from the leaves,
and is called a So-Cj or " garment of leaves." On the
water it is used in making sails and covers for boats,
for fishing-rods and fish-baskets, fishing-stakes and
buoys; catamarans are rude boats, or rather floats,
formed of a few logs of bamboo lashed firmly together.
In agriculture the bamboo is used in making aque-
ducts for conveying water to the land ; it forms part
of the celebrated water-wheel, as well as of the plough^
the harrow, and other implements of husbandry. Ex-
cellent water-pipes are made of it for conveying
springs firom the hills, to supply houses and temples
in the valleys with pure water. Its roots are often
cut into the most grotesque figures, and its stems
finely carved into ornaments for the curious, or into
incense-burners for the temples. The Ning-po furni-
ture, the most beautiful in China, is often inlaid with
figures of people, houses, temples, and pagodas in
bamboo, which form most correct and striking pic-
tures of China and the Chinese. The young shoots
are boiled and eaten, and sweetmeats are also made
of them. A substance found in the joints, called
tabasheer, is used in medicine. In the manufacture
of tea it helps to form the rolling-tables, drying-
baskets, and sieves ; and last, though not least, the
celebrated chop-sticks — ^the most important articles in
domestic use— are made of it.

However incredulous the reader may be, I must
still carry him a step further, and tell him that I have
not enumerated one-half of the uses to which the

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Chap. VIII. IMPORTANCE OF THE BAMBOO. 157

bamboo is applied in China. Indeed it would be
nearly as difficult to say what it is not used for as
what it is. It is in universal demand, in the houses
and in the fields, on water and on land, in peace and
in war. Through life the Chinaman is almost de*
pendent upon it for his support, nor does it leave
him until it carries him to his last resting-place on the
hill-side, and even then, in company with the cypress,
juniper, and pine, it waves over and marks his tomb.

At the time of the last war, when the Emperor of
China, very considerately no doubt, wanted to con-
quer the English by withholding the usual supplies
of tea and rhubarb, without which, he supposed, they
could not continue to exist for any length of time, we
might have returned the compliment, had it been pos-
sible for us to have destroyed all his bamboos. With
all deference to the opinion of his celestial Majesty,
the English might have survived the loss of tea and
rhubarb, but we cannot conceive the Chinese existing
as a nation, or indeed at all, without the bamboo.

When I had reached my old rooms in the priest's
house, I found two of my Shanghae friends — Mr.
Bowman and Dr. Kirk — domiciled there. The
Doctor had been trying to astonish and instruct the
priests by showing them a siphon, and by emptying
one of their troughs with it ; but it is difficult to asto-
nish a Chinaman, or to convince him that there is
anything he does not understand I The man looked
on in silence for a second or two, and then, with a
triumphant smile on his countenance, pointed to his
bamboo tubes, which are here used for conveying

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158 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. VHI.

water to the priests' houses. " Did not the water
rise perpendicularly in them, and to any height he
pleased?" It did, 'but not on the siphon principle,
for the source of the spring which supplied these
pipes was high up on the hill-side.

In a day or two I left the temple, in company with
my two friends, for the lakes of Tung-hoo. Having
engaged boats, we sailed over the lakes and visited
all their shores. When it was known that one of my
companions was a medical man, he had many appli-
cations from ^^ the sick, the maimed, and the blind, **
who fancied he could heal all manner of diseases.
During an interview which the Doctor had with one
old man, a laughable incident occurred. My friend
supposed, from what the man said, that he wished to
tender a fee ; but upon inquiry it turned out, on the
contrary, that he was trying to make the Doctor
understand that his advice and assistance could only
be taken if they were given gratis I

During the three days we were here I had my
hands AiU enough in collecting objects of natural his-
tory. The shores of the lakes were rich in plants,
and richer still in insects. Many of the latter are
perfectly new to entomologists, but my collections are
not yet arranged and examined.

I could have lingered much longer in this part of
the country, but my servants had returned from the
Bohea mountains, and my holidays, for the present,
had terminated. I therefore returned to Ning-po, and
made preparations for another and perhaps still more
important journey.

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Chap. IX. RESOLVE TO VISIT BLACK-TEA DISTRICTS. 169

CHAPTER IX.

Leave Ning-po for the Bohea mountainB — My guides — A flag and its
history — The Green River again — Spring scenery on its banks —
Yen-chow and Tft-yang — A stonn in a creek — Boatwomen — A
Chinese Mrs. Caudle and a curtain lecture — Natural productions
— Funereal cypress and other trees — Our boat seized for debt and
the sail taken away — A Chinese creditor — Town of Nan-che —
Its houses, gardens, and trade — Vale of N&n-che — Productions
and fertility — City of Chu-chu-foo — Moschetoes and Moscheto
" tobacco " — Arrive at Chang-shan.

I WAS not quite satisfied with the result of my journey
up the river Min. Although one of my men had
brought me a fine collection of tea-plants and seeds
from the celebrated black-tea country, and although
the expedition was planned so that he could scarcely
have procured them elsewhere, had he wished to
deceive me, I confess I felt that it would be much
more satisfactory if I could visit the district myselC
I did not like the idea of returning to Europe with-
out being perfectly certain that I had introduced the
tea-plant from the best black-tea districts of China
into the Government plantations in the North-western
Provinces of India. There may also have been a
lingering desire to cross the Bohea mountains and to
visit the far-famed Woo-e-shan, At all events I
made up my mind to make another attempt, and deter-
mined to start from Ning-po, where the people are
not so greatly prejudiced against foreigners as they
are farther to the south, about Foo-chow and Canton.

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160 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

The man who had just returned from that country
expressed his willingness to accompany me, and as
he was well acquainted with the road I could not
have found a better guide. He showed me a small
triangular flag which he had in his possession, and
which he had obtained from a mandarin with whom
he formerly travelled to Peking, and told me that
with this in our hands no one would dare to interfere
with us. I confess I was rather sceptical as to the
power of this flag, but allowed him to have his own
way.

Having hired a boat, we left Ning-po on the even-
ing of the 15th of May. The tide and wind being
both in our favour, we swept rapidly up the river,
passing in quick succession the British consulate and
the houses of the missionaries, which stand on the
river s banks. It was a duD and dreary evening,
and the rain began to fall heavily as the darkness
closed in around us. I felt rather low-spirited; I
could not conceal from my mind that the journey
I had undertaken was a long one, and perhaps full of
danger. My road lay through countries almost
unknown, and the guide I had with me was not ftdly
to be depended upon. But the die was cast, and,
committing myself to the care of Him who can pre-
serve us alike in all places, I resolved to encounter
the difficulties and dangers of the road with a good
heart

My servant now presented himself, and reminded
me that it was time to make a change in my " out-
ward man," and adopt the costume of the country.

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Chap. IX. CHANGE OP COSTUME — YU-YEOU. 1 6 1

When this operation was finished I doubt whether
my nearest friends would have known me. Indeed,
when I looked into the glass I scarcely recognised
myself. " You will do very well," said my servant ;
"and when we reach the town of Nan-che I shall
buy a summer hat, which will make the dress more
perfect."

The next morning at daylight we foimd ourselves
passing a town of considerable size, named Yu-yeou,
which had been visited by our troops during the war.
This is a walled city. The walls and ramparts
enclose a hill of considerable extent, on whose sum-
mit many Buddhist temples have been erected. The
suburbs stretch along the banks of the river, and
form the principal part of the town. A few miles
beyond this the river becomes narrow, and seems to
be lost in a network of canals, showing that we were
near its source. Soon after this we arrived at the
drawbridge, or inclined plane, which I have noticed
in a former chapter.

A curious circumstance happened whilst we, with
about fifty other boats, were waiting for our turn of
the windlass. Most of these boats had come from
Ning-po with the same tide as ourselves, and were
going to the little town or village of Pak-wan. We
had to wait about an hour until our turn came.
During this time a strong noisy fellow of a boatman,
evidently a bully, who was astern of us all, began to
get impatient, and came pushing past the other boats,
thinking to get over before his turn came. Amidst
a great deal of clamour and threats he succeeded in

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162 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

passing many of the boats ahead of him, and at last
got as far as mine- As we had been waiting for
some time, I did not like the idea of this man
getting past us, but, not wishing to have any dis-
turbance, I determined not to interfere between him
and my boatmen. My servant, however, who was a
spirited and powerful man, had evidently made up
his mind upon the subject, and was determined that
the fellow should not pass us. When he came up
he began pushing our boat aside as he had done the
others, and in a blustering manner desired us to
allow him to get on, as he was in a great hurry.
" You cannot pass this boat,** said one of our crew,
and at the same time pushed the bow of our boat
against the bank of the canal so as to shut up the
passage. "Oh, but I will,'' replied he, and, notwith-
standing the angry remonstrances of our boat's crew,
continued pushing us aside, and endeavouring to get
past. Sing-Hoo, for that was my servant's name, now
went out, and in an angry manner asked the fellow
what he meant " Do you know," said he, " that
there is a mandarin in this boat ? you had better take
care what you are about" " I don't care for man-
darins," said the man ; " I must get on." *' Oh, very
well," replied Hoo, "we shall see;" and he walked
into the boat Taking the small triangular flag
already noticed, he walked quietly out and fastened
it to the mast of our boat. " There," said he to the
other, " will you pass now ?" Greatly to my astonish-
ment our blustering friend became all at once as
meek as a lamb, stammered out some excuses for his

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Chap. IX. A POTENT FLAG. lt)3

conduct, and sat quietly down on the stern of his
boat to wait his turn like the rest, while the different
boats' crews, who had witnessed the circumstance,
had a good laugh at his expense.

Sing-Hoo now came to me with a smile on his
countenance, and said, "You see the effects which
may be produced by this little flag." I acknow-
ledged it had astonished me, and asked him to tell
me more about it. He said that some years before
he had been in the service of a mandarin connected
with the imperial family, and had travelled with him
and his family to Shantung and Peking. The fl g
now in his possession had been carried by them in all
their travels, and had always protected them from
insult. On his return to his own province the old
gentleman had made him a present of it — so he told
me — and he had often used it on occasions like the
present. He spoke with great pride of serving in the
imperial family ; he had seen the old emperor Taou-
kwang, and had worn the yellow livery, which he still
had in his possession.

Two ropes, connected with the windlass, were now
fastened to the stern of our boat, and we were drawn
up the inclined plane, and launched on the higher
canal. A few miles further on we came to another
canal still higher, and were drawn up and launched
in the same way. The second canal leads to and
terminates at the small town of Pak-wan, which I
have already noticed. Leaving our boat here, we
walked across to the canal which leads to Shaou-
hing-foo and Nechow, where we engaged another

M 2

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164 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

boat, and proceeded on our journey. But as I came
down this way before, and have fully described the
route in a former chapter, I need not say much
regarding it here.

We arrived at the small town of Nechow on the
following day. Here we took our passage in a large
boat, and proceeded up the Hwuy-chow, or Green
River. I may remind the reader that this river falls
into the sea a little below Hang-chow-foo. Being, as
it were, the highway or chief road from the northern
parts of Fokien, as well as from Kiang-see and
Hwuy-chow, to the lai^e towns of Hang-chow-foo,
Soo-chow-foo, and Shanghae, on the eastern coast,
nearly all the black and green teas of commerce,
which are exported from northern China^ come down
this way. As this subject may prove of some inter-
est to the merchant, I shall take a survey of the
whole route in a subsequent chapter.

When we got upon the Green River, having a fair
wind, we sailed rapidly onwards. There were several
passengers on board our boat besides ourselves. They
were all country people from the westward, knew
little of foreigners, and seemed to have no idea that
I was one. My servant, I believe, told them that
I came from some far distant province beyond the
great wall, and with this information, indefinite as
it was, they seemed to be perfectly satisfied. Besides,
I was now well acquainted with their habits and
manners, I could eat with the chopsticks as well as
any of them, and my dress was, I believe, scrupulously
correct, even to the glossy black tail, which had

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Chap. IX. THE GREEN RIVER. 165

been grafted on my own hair, and which hung grace-
fidly down nearly to my heels.

I have already described the scenery on this beau-
tiful river as it appeared to me on a former occasion.
It was autumn then, and vegetation was tinged with
many different hues. Now it was spring-time ; the
rains had begun to fall, and hill and valley were
clothed in the liveliest green. The hill-streams were
gushing down the ravines, and forming hundreds of
beautiful waterfalls. This is a striking part of the
country at all times, and it is diflScult to say whether
it is most beautiful in autumn or in spring.

On the evening of the third day after leaving
Nechow the old city of Yen-chow-fbo came in sight.
The river here flows through a fine and fertile valley,
in which the city is situated. *' This beautiful vale
abounds with camphor and tallow trees^ So it is
written in a map which the learned Jesuits made
many years ago ; and such I found to be the case.
A little below the town two rivers unite. One, as
I have already noticed, comes from the north-west,
and rises amongst the hills of Hwuy-chow, and it was
this one which I ascended the previous autumn.
The other flows from the south-west, and has its
sources amongst the mountains bordering on Fokien,
and partly amongst some hills north-west of the town
of Chang-shan, where the three provinces of Che-
kiang, Gnan-hoei, and Kiang-see meet.

My route lay up the latter and largest river. I
was now about to enter upon new ground which
I had never trodden before. Knowing that if I

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166 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

accomplished the object I had in view it would be
necessary to travel upwards of 200 miles by land,
and that too over a mountainous country, I had
determined upon taking with me as little luggage of
any kind as possible. My servant, however, had a
strange propensity of accumulating as we went along.
If we started with ever so litde, his portion was sure
to increase to an inconvenient size in a very short
time. As he had relations in Yen-chow-foo, I warned
him to leave everything with them, except a few
necessary clothes and a mat to sleep upon. This he
was the more readily inclined to do, as he had been
obliged to dispose of, at a loss, a fine new trunk
which he had bought in Foo-chow, when he started
on his former expedition up the river Min» Having
seen him pack up everj^thing, except the indispensable
articles already specified, I sent him on shore to
leave the package at the house of his relation.

We got under way early next morning, and about
midday arrived at a small town named Ta-yang,
situated on the left bank of the river, near one of the
rapids, which were now becoming frequent on this
part of the river, which is beyond the influence of
the tide. By great exertion we succeeded in getting
our boat up the rapid, and, as the men were very
tired, we decided on remaining at Ta-yang for the
remainder of the day. This gave me an opportunity
of examining at my leisure the natural productions
of this part of the country.

When I returned from my rambles, I found that
our boat had been removed from her station abreast

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Chap. IX. A STORM IN A CREEK. 167

of the town, and drawn up into a small creek, where
she was made fast for the night. The sky had been
black and threatening for some hours, and there was
now every indication of a severe thunder-storm.
After dark a great number of small boats came into
the creek where we were, in order to be safe frqm
the flood which the people expected to come down
the river. I shall never forget the confusion and
noise which took place as the last boats came hurry-
ing in. Each person seemed perfectly indifferent as
to what might befal his neighbour, provided he was
only safe himself. Our boat came in for a share of ill
usage, and got many a bump as the others rushed past.
All the Yen-chow and Nan-che boats are what
we may call family boats, that is, the captain or pro-
prietor carries his wife and family along with him,
while the Hwuy-chow people, who go up the other
branch of this river, leave their families at home.
The women always take a prominent part in the
management of the boat, sculling and poling as well
as the men. If they equal their better halves in
these laborious duties, they far exceed them when
any disturbance takes place in which the tongue has
to play a leading part In the evening in question,
as the numerous boats came in to anchor in the
creek, they drove each other about in great con-
fusion. The main stream being very rapid, the boats
coming down it shot into the creek with great velo-
city. The night was very dark, and heavy drops of
rain began to fall. The thunder-storm, which had
been threatening for some time, came gradually up

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168 TEA DISTRICTS OF CfflNA. Chap. IX.

against the wind, and now and then bright flashes of
fire lighted up the creek, and showed us the motley
groups by which we were surrounded. The boatmen
were shouting in angry tones as the different boats
came rudely in contact; children were screaming,
and the shrill voices of the women were heard in all
directions, giving orders to the men and scolding
each other. A person unacquainted with the habits
of these people would have thought that something
very dreadfiil was about to happen. I had seen such
scenes too often, however, to feel any alarm, and,
although the rain came through the roof of my boat
and soaked my bed, I confess I was rather amused
than otherwise.

The Chinese had good reasons for the precautions
they had taken. In two hours the river came down
sweeping everything before it. Had any of our
boats been in the stream they would have been torn
from their anchors and probably dashed to pieces.
Such mountain-floods are not unfrequent on these
rivers, and the boatmen, who know them well, take
great care to be out of the stream before they come
down, particularly if this is likely to happen at night

We were all safely moored at last, and the conflict
of tongues, as well as of the elements, gradually
ceased. Now and then a remark was made upon
what had taken place, and the good-humoured laugh
which followed showed that the person bore no ill-will
against those with whom he had had a war of words
a few minutes before.

In our boat the good lady was the only one who

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Chap. IX. A CHINESE MRS. CAUDLE. 169

seemed ill at ease. Her husband, who had gone on
shore before dark, had not returned, and she was
evidently a little jealous of his proceedings when out
of her sight. The result proved that she had good
reasons for her uneasiness, for when the man re-
turned, about three o'clock in the morning, he was
in a state of intoxication. The good lady — a Mrs.
Caudle in her way — did not spare him, and at the
same time gave me an opportunity of hearing a
Chinese curtain lecture. Mrs. Amee was not a whit
behind her great prototype, for she soon put her hus-
band to sleep, and as she talked till a late hour I
followed his example.

When I awoke the next morning the storm and
all its eJTects had passed Iway. The sun was just
tinging the tops of the hills, and every tree and bush
was glistening with heavy drops of rain and dew.
The river had fallen considerably, but the stream
was still too rapid for our progress upwards, so I had
an early breakfast and went on shore.

The low lands through which this river flows were
now much broader — the hills appeared to fall back,
and a beautiful rich valley was disclosed to view.
The soil of this valley is a deep sandy loam, resting
on a bed of gravel. I observed some patches of the
mulberry and tea plants under cultivation ; but the
tallow-tree (Stillingia seUferd) is evidently the staple
production of the district. The number of these
trees cultivated in the province of Chekiang is im-
mense, and shows that the tallow and oil expressed
from their seeds must be considered articles of great

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170 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

importance and value. Groups of pine-trees were
observed scattered over the country. They marked
the last resting-places of the dead, and had a pleasing
and pretty eflFect. Amongst these pines I frequently
observed the beautiful weeping cypress {Cupressus
funebris) which I had discovered in the green-tea
country the autumn before. It is certainly a hand-
some and striking tree.

The camphor-tree is also common in this valley,
and so is the tung-eau or oil-tree, which I have
already described. Amongst grains, rice is cultivated
in the low lands, whilst wheat, barley, millet, and
Indian com are grown on higher elevations, where
the land is comparatively dry.

About three o'clock iil the afternoon, the stream
having become less rapid, we proceeded on our jour-
ney. Between Ta-yang and Nan-che we had many
rapids to pass, but the wind being fair we made good
progress. The next day, about two o'clock, we were
within 30 le of Nan-che, and had every prospect of
being able to reach it the same evening. A circum-
stance happened, however, which detained us by the
way. We had been sailing quickly up the right side
of the river for some time, and, as we had reached a
rapid, it was necessary to cross to the other side to
pass it "close in-shore." As soon as we got across,
four men, who had been concealed behind a bank,
suddenly jumped up and seized our boat. A noisy
altercation now took place between our crew and the
strangers in a dialect which was perfectly unknown
to me. I called Sing-Hoo, who. Chinaman like, was

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Chap. IX. OUR BOAT SEIZED FOR DEBT. 171

already in the midst of the fray, and asked him what
was the matter. He told me that the captain of our
boat on a former voyage had bought some rice, for
which he had not paid, and that the creditor and
some of his friends had come with the determination
of getting the money, or, if not, they intended to
carry off our sail. This was tantamount to stopping
our boat, for we could not stem the current, which
was still very strong, if our sail was taken away
from us.

When I went out I found two men already on the
roof of the boat, unbending and hauling down the
sail. The old creditor was standing in the bows,
coolly looking on, and watching the progress of his
men. Our captain had retired to the stern, where
he was quietly smoking his pipe. His wife, however,
was not taking things so tranquilly. She was stamp-
ing about — I beg her pardon, I ought to say skipping
— with her little feet, in a towering rage, now running
to the creditor, and now to her husband. At one
time she tried to coax, at another to storm, but all
was of no avail. " Pay me the debt," said the
obdurate creditor, "or I must take the sail." She
begged him to allow the boat to proceed to Nan-che
and deliver tbp cai^o, when the debt should be paid.
" Ah," said he, "I did that once before, and, instead
of paying me, you got a fresh cargo, and ran down
to Hang-chow-foo. No, no, you must pay me here,
and while I have your sail there is no great danger
of your running away." Threats, promises, and
coaxing were alike useless, the old man was inex-

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172 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

orable. The sail was unbent, one of the men got it
on his shoulders, and our visitors walked away.

This was a serious mishap to me, as I could see
no means of getting on to Nan-che. At last Sing-
Hoo proposed to walk to the town, and bring down
a small boat for me and the luggage. This appeared
to be the best plan under the circumstances, so I
consented, and he took his departure. The people
in the boat did not seem to give themselves much
uneasiness about the business. With the exception
of the captain and his wife, they all lay down in
their berths, and were soon fast asleep.

At daylight on the following morning I was
awakened by a noise in the boat, and on opening
my eyes I observed- the captain standing on the
bows and threatening to drown himself in the river.
He was held back by his wife and one of his men,
who were both entreating him to desist from his pur-
pose and to come inside. He struggled with great
violence until he shook them both off, when he com-
menced deliberately to throw off his clothes. The
others looked on in silence, and as he was still in-
toxicated I fully expected to see him plunge into the
stream. When left to himself, however, he seemed
to change his mind, and, after looking moodily on
the river for a few seconds, he walked quietly into
the boat, called for his pipe and began to smoke.
Soon afterwards he started for Nan-che to try and
raise some money to satisfy his creditor.

About mid-day my sei-vant arrived with a small
boat which he had brought to take me on to Nan-

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Chap. IX. A TROUBLESOME BOATWOMAN. 173

che. A dispute now arose between him and the
captain's wife about four hundred cash — one shilling
and sixpence — which he had agreed to pay for the
small boat. According to his ideas of justice the
proprietors of the large boat were bound either to
take us on to Nan-che themselves, or to pay for our
conveyance thither. As they did not do the former,
he determined to deduct the charge for the small
boat from the amount of the bill which was presented
for the food with which they had supplied us on our
way up. I saw plainly enough we should have a
great disturbance if the money was not paid, and
advised him to pay it at once. This, however, he
strongly protested against, and began getting our
luggage out into the small boat In the mean time
the woman declared she would rather go with us than
lose her four hundred cash. As good as her word,
she scrambled into the small boat, and called to one
of her people to hand in her child, a young thing
about a year old. The whole scene, to one not con-
cerned, must have been highly amusing. It would
have been very inconvenient for me to travel with
such baggage, so, to cut the matter short and stop all
further proceedings, I ordered Sing-Hoo to pay the
money. Our lu^age being removed into the small
boat, we shoved her off, and by dint of sculling and
tracking got up to Nan-che about six o'clock the
same evening.

Nan-che, or, as it is sometimes called in the maps,
Lanchee, is about 120 le westward from Yen-chow-
foo. It is one of the prettiest Chinese towns which

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174 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

I have seen, and reminded me of an English place
more than a Chinese one. The houses are generally
two-storied and have a clean and neat appearance.
It is built along the banks of the river, and has a
picturesque hill behind it: an old tower or pagoda in
ruins heightens the general effect of the scene. The
town is about two and a half or three miles round,
and probably contains about 200,000 inhabitants.
The river in front of it is covered with boats, which
are constantly plying between it and Yen-chow, Hang-
chow, and many other towns both to the east and west

Sing-Hoo was anxious to make a great many pur-
chases in this town. He told me that everything
was good which came out of Nan-che, and advised
me to lay in a lai^e stock of provisions for the re-
mainder of our journey by water. In the mean time
we had engaged another boat to take us to the town
of Chang-shan, a city situated near the source of this
river, or as far up as it is navigable. By the time
this business was settled and our purchases on board
it was nearly dark. Having had little to eat during
the day, we were hungry and weary enough. Our
new boatmen, however, were very kind and attentive
to all our wants. An excellent dinner was soon
ready, consisting of rice, fish, eggs, and vegetables,
added to which we had some of the good things of
Nan-che, such as cakes and wine, which had been
highly recommended by Sing-Hoo.

The next morning I went on shore to see the town,
and also to inspect some gardens in which plants are
kept for sale. I had been informed that Nan-che

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Chap. IX. . TOWN OP NAN-CHE. 175

boasted of three or four nurseries ; and as it is a cen-
tral place, and at a great distance from Shanghae,
Ning-po, and the other coast towns, I was not without
hope of finding some new and valuable plants worthy
of being sent to England.

I passed through some crowded streets of the same
description as those at Shanghae. All Chinese towns
have a striking resemblance to each other ; the shops
are built and arranged in the same way, they contain
the same kinds of articles, and everything about them
seems alike. A person, therefore, who has seen one
large Chinese city can form a good idea of all the
rest in the empire.

I found the nursery-gardens in the suburbs of the
town. I examined three of them, but could find
nothing new or worth taking away. They contained
large quantities of jasmines (Jasminum Sambac),
clerodendrons, roses, azaleas, camellias, and nelum-
biums, but nothing that was new to me, or that I had
not found in abundance nearer the coast. The gar-
deners were extremely civil, and did not seem to
have the slightest idea that a foreigner stood before
them. The only thing which surprised them was
the information that their gardens did not contain the
flowers which I wanted. They inquired the names
of the plants I was looking for, and I told them that
I wanted new ones, such as were not to be found in
the gardens at Soo-chow, Hang-chow, and places
nearer the coast. "Ah," said they, "you cannot
expect to find in Nan-che anything which is not in
Soo-chow." My visit being fruitless, I returned to

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176 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

my boat, when we got under way and proceeded on
our journey.

The vale of Nan-che is even more beautiful than
that in which the city of Yen-chow stands. It is
surrounded by hills, dotted over with clumps of pine,
cypress, and camphor-trees, traversed by a branching
and winding river, and extremely fertile. The tal-
low-tree is cultivated in great abundance ; in many
places, indeed, the lowland is nearly covered with it.
At the time of my visit its fresh green leaves con-
trasted finely with the dark and sombre cypress and
pine. The whole valley seems, as it were, one vast
and beautiful garden surrounded and apparently
hemmed m by hills ; but as we sailed up the river to
the westward the hills gradually opened and the
valley became much broader. I found afterwards
that it extended from Ta-yang, a little above Yen-
chow-foo, to Chang-shan on the borders of the pro-
vince of Kiang-see. The distant hills seemed rugged
and barren, and, even with Chinese industry, quite
unfitted for agricultural purposes.

Ninety le from Nan-che I arrived at a small place
named Long-yeou, also on the banks of the river.
Three pretty pagodas were seen here, all placed on
the most picturesque spots that could be found. The
camphor-tree is very numerous and attains a large
size. It was the time of the summer harvest when I
was there, and the people were busily employed in
cutting and threshing out their crops of wheat and
barley. Hemp was largely cultivated for making
ropes and other articles much in demand amongst

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Chap. IX. CHU-CHU-FOO. ] 'n

the boat-people. I also observed large quantities of
buckwheat, Indian corn, millet, and soy growing in
the fields. A species of berberis, apparently a variety
of our English one, was cultivated rather extensively,
but for what purpose I could not learn, probably for
medicine or as a dye.

Above Long-yeou the river became in many places
narrow and very rapid. Several old water-wheels
were observed half sanded up and completely useless.
Trees and bushes dipped their branches into the
stream, and reminded me of the country rivers in
England. We passed a great number of small vil-
lages, but saw no place of any size or importance
until we reached Chu-chu-foo, a large city 90 le west
from Long-yeou and 180 from Nan-che.

Soon after daylight on the 1st of June two pa-
godas came in sight, and indicated, as they always
do, our near approach to some important town.
This was Chu-chu-foo, which was then only three or
four miles distant. As we approached nearer to it,
groves of orange-trees became common. The tea-
plant was also extensively cultivated, but the produce
js not considered first-rate. Earth-nuts {Arachis
hypogcea) and soy are plentifiil, both of these crops
delighting in a light sandy soil. A great number of
low hills are seen in the midst of the plain. Th
soil of these hills or hillocks is generally perfectly
barren, and of a brick-red — the colour of the calcae
reous sandstone of the district. The Chinese do not-
make many attempts to cultivate them.

At Chu-chu-foo there is a pretty bridge of boats,

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178 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

through which we passed. This bridge is taken
away when the river is likely to become much
swollen by heavy rains. Although this city ranks
in the second class, it is not a very important one, at
least in a mercantile point of view. It is not large,
its walls are scarcely more than two miles in circum-
ference, and there are many large spaces inside on
which there are no buildings. Politically it ranks
higher than Nan-che, but it is far from being such
an important place. We remained here for a few
hours to procure some necessaries, and tihen proceeded
onwards.

About a mile above the city two rivers unite their
waters: one comes from the south-west, and has its
source on the northern side of the Fokien mountains ;
the other flows from the west, and rises a few miles
above Chang-shan, the town to which I was now
bound. We went up the left branch, which was very
narrow, shallow, and oftentimes rapid.

In the evening we stopped with some other boats
like our own near a small village, where we proposed
to pass the night. The day had been very warm,
and the moschetoes were now becoming very trouble-
some. The night before this, neither my servant nor
myself had been able to close our eyes, and I now
saw with dread these pests actually swarming around
us, and anticipated another sleepless night. Our
boatmen, who heard us talking about them, asked
Sing-Hoo why he did not go and buy some moscheto
tobacco, which they said might be had in the village,
and which would drive all the moschetoes out of the

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Chap. IX MOSCHETO TOBACCO. 179

boat. I immediately despatched him to procure some
of this invaluable substance. In a few minutes he
returned with four long sticks in his hand, not unlike
those commonly used for burning incense in the
temples, only somewhat longer and coarser in appear-
ance. He informed me they cost only two cash
each — certainly cheap enough if they answered the
purpose.

Two of these sticks were now lighted and sus-
pended from the roof of the boat They had not
been burning five minutes when every moscheto in
tibe boat sought other quarters. We were quite de-
lighted, and enjoyed a sound and refreshing sleep, for
which we were most thankful. I had always dreaded
these insects during this journey, as I did not carry
curtains with me on account of their bulk. I now
found, however, that there was no need of them
wherevef we could procure the moscheto tobacco.

Various substances are employed by the Chinese
to drive away moschetoes. This which we had just
purchased was made with the sawings of resinous
woods — I believe procured from juniper-trees — and
mixed with some combustible matter to make it bum.
A piece of split bamboo, three or four feet in length,
is then covered all over with this substance. When
finished it is as thick as a rattan or small cane. The
upper end of the bamboo has a slit in it for hooking
on to any nail in the wall, or to the roof of a boat.
When once lighted, it goes on burning upwards until
within six inches of the hook, beyond which there is
no combustible matter, and it then dies out A

N 2

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180 ^ TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. IX.

somewhat fragrant smell is given out during combus-
tion, which, at a distance, is not disagreeable. Some-
times the sawdust is put up in coils of paper, and is
then burned on the floors of the houses. Various
species of wormwood are likewise employed for the
same purpose. The stems and leaves of these plants
are twisted and dried, and probably dipped in some
preparation to make them burn.

The moscheto has a mortal aversion to all these
substances, and wherever they are burning there the
little tormentors will not a)me. I procured the sticks
in question, and burnt them daily, after this; and
although the insects were often swarming when I
entered the boat or an inn, the moment their " to-
bacco" was lighted they quickly disappeared, and
left me to sit at my ease, or to enjoy a refreshing
sleep. Whoever discovered this precious tobacco
was a benefactor to his country, and should have been
honoured with the blue button and peacock's feather
at the least But I suppose, like all other Chinese
discoveries, it is so old that the name of its original
discoverer cannot now be traced.

We were now evidently approaching the head of
the Vale of Nan-che, and one of the sources of the
Green River. The hill from which the town of
Chang-shan takes its name was pointed out to me,
and in a short time afterwards the masts of the boats
and the town itself came into view. Having a strong
fair wind, we sailed rapidly over the current, and
were soon moored in safety amongst a great number
of other boats within a short distance of the town.

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Chap. IX. ARRIVE AT CHANG-SHAN. 1 8 1

The river being no longer navigable, it was neces-
sary for nie to prosecute my journey by land. I
determined therefore to remain at Chang-shan for
the night, in order to make arrangements for the
change of conveyance.

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182 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. X.

CHAPTER X.

City of Chang-shan and its trade — Land journey — My chair and
chair-bearers — Description of the road — Trains of tea coolies —
Roadside inns — Boundary of two provinces — Dinner at a Chinese
inn — Value of the chopsticks — Adventure with two Canton men
— City of Yuk-shan — Its trade and importance — Quan-sin-foo —
My servant speculates in grass-cloth — A Chinese test of respecta-
bility — Description of the country and its productions — Arrive at
the town of Hokow.

Chang-shan is a city of the third class, and is said
to be 140 le from Chu-chu-fbo. Judging from the
population of other towns in China, I estimated the
population of this place at fit)m twenty to thirty
thousand. It is built at the base of a hill about a
mile from the river, but its suburbs extend down to
the water's edge. The streets are narrow, and the
shops have a mean appearance when compared with
those of Hang-chow-foo or Ning-po. It has no trade
of its own, but, as it is situated on the principal road
which leads from the towns on the coast to the great
black-tea country of Fokien, to the large towns of
Yuk-shan, Quan-sin-foo, Hokow, to the Poyang Lake,
and even to Canton, it is necessarily a place of con-
siderable importance. Hence the town is iull of
hongs, inns, tea-shops, and warehouses for the accom-
modation of travellers, coolies, and merchandise, the
latter being chiefly the black teas of Fokien and
Moning.

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pHAP. X. TRAVELLING-CHAIRS. 183

On the morning after our arrival we bade adieu
to our boat and our obliging boatmen, and proceeded
on foot to one of the inns in the city, in order to hire
chairs for the next stage of our journey. We did
not attract the slightest notice as we passed along the
streets, and, as popularity in my present circumstances
was not desirable, I confess I felt much pleased at
this. When we reached the inn the landlord received
us with great politeness, asked us to be seated, and
brought us some tea. In reply to our inquiries
respecting a chair, he said that those he had were
uncovered, and pointed to some of them which were
standing in the entrance-hall. I observed that they
were exactly like those mountain-chairs which I had
frequently used amongst the hills near Ning-po, and
informed him that one of them would answer my
purpose. This chair is a most simple contrivance,
and consists of two long poles of bamboo, with an
open seat in the middle and a small crossbar slung
from the poles on which the feet can rest. The
coverlet on which I slept was thrown over the seat,
and my primitive carriage was ready for the journey.

After breakfast the chair-bearers arrived, and we
started. A number of other travellers were going
and returning by the same road as ourselves. Some
of them had chairs like mine, while others had a
light framework of bamboo erected over the seat, and
covered with oil-paper, to afford some protection from
the sun and rain. I found when too late that it
would have been much better for me to have had
one of these chairs instead of the one I was in. It

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184 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. 1

was no use, however, now to indulge in vain regrets
so with a Chinese umbrella over my head I jogge
along, consoling myself with the thought that, a it
least, I enjoyed a better view of town and country ill
this chair than if I had been shut up in a mor«
comfortable one. '

I had now passed through the crowded street of
Chang-shan, and was already in the open country.
It had rained heavily during the night, but, as the
morning was fine, the late showers had only tended to
increase the natural beauty of the country. There
was a coolness in the atmosphere too which was most
agreeable. The grass on the hill-sides and the
young rice in the valleys were of the liveliest green.
Every bush and tree was loaded with heavy drops of
rain which glistened in the sunshine. Altogether the
scenery was delightful, and, with the freshness of the
morning air, put me in the highest spirits.

The road on which we were travelling was one of
the broadest and best I had met with in the country.
It was well paved with granite, about twelve feet in
width, and perfectly free from weeds, which proved,
if other proof had been wanting, that there was a
great traffic upon it. The general aspect of the
country was hilly, but there was abundance of good
land in the valleys amongst the hills. It reminded
me of some of the pretty islands in the Chusan
archipelago. No mountain-passes had to be crossed
on our way, for the little hills seemed, as it were, to
open up a passage for the road as we went along.

For the first few miles after leaving Chang-shan

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Chap. X. TEA COOLIES - INNS. 1 85

we met with few people by the way. I was indulging
in the hope that my day's journey would be through
a quiet countrj'^ district like what one sees on some
of the country roads at home ; but, in so far as a
quiet country road was concerned, I was soon unde-
ceived. Long trains of coolies were now met, loaded
with tea which was destined for Hang-chow-foo, and
thence for Shanghae, to be sold to the English and
American merchants. As my chair-bearers walked
very fast, we likewise passed great numbers on the
road going the same way as ourselves. These were
hands returning after having got rid of their loads at
Chang-shan ; but they were not returning empty-
handed ; they were loaded with raw cotton, cotton
goods, lead, and various other articles, which had
either been imported from foreign parts, or produced
in countries nearer the sea,- At nearly every le of
the road as we went along we found inns and tea-
shops. The road in front of these houses was gene-
rally thatched over, in order that those who stopped
for refreshment might be protected from the sun and
rain.

When we had journeyed in this way about thirty
le, my chair-bearers said they must rest awhile, and
have some refreshment. I readily agreed to this
proposition, as I was rather thirsty myself, and de-
sired them to set me down at the first house we came
to, which they accordingly did. We walked into
the house, and I took a seat at one table, while my
servant and the chair-bearers seated themselves at
another. The good lady of the house set down a

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186 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. X.

teacup before each of us, into which she put some
tea, and then filled each cup up with boiling water.
I need scarcely say she did not ofier us any sugar or
milk. Other tables were crowded with people, most
of whom were coolies going to Chang-shan with tea,
and whose chests nearly blocked up the road in fi'ont
of the door. We drank our tea, which I found most
refreshing, in its pure state without sugar and milk.
Now and then some one connected with the house
came round and filled our basins again with boiling
water. This is usually repeated two or three times,
or until all the strength is drawn out of the leaves.

Having smoked our pipes and paid two cash each
for our tea, I got into my chair and resumed my
journey. The road now led us up between two hills,
and a huge stone gateway and pass showed me that
I was on the outskirts of the province of Chekiang,
and about to pass into Kiang-see. A strong wall,
not unlike the ramparts of a city, connected the two
hills, the gateway being of course in the centre of the
pass. The whole place had a warlike appearance,
and there was a military station on each side, so that
each province might be duly represented and duly
guarded. These stations were in a ruinous con-
dition, and I observed only women and children about
the houses. In peaceful times the soldiers are, no
doubt, permitted to convert the sword into the
ploughshare, and engage in the cultivation of the
land.

Although small villages and houses for refresh-
ment extended, at short intervals, along the whole

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Chap.X. officious CHAIR-BEARERS. 187

line of road, we rarely passed any town even of mode-
rate size. About mid-day, however, we came to a
place considerably larger than any we had passed —
I forget its name — and before I knew where I was,
I was set down at the door of a large inn. Numerous
chairs were standing at the door which belonged to
travellers who were either going the same road as
myself, or returning from the west to Chang-shan and
the other towns in the east

The moment I got out of my chair the inn-
keeper presented himself, and my chair-bearers very
officiously informed him that it was my intention to
dine there. I felt rather annoyed, but thought it
best to put a good face on the matter, and ordered
dmner accordingly. I had given Sing-Hoo strict
injunctions never to stop at the inns much frequented
by merchants, as I had no wish to meet men who
were in the habit of seeing foreigners both at Shang-
hae and Canton. I had the greatest objection to
meeting Canton men, who are continually travelling
to and from the tea country, and who, with the same
knowledge of foreigners as the Shanghae people, are
much more prejudiced against us. Sing-Hoo had
fallen behind, however, and was not aware of what
the chair-bearers had done until it was too late. It
appeared afterwards that the men had a good and
substantial reason for their conduct, inasmuch as they
got their own dinner free as a reward for bringing a
customer to the house.

The inn was a large and commodious building ex-
tending backwards from the main street of the town.

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188 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. X.

Its fipont was composed of a number of boards or
shutters which could be removed at pleasure. The
whole of these were taken down in the morning and
put up again at night. The floor of the building was
divided into three principal compartments, the first
facing the street, the second being behind it, and the
third at the farthest end. Some small rooms which
were formed on each side were the bedrooms.

Coolies and chair-bearers crowded that part of the
building next to the street, in which they had their
meals and smoked their pipes. The second and
third divisions were destined for travellers, but, as
there were large doors between each which stood wide
open, it was easy to see through from the front to the
back part of the premises.

When I got out of my chair I followed "mine
host '' into the second compartment, in which I ob-
served a table at each side of the room. One of
them being unoccupied, I sat down at it, and with
becoming gravity lighted my Chinese pipe and began
to smoke. The host set a cup of tea before me
and left me to attend upon some one else. I had
now leisure to take a survey of the strange scene
round me. At the opposite table sat two mer-
chants, who a single glance told me were from the
province of Canton. They were evidently eyeing me
with great interest, and doubtless knew me to be a
foreigner the moment I entered the room. One of
them I had frequently seen at Shanghae. This
person looked as if he wished me to recognise him,
but in this he was disappointed, for I returned his

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Chap. X. AN INQUISITIVE HOST. 189

inquiring look as if I had never seen him before. I
now observed him whispering to his companion, and
thought I heard the word Fankwei used. In the
mean time Sing-Hoo, who had just arrived, came in
and began to bustle about and get in the dinner,
which was soon ready. The host was a civil sort of
man, but very inquisitive, and as he set down the
dinner he put various questions to me. With Chi-
nese politeness, he asked me my name, my age,
where I had come from, and whither I was bound,
and to all such questions he received most satis-
factory answers. For example, when asked where I
had come from, I replied, " From Chang-shan ;" and
to the question as to whither I was bound I answered,
" To Fokien." These answers were perfectly true,
although not very definite. The Canton merchants
were all eyes and ears while this conversation was
going on, and one of them quietly prompted the inn-
keeper to ask a few more questions.

These gentlemen wanted to know the starting-point
of my journey, the particular part of Fokien to which
I was bound, and the objects I had in view. As I
could not see that answers to these questions con-
cerned them very much, or could be of any use, I
judged it better to keep them in the dark.

Several dishes being now set before me, and a cup
of wine poured out by the host, I took a sip of it,
and taking up my chopsticks went on with my
dinner. Having had great experience in the use of
the chopsticks, I could handle them now nearly as
well as the Chinese themselves ; and as I had been

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190 TEA DISTRICTS OF CfflNA. Chap. L

often accustomed to all the formalities of a Chinese
dinner, I went on with the most perfect confidence.

On my former journey in the interior, as well a5
on this, I had discarded all European habits and
luxuries. Chopsticks were substituted for knives and
forks, tea and light wines for stronger drinks, and a
long bamboo Chinese pipe for Manilla cheroots. By
these means I had arrived at a high state of civiliza-
tion and politeness. In eating my dinner, such rude
things as knives and forks were never thought of.
The cutting up of meat and vegetables was done by
servants in the kitchen, before the food was cooked
or brought to table. When the various dishes, pre-
pared in this manner, were brought to table, the chop-
sticks — those ancient and useful articles — answered
every purpose. Talk of knives and forks indeed.
One cannot eat rice with them, and how very awk
ward it would be to pick out all those dainty little
morsels from the different dishes with a fork ! In the
first place, it would be necessary to push them to the
bottom of the basin before the fork would take a
proper hold ; and in many instances we should do
what the novice in the art of using chopsticks fire-
quently does — drop the food on its way from the dish
to the mouth. There is no such difficulty or danger
with the chopsticks when properly used. The smallest
morsel, even to a single grain of rice, can be picked
up with perfect ease. In sober truth, they are most
useful and sensible things, whatever people may say
to the contrary; and I know of no article in use
amongst ourselves which could supply their place.

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Chap. X. DINNER AT A CHINESE INN. 191

Excepting the fingers, nature's own invention, nothing
is so convenient as the chopsticks.

When I had finished dinner, a wooden basin con-
taining warm water and a wet cloth were placed
before me, in order that I might wash my hands and
face. Wringing the wet cloth, I rubbed my face,
neck, and hands well over with it in Chinese style.
Having finished my ablution, I returned again to the
table. The dinner and dishes having in the mean
time been removed, tea was again set before me.

The Canton men still remained at the opposite
table, but the greater part of the others, who, at their
instigation, had been taking sly peeps at me, had
gone away. I suppose, when they saw that I ate and
drank just like the rest, they must have felt some
little surprise, and had their original opinion strength-
ened, namely, that after all I was only one of them-
selves.

My chair-bearers having dined as well as myself,
they sent a message by Sing-Hoo to say that they
were ready to proceed. Making a slight bow to mine
host, and a slighter one to the Canton gentlemen, in
Chinese style, I got into my chair and went my way.
As soon as I had left the house, Sing-Hoo, who was
paying our bill, was closely questioned about me.
According to his account he had completely mysti-
fied them, by informing them, as he had done others
before, that I came from some far country beyond
the great wall, a statement which those who knew
best would not have called in question.

Our road was still crowded with coolies: indeed

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192 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. X.

nearly the whole way across from Chang-shan to Yuk-
shan they formed one unbroken line. Yuk-shan was
the name of the town to which we were now bound.
As we proceeded, we began to get more extensive
views of the country. We had passed the line or
ridge which divides the streams which flow to the
eastward from those which flow westward. The
countr}' appeared to open up, and we were evidently
approaching some river of considerable size. At last
a hill, richly wooded, came into view, and was pointed
out to me as that from which the town of Yuk-shan
had taken its name, and which was situated in its
vicinity. We reached the town about four o'clock in
the afternoon, having travelled about thirty miles
since the morning.

Yuk-shan is a walled town of considerable size, and
I should imagine contains from thirty to forty thou-
sand inhabitants. It appears to be a larger place than
Chang-shan ; and, like that town, it stands at the
head of a navigable river. All the merchandise of
the Bohea mountains, and of the countries east of the
Poyang lake, which is destined for Hang-chow-foo,
Shanghae, and other towns in that district, is landed
here, to be carried across to Chang-shan by coolies.
Hence these two towns appear to be the connecting
links between two most important rivers, as well as
between the richest countries of China. One of them
is connected with the great black-tea country, and the
other with the green-tea districts, and also with those
rich silk and cotton lands near the coast ; and the
importance of these two towns and rivers will be

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Chap. X. YUK-SHAN. 193

further appreciated when I state that through their
agency laige quantities of our manufactures find their
way into the heart of the country.

Passing over a fine stone bridge, we were soon at
the walls of the city. Having entered the gaties, we
proceeded along one of the principal streets. It was
crowded with people, all hurrying to and fro, and ap-
parently engaged in active business. The shops were
of the same kind as I have frequently described, and
I am not aware of any particular kind of manufacture
being carried on in the place. Like their neighbours
at the head of the other river, the inhabitants seem
to be busy enough in housing and carrying the
merchandise brought here to be sent onwards. The
western suburb is very extensive, and adjoins the
river. To this part of the town we bent our steps,
and soon reached the Hong-le, or inn, recommended
by our chairmen, and with which they were con-
nected.

I had no object in remaining long in this town.
When we reached the Hong-le, therefore, I sent my
servant to engage a boat to take us on ; and so quickly
did he manage the business, that in half an hour we
had left Yuk-shan, and with a fair wind were sailing
rapidly down the river to the westward.

Our boat was engaged to take us as far as the city
of Quan-sin-foo, a distance of ninety or a hundred le ;
and as the stream was very rapid, we arrived abreast
of that place early the next morning. It appeared to
be a fine large city, but a place of little trade. Its
walls and ramparts seemed in excellent order, and

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194 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. X.

there is a pretty bric|ge of boats across the river ; but
I was only a short time here, and had no time for
minute examination.

Sing-Hoo was now despatched to engage another
boat, and to lay in the necessary supplies for our
journey. He remained absent a long time, and when
he returned excused himself by saying that he had
called upon a friend and countryman of his own, to
get information regarding our route. I was obliged
to content myself with this explanation, but was
rather surprised to see a person come into our boat
shortly afterwards, carrying two large packages of
grass-cloth. These weighed at least forty pounds.
" To whom does this cloth belong ? " I asked. " Oh,
it is mine," replied Sing-Hoo ; " this cloth is very
cheap here, and I want to take it back with* me to a
friend in Shanghae." This was very provoking : here
was the old accumulating propensity at work again.
I knew we had still a long journey before us, over
many steep and rugged mountains, where our bag-
gage had to be carried on the backs of coolies. I
had reduced my own baggage as much as possible,
and had already obliged Sing-Hoo to leave all his
superfluous things at Yen-chow-foo, and now he
brought a package larger than all we had, and ex*
pected me to hire coolies to carry it twice across the
Bohea mountains, because this grass-cloth was a few
cash cheaper at Quan-sin-foo than at Shanghae or
Ning-po ! I really believe such a project would never
have entered the brain of any one except a China-
man.

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Chap. X. SING-HOO»S SPECULATION. 195

I attempted to reason with him on the folly and
impropriety of his conduct^ but his excuse was plau-
sible enough. " You see," said he, "it will be neces-
sary to have a coolie to carry our baggage, but we
have reduced it so much that he will not have half a
load. Now the carriage of this cloth will not add
anything to the expenses, and the man's load will be
properly balanced. And," added he, with great
gravity, " travellers in my country who have a goodly
portion of luggage are always considered more re-
spectable than those who have little."

While this conversation was going on we were
sailing rapidly down the stream in the direction of
Hokow, a large town about ninety or a hundred le
westward from the city of Quari-sin-fbo. The valley
through which the river flows is thickly studded with
little hills, and far away to the right and left lofty
mountains were seen rising in all their grandeur. I
observed many curious rocks, shaped like little hills,
but without a vestige of vegetation of any kind upon
them. They stood in the midst of the plain like
rude monuments, and had a curious and strange ap-
pearance.

The country through which I passed is an exten-
sive rice district No very large trees were observed ;
and the tallow-tree, which forms such an important
branch of agriculture in the countries nearer the sea,
is scarcely ever met with, or only seen here and
there. Camphor-trees are common, but they do not
attain the size they do in many other parts of the
country. Nevertheless, on passing down the river,

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196 TEA DISTRICTS OP CfflNA. Chap. X.

we came sometimes to pretty and romantic spots,
where the trees and brushwood were overhanging the
banks, and dipping their branches into the clear
stream ; and these strange monumental-looking rocks
were objects of striking interest in themselves.

In the afternoon of the day on which I left Quan-
sin-foo, we arrived at the town of Hokow* I had
now got as far to the west as was necessary, and in*
tended from this point to journey southwards to one
of the passes in the Bohea mountains, across which I
had to go on my way to Woo-e-shan. This part of
my journey had to be done in chairs.

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Chap. XL HOKOW. 197

CHAPTER XL

Town of Hokow — Its situation, trade, and great importance — Bohea
mountain chair — Mountain road — Beggars by the wayside —
Beautiful scenery — The priest and his bell — Town of Yuen-shan
— Appearance of the road — Tea coolies — Different modes of
carrying the tea-chests — Large tea-growing country — Soil and
plantations ~ My first night in a Chinese inn — Reception — Dirty
bed-rooms — I console myself, and go to dinner.

HoKow, or Hohow, as it is called by the southern
Chinese, is one of the most important inland towns
in the empire. It is situated in latitude 29"^ 54'
north, and in longitude 116° 18' east, on the left
bank of the river Kin-keang, down which I had come.
Judging from its size, and comparing it with other
towns, I imagine it contains about 300,000 inhabit-
ants. It is the great emporium of the black-tea
trade. Merchants fix)m all parts of China come here,
either to buy teas, or to get them conveyed to other
parts of the country.

Large inns, tea-hongs, and warehouses, are met
with in every part of the town, and particularly
along the banks of the river. The boats moored
abreast of the town are very numerous. There are
small ones for single passengers, lai^e passage-boats
for the public, and mandarins' boats gaily decorated
with flags. Besides these there are large cargo-boats,
for conveying tea and other merchandise either east-
ward to Yuk shan, or westward, to the Poyang lake.

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198 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XI.

Hokow is to the inland countries of the west what
Shanghae and Soo-chow are to places nearer the sea.

On the day after our arrival I proceeded to a
hong, or inn, in the town, and engaged a chair and
coolies to take me across the Bohea mountains to the
town of Tsong-gan-hien, near Woo-e-shan. One of
the men was to carry our luggage, including the large
package of grass-cloth. When we were making our
agreement with the innkeeper for the men and chair,
he informed us that the distance between Hokow
and Woo-e-shan was 320 le, and that, as the road
was very hilly in many parts, we should require four
days at least for the journey. As I had been fre-
quently consulting my map and measuring the
distances, I was surprised to hear that we had so far
to go, but when I gave the matter a little considera-
tion I had reason to believe that the innkeeper was
perfectly correct. In calculating my distances I had
not taken into consideration the many hills and
mountains we had to cross on our way, which not
only impeded our progress, but made the road much
longer than it appeared on the map.

It is no child's play to cross these mountains, and
therefore, before we started, the chair had to be
examined and made as strong as possible. Chairs
used for long journeys of this kind are constructed in
a different manner from those seen in towns and in
the level districts of the country. The common
mountain-chair, which consists of little more than two
stout bamboo poles and a cross-bar to sit upon, is
very well for a short journey, but it would be rather

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Chap. XI. MOUNTAIN-CHAIR. 199

inconvenient to travel in one for 300 or 400 le,
exposed to a fierce sun, and oftentimes to heavy rain.

The Bohea-mountain chair is constructed with
more attention to the comforts of the traveller. It
has above the seat a light bamboo frame covered
with oiled paper or glazed cloth. The seat has a
back to it formed at an angle of 45 degrees, and as
the chair itself, foot-board and all, is generally about
four feet long, the traveller can recline and sleep
if he chooses to do so. Some soft article, such as
the wadded bed-cover in common use, is generally
spread over the bottom and back of the chair, which
makes it very comfortable.

Having made all our arrangements,. I got into my
chair, and we left Hokow, travelling in a southerly
direction across the valley, which I have already
noticed. A small river, which rises on the north
side of the Bohea mountains, and which falls into
the Kin-keang near Hokow, comes winding down
this valley, and was crossed several times on our way.

Leaving the valley of ^okow we gradually began
to enter a hilly country, and now and then our road led
us up hill-passes of considerable steepness. In going
over one of these passes my chair was besieged by a
host of beggars, the most importimate I ever met
with. Another traveller, who was a few yards in
advance of me, had them all about him for some
time. I could hear him protesting that he had no
cash in his pockets, and beseeching them to go away,
but this seemed only to render them more impor-
tunate. Whether he gave them anything or not

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200 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XI.

I cannot tell, but they left him and came to me. I
had not a single cash in my pocket, and, Sing-Hoo
being far behind, I did not know what to do. I,
however, closed my eyes, and feigned to be fast
asleep. When they held out their baskets for alms
I was of course sleeping most soundly. " Loi-ya,
loi-ya,"* they bawled in my ear, and did their best
to awake me ; but finding the tongue of no avail,
they beat the sides of the chair with their hands, and
at last got hold of my clothes. I have a great horror
of being touched by a Chinese beggar, who is gene-
rally filthy beyond description. Starting up, I nearly
capsized the chair, greatly to the annoyance of njy
bearers, who immediately forced the beggars to desist
and to go away. When we reached the top of the
pass I desired my bearers to put me down and to
rest themselves. There was a pretty little house, or
traveller's resting-place, just on the summit, from
which I obtained an excellent view of the country.

In the valley beyond me lay a small town, named
Yuen-shan. At first sight it appears to be completely
encircled by hills; but this is not the case, for the moun-
tain stream which I have just noticed passes the town,
and winds round the hills on its way to Hokow.

Descending the hill on our way to Yuen-shan
I had another encounter with beggars, but having
provided myself with a few cash I easily got rid of
them. * Many of them were lame and blind, but some-
how or other all managed to get close to my chair.

We now came to an archway erected over the

* A tenn applied to a mandarin or government officer.

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Chap. XI. YUEN-SHAN. 201

road near the base of the hill. As I was passing
through this archway an old man, a priest, came out
and struck a bell three times. Whether this was
done in my honour, or to propitiate the gods for my
safety and success, I cannot tell, but it was evident
the priest expected something for his trouble, and
Sing-Hoo, who pretended to be a good Buddhist,
gave him a few cash as we passed under the arcL

We now entered the town of Yuen-shan. It is
about 60 le distant from Hokow, and stands on the
banks of the mountain stream. Though not large, it
seems a flourishing place. It is on the highway from
the black-tea country of Fokien, and nearly all the teas
brought thence on the backs of coolies are here put
in small boats and conveyed to Hokow. Owing to
there being a water-communication between these
towns, I did not observe much traffic on the road.
I was now, however, about to enter upon a crowded
and bustling thoroughfiire, like that between the
sources of the two rivers described in the last chapter.

As it was mid-day when we entered Yuen-shan, I
went to an inn, and had some refreshment, while the
coolies had their dinner. When we resumed our
journey, we found many travellers on the road, going
and returning from the tea-country in chairs. All of
them seemed to be sound asleep. This is a common
practice amongst the mountain travellers, the chairs
being constructed so as to enable them to do so com-
fortably.

Coolies were now met in great numbers, loaded
with tea-chests. Many of them carried only one

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202

TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA.

Chap. XI.

chest These I was told were the finer teas; the
chest was never allowed to touch the ground during
the journey, and hence these teas generally arrive at
their destination in much better order than the coarser
kinds. The single chests were carried in the follow-
ing manner. Two bamboos, each about seven feet
long, had their ends lashed firmly to the chest, one
on each side. The other ends were brought together,
so as to form a triangle. By this means a man could
carry the chest upon his shoulders, with his head
between the bamboos in the centre of the triangle.
A small piece of wood was lashed under the chest,
to give it an easy seat upon the shoulders. The
accompanying sketch will give a better idea of this
curious mode of carrying tea than any description.

When the coolie who carried his burden in this
way wanted to rest, he placed the end of the bam-

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Chap. XI. MODES OF CARRYING TEA-CHESTS.

203

boos upon the ground, and raised them to the per-
pendicular. The whole weight now rested upon the

ground, and could be kept in this position without
any exertion. This was very convenient in coining
up the steep passes amongst the mountains, for in
some of them the coolies can only proceed a few
yards at a time without resting, and if they had not
a contrivance of this description the loads would have
to be frequently put down upon the ground. When
stopping at inns or tea-shops for refreshment, the
chests carried in this way are set up against a wall,
and rest upon the ends of the bamboos.

All the low-priced teas are carried across in the
common way ; that is, each coolie, with a bamboo
across his shoulders, carries two chests, one being
slung from each end of the bamboo. Whenever he
rests, either on the road or at the inn, the chests are
set down upon the ground, and consequently get soiled,

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204 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XL

and do not arrive at their destination in as good order
as those carried in the other way.

The route we pursued was now in all respects
a highland road. At one time we were passing
through a beautiful valley, at another our road wound
round the mountain side, and frequently it boldly
breasted the hill, and led us over into another valley
beyond. As we went over the passes we always
rested while on the highest point, from which we
obtained a view, not only of the valley through which
we had come, but also of that to which we were
going. The long trains of coolies laden with chests
of tea and other produce, and with the mountain
chairs of travellers, presented a busy and curious
scene, as they toiled up the mountain side, or were
seen winding their way through the valleys. These
were views of " China and the Chinese " as they are
seen in everyday life.

After leaving the town of Yuen-shan we entered a
large tea-growing country. The shrubs were dotted
on the lower sides of all the fertile hills. Some-
times they were growing on level land, but that was
invariably dry, well drained by its position, and much
higher than rice-ground. The soil of these plan-
tations consisted of a red-coloured loam mixed with a
considerable portion of gravel and sand. Many of
the tea-farms had been but lately formed, and the
cultivation of the shrub in this district is evidently
on the increase. Tea grown and manufactured here
can of course be conveyed to the great export marts
of Shanghae and Canton much quicker and more

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Chap. XI. CHU-CHU. 205

cheaply than those from the southern side of the
Bohea mountains.

We were now approaching the end of our first
day's journey from Hokow. The day was far
advanced, and we intended to put up for the night at
Chu-chu, a small town near the foot of the Bohea
mountains properly so called. During all my wan-
derings in China I had never yet slept in a Chinese
mn, and could not help indulging in various specula-
tions respecting it. Calling Sing-Hoo, I desired him
and the coolie with the luggage to go' before, and
look out for a respectable place in which we could
pass the night.

The town of Chu-chu is built on the two sides of a
mountain stream. It is a small, poor place, supported
by travellers and coolies passing to and from the
Bohea mountains, and by the trade in the tea which is
grown and manufactured in the surrounding districts.

My chairmen followed Sing-Hoo down the main
street of the town for some distance. He had been
making many inquiries by the way, and at last
entered one of the numerous inns which abound in
the place. Having hastily inspected it, and seeing it
would suit our purpose, he returned to the door to
give me this information. After being received in
due form by the landlord, I walked through the
outer part of the premises into the reception-hall.

This inn, although somewhat smaller than the one
formerly described, was built upon the same plan.
The part fronting the street was perfectly open, being
entirely composed of pillars and shutters. Mine host,

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206 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XI.

with a cloth in his hand, hastily wiped a table and
chair, and, bowing politely, asked me to be seated.
He then placed a cup of tea before me, and brought
a joss-stick to light my pipe, and, having done so, he
retired and left me to my own reflections.

I had now time to take a survey of my quarters.
In the front part of the building a number of persons
were dining at tables placed there for the accommo-
dation of travellers. I had given them a slight
glance as I passed through, but was now able to
examine the groups with more leisure. My chair-
bearers and coolie were already seated at one of those
tables, evidently enjoying their evening meal after
the &tigues of the day. Sing-Hoo was bustling about
with the landlord, making himself quite at home, and
ordering the materials for my dinner. Perhaps this
had a tendency to turn the landlord's attention more
to his own business than to that of his guests ; but
be this as it may, he never appeared to have the
slightest idea that he had a foreigner under his roof,
and asked no troublesome questions.

On each side of the hall in which I sat there were
a number of small sleeping apartments — I can scarcely
call them bedrooms — and in one of them my luggage
had been placed. It was about twelve feet square,
and had two beds and a table in it. It had no
window, nor any aperture of the kind for the admis-
sion of light, but the front boarding was not carried
so high as the roof, and hence an imperfect light
streamed in from the top, or through the doorway
when that was open. Add to this an uneven earthen

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Chap. XL LUXURIES OF A CHINESE INN. 207

floor, and the walls besmeared with the remains of
tallow and dirt, and a fair idea may be formed of the
place in which I was about to pass the night.

In ordinary circumstances these appearances would
have been very discouraging* But I had " counted
the cost" of all these things before I began to travel
in China. I never expected to find my way strewfed
with luxuries; I knew the people were not very
remarkable for cleanliness in their dwellings, and
I was therefore in some measure prepared for all the
inconveniences to which I was subjected. The only
way was to make myself as comfortable as the cir-
cumstances would admit of.

I therefore called Sing-Hoo, and desired him to
sweep my bedplace before he unpacked my sleeping
mat and other articles for the night Whilst this
was going on the host informed me that dinner was
ready and placed on the table in the centre of the
hall. The fare was plain and homely. There was
a large basin full of boiled rice, with other smaller
ones containing fish, eggs, and pork. The vegetables
consisted of cabbages and bamboo* The latter I
thought extremely good, and always ordered it during
the remainder of our journey.

I did full justice to the rice, eggs, fish, and bam-
boo, and left the other articles for Sing-Hoo, who
seemed to enjoy them with equal relish. Dinner
being over, the dishes were removed, and tea set
upon the table. Our labours for the day being over,
pipes were lighted, and the smoke rose in wavy curls
to the roof of the inn.

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208 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XII.

CHAPTER XII.

Ffrst view of the Bohea moimtaiiis — Mountain pass — A noble fir-
tree— Its name and history — Flora of the mountains — New plants
— Source of the river Min — Entertainment for man and beast —
A rugged road and another pass — A gale amongst the mountains
— An amusing old China- woman — Sugar and tea-spoons — A kind
landlord — The Tein-sin — Arrive at the city of Tsong-gan-hien —
Its situation, size, and trade — Tea-farms.

Nothing occurred during the night to disturb our
slumbers, and mine were as sound and peaceful as if
I had been in "the old house at home." When
morning dawned we had an early breakfast and pro-
ceeded on our journey. One of the grandest sights
I had ever beheld was now awaiting me. For some
time past I had been, as it were, amongst a sea of
mountains, but now the far-famed Bohea ranges lay
before me in all their grandeur, with their tops
piercing through the lower clouds, and showing them-
selves far above them. They seemed to be broken
up into thousands of fragments, some of which had
most remarkable and striking outlines. It is difficult
to form an estimate of their height, but, comparing
them with other mountains known to me, the highest
here may be six or eight thousand feet above the
level of the sea. There are some spots on the sides
of the lower hills under cultivation, but all above
these is rugged and wild.

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Chap.xu. first view of the bohea mountains. 209

I always like to look on scenery of this kind early
in the morning. I do not know whether it is that
there is a freshness and beauty about it then which
it loses when the day is further advanced, or whether
the mind is more susceptible of impressions then than
at other times -, it may be that both these combine to
render morning views most delightful and pleasing to
the eye. Had I chosen the time for my first view of
the Bohea mountains, I could not have been more
fortunate. The morning was clear, the air cool, and
the sun was just shining on their eastern sides. As
its rays shone on the rugged peaks, they gave a rich
and golden tint to some, while those in the shade
looked gloomy and frowning. Strange rocks, like
gigantic statues of men or various animals, appeared
to crown the heights, and made the view most
remarkable.

Our road had been of an undulating character all
the way from Hokow, and, although we had ascended
a great number of hills, yet we generally descended
again into valleys on the opposite side, but, on the
whole, we were gradually attaining a higher elevation
above the level of the sea. We had now, however,
arrived at the foot of the central and highest range,
and began the ascent towards the mountain pass.
The road here is about six feet in width, and paved
with granite. It led us round the sides of the moun-
tains, and gradually carried us higher and higher,
and at last, when we had rounded one of the upper
windings, a view of the pass itself, in the highest
range, was presented. This pass is much lower than

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2 10 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XH.

any other part of the range, and consequently has the
mountains rising high on each side of it Just before
we arrived at the top the road was so steep that even
Chinese travellers get out of their chairs and walk^
a proceeding unusual with them on ordinary occa-
sions. From the foot of the range to the pass at
which we had now arrived the distance was twenty le,
or about five miles.

This pass is a busy thoroughfare. It connects the
countries of Fokien with those of Kiang-see, and is
the highway, through the mountains, from the black-
tea districts to the central and northern provinces of
the Chinese empire. Long trains of coolies were met
or overtaken at every turning of the road Those
going northward were laden with chests of tea, and
those going south carried lead and other products
for which there is a demand in the tea country. Tra-
vellers in chairs were also numerous, some going to,
and others returning from, the towns of Tsong-gan-
hien and Tsing-tsun, and the surrounding country
Whether I looked up towards the pass, or down on
the winding pathway by which I had come, a strange
and busy scene presented itself. However numerous
the coolies, or however good the road, I never ob-
served any two of them walking abreast, as people
do in other countries ; each one followed his neighbour,
and in the distance they resembled a colony of ants
on the move.

At every quarter of a mile, or sometimes less,
there is a tea-shop, for the refreshment of those who
are toiling up or down the mountain. We frequently

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Chap. XII. MOUNTAIN-PASS. 2 1 1

stopped at these places on our way, and refreshed
ourselves with a cup of the pure bohea on its native
mountains. During the ascent I walked nearly all
the way, being anxious to inspect the natural produc-
tions of the mountains. My chair-bearers were de-
lighted with this arrangement, • the more so as they
are not accustomed to anything of the kind from their
countrymen.

We arrived at last at the celebrated gates or huge
doors which divide the provinces of Fokien and
Kiang-see. The pillars of these gates have been
formed by nature, and are nothing less than the
"everlasting hills" themselves. The arched door-
ways of the place bore a great resemblance to the
gates of a Chinese city. As we passed through the
archway I observed a guard of soldiers lounging
about, but they did not take any notice of us, or
attempt to examine our baggage. We were soon
through the pass, and in another province. The
province of Kiang-see had been shut out and left
behind us, and our view now opened on Fokien.
Never in my life had I seen such a view as this, so
grand, so sublime. High ranges of mountains were
towering on my right and on my left, while before
me, as far as the eye could reach, the whole country
seemed broken up into mountains and hills of all
heights, with peaks of every form.

While gazing with wonder and admiration on the
scene, my attention was arrested by a solitary pine-
tree of great size, standing about a hundred yards
from the gateway. No other trees of any size were

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212 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. Xlj

near it. Its solitary position near the pass, and f^ts
great height and beautiful symmetry, made it app^far
a most striking object " What could it be ? was Vt
new, or did we already possess it in England ?** ^
must confess that for a few seconds I had eyes foft
nothing else. Chairs, coolies, and mountains were
all forgotten, and I believe, had the guard of Celes-
tials attempted to prevent me from going into Fokien,
the only boon I should have asked at their hands
would have been to be allowed to go and inspect this
noble pine.

The Chinese guard, however, had not the slightest
intention of interfering with my movements, and, as
the tree was on the roadside, I soon came up to it,
and found it to be the Japan cedar {Cryptomeria
japonicd)j a tree which I had already introduced into
England, and which, even in a young state, had been
greatly admired there. I had never before seen such
a noble specimen, and, althoi^h I would rather it
had been something new, I yet felt proud of having
been the means of introducing into Europe a tree of
such size, symmetry, and beauty. It was at least
one hundred and twenty feet in height, — it might be
much more, — as straight as a larch, and had its lo^er
branches drooping to the ground. It had not been
"lopped," like other Chinese trees, and was evidently
preserved with great care. My Chinamen looked
upon it with great admiration, and informed me it
was the only specimen of the kind in this part of the
country, and that it had been planted by some former
emperor when he crossed the mountains.

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Chap. XII. FLORA OF THE MOUNTAINS. 213

The indigenous plants of these mountains are of
great interest. The ravines were rich in bamboos,
many of which were of great beauty. The Chinese
pine {Pinus sinensis) was abundant everywhere, but
did not attain a large size. Higher up various spe-
cies of oak were met with, and a thistle, not unlike
the common English thistle, was abundant. Very
few trees were to be seen near the top of the highest
mountains, which were covered with low-growing
shrubs, grasses, and other herbaceous plantsi

I met with one or two new plants, which deserve
particular notice. One of them was a very beautiful
species of Hydrangea; another was a species of
Spircea^ with red flowers, not unlike the S. bella in
colour, but having a diflerent habit. A fine species
of Abelia was also met with on the Fokien side of the
mountains, which will probably be a favourite in
English gardens. Its flowers are as large as those of
the Weigela rosea^ of a blueish tinge, and bloom in
great profusion for a long time. When I first saw
this plant I took it to be the Abelia chinensis of
Brown, but I observe that Dr. Lindley, to whom the
plant was sent for examination, calls it A, uniflora.
It is a curious circumstance that Dr. Abel, after
whom the genus was named, discovered his plant on
the same mountains, about a hundred miles to the
north-west of the spot where the Abelia unifiora was
found. He was then on his way with the embassy
irom Peking to Canton.

I dug up, from time to time, living plants of all
these species, and took them on with me. Many a

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214 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XII.

time I thought I should be obliged to leave them
behind me, for the Chinamen could not see the pro-
priety of being burdened with what they considered
weeds, and of no value; however, by dint of determi-
nation and perseverance, by sometimes using pro-
mises and sometimes threats, I got them carried
several hundred miles in safety, and at last deposited
them in the garden of my friend Mr. Beale, at
Shanghai They are now in Europe, and are, per-
haps, the first plants which have been brought direct
from the Bohea mountains.

The streams which flowed from the sides of the
hills now ran to the southward, towards the town of
Tsong-gan-hien, and I was doubtless at one of the
many sources of the river Min. After travelling
about thirty le from the pass, we approached a small
town named Ching-hu, where we intended to remain
for the night. We were now about seventy le from
where we stopped the night before, and, as our road
had been a steep and rugged one during the day, w
were tired enough, and glad of rest.

Ching-hu is a small town on the banks of the
stream, which gradually swells as it glides onward
until it becomes the noble river we see at Foo-chow-
foo. The town is built in a ravine, and high, steep
hills rise on each side of it As we passed down the
main street I observed three Canton men taking an
evening stroll, and apparently admiring the beauty
of the situation. Calling Sing-Hoo, I desired him to
take care not to go to the inn where these men were
staying, as I was not desirous of having any more

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Chap. XIL A DANGEROUS. ROAD. 215

encounters with natives who had been in the towns
where foreigners reside.

It was nearly dark when we reached our inn, a
building with accommodation for man and beast.
The latter title refers not to horses, but to pigs,
which are great favourites witli the Chinese, particu-
larly in Fokien. The arrangements of the inn were
exactly like those of the last one, and therefore I
need not describe them. Tired with the fatigues of
the day, I retired early, and slept more soundly than
if I had been on a bed of down.

The next day we had to cross another mountain pass,
not so high as the last, but presenting scenery equally
beautiful. Being at a lower elevation, the hill-sides
were clothed with trees and brushwood, and reminded
me of the rich tropical scenery which I had seen near
Batavia and Singapore. Here were some beautiful
forests of the lance-leaved pine (Cunninghamia
lanceolata)j the finest I had ever met with in China.

The making of the road over this pass must have
been a gigantic undertaking. The sides of the
mountain, both above and below the road, were steep
and rugged. So dangerous had the Chinese consi-
dered this road, even after it was made, that they
had fixed in many places a massive stone rail on the
lower side to prevent people from falling over. Far
below, in a beautiful dell, a little stream was gushing
down amongst the rocks and trees, which was fed by
many waterfalls from the sides of the mountain. In
some places the height was so great that it made me
giddy to look down.

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216 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XII.

When we crossed this pass it was blowing a gale of
wind, and I was obliged to have the cover taken oflF
my chair. Had I not done so there would have been
some danger of my being blown over the rocks;
indeed after the covering was removed the danger
seemed so great that I considered it safest to get out
and walk. Stopping at one of the tea-houses on our
way, which was kept by a very talkative old woman,
she contributed not a Uttle to our amusement. " Hai-
yah," said the chair-bearers, as we entered the house,
"what a stormy day; how high the wind is!*'
"Pooh, pooh!" said the old dame, "this is nothing;
you must not call this a high wind ; it is plain enough
you know nothing about the wind amongst these
mountains. Our houses are often unroofed, and
sometimes it is not possible for us to stand on the
public road without support. You could not have
brought that chair over the pass on a really windy
day, I can tell you. Ah, you should see one of these
gales, and you would not call this a high wind."

Having drunk the tea which she had set before us,
Sing-Hoo asked one of our men what ought to be
paid in this part of the country. The man replied,
"A cash each cup, of course; tea is cheap here.'*
The sum was thrown down upon the tray, and the
old woman was called to receive it. When she came
she refused ^ take anything, telling us that "her
house was not a tea-shop ; that when it was one, —
which was not likely though, — she would then receive
our money." This was the first instance of a Chinese
refusing money which had come under my observa-

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Chap. XIL SUGAR AND TEA-SPOONS AT AN INN. 217

tion. The old lady did not lose anything by it, how-
ever, for I bought some cakes and other things which
were not below her dignity to sell, and we parted the
best of friends. We had many a good joke and hearty
laugh at her expense as we pursued our journey.

The sky had been overcast during the morning,
and, the wind having died away, the rain came down
in torrents. We were obliged to take shelter in
another tea-house, and remained there for some
hours. It continued to rain, however, and we were
glad to proceed a little further on to a small village,
where there was an inn, in which we took up our
quarters for the night. The landlord paid me the
most marked attention. When 1 entered the hall
tea was set before me as usual, but in this instance a
curiously shaped tea-spoon was in the cup, and the
tea was sweetened with sugar. T had never seen the
Chinese use either sugar or tea-spoons before, and
was rather surprised ; and it is still a question with
me whether we are not indebted to them for our
mode of making tea, as well as for the tea itselfl It
was only on our first entering that this was done, for
when tea was brought afterwards it was always made
in the usual way, that is, the leaves were put into a
cup and boiling water poiured over them.

To the question usually put to Sing-Hoo, of "who
his master was," he invariably returil^d the same
answer, " A Loi-ya from a far country beyond the
great wall." I much doubt whether he had himself
a clearer idea of the position of England than this
answer conveyed to bis interrogator. In the present

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218 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIT.

case, however, this being in a small village, and our
host himself a simple countryman, the information
that his guest was a Loi-ya produced a marked effect,
and his attentions were redoubled, until they became
quite irksome. He made a great many excuses for
the poorness of the fare which he set before me.
" Had I only sent him notice of the honour I intended
doing him by coming to his house, he would have
been better prepared,** and so on. I praised the
house and fare, and tried not to be outdone in polite-
ness by my kind-hearted landlord.

In the course of the evening a little boy, the land-
lord's son, came to me and asked me whether I
should like to smoke opium, as they had some in the
house of good quality. I thanked him, but, of course,
declined the offer. Upon inquiry I found that opium
is kept in all these inns, where it is retailed in small
quantities, just as a London innkeeper retails tobacco.
It is very disagreeable, and I afterwards found it so,
to be in one of these places when you have a number
of opium-smokers for fellow-travellers.

Between nine and ten o'clock at night, and just as
I was retiring to rest, Sing-Hoo came and informed
me that the landlord wished me to partake of a fine
supper which he had prepared. I think he called it
the Tein-sin. I believe this is not an unusual pro-
ceeding on the part of Chinese landlords when they
have any one in their houses whom they " delight to
honour." Being perfectly ignorant of the existence
of such a custom, I desired my servant to beg the
landlord to excuse me, as I had had my dinner, and

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Chap. XII. THE TEIN-SIN. 219

did not feel inclined to eat anything more that night.
Sing-Hoo, however, said it was a most unusual pro-
ceeding to refuse the Tein-sin, and, thinking it better
to conform to the customs of the country, I followed
him into the hall. Here I found a table covered with
many Chinese dishes. Our host had killed some
fowls for the occasion, which had been cut up into
small pieces, and were served up with, or rather in,
some excellent soup. Had I be«n at all hungry I
might have made an excellent meal, but in the pre-
sent circumstances I could not be expected to enjoy it
with much relish. The landlord waited upon me
himself, and pressed me to eat. He kept constantly
pointing to the different dishes, saying '^ Eat this, eat
this," in his most pressing manner. I tasted the
different dishes, eating more or less of each as they
took my fancy, and at last, considering I had gone
quite as far as even Chinese politeness required, I
laid down my chopsticks, and expressed my delight
at the manner in which the Tein-sin had been served.
But he pressed me more and more by putting the
different dishes near me and praising their quality.
At last he finished his part of the play by removing
the viands from the table and setting tea before me.
I was now free again, and retired to rest, afraid of
night-mare and all the evils of not taking supper
sparingly.

Early the next morning our host appeared, and
informed me that the Tein-sin was ready. I partook
of it in the same manner as I had done the night
before, but with much greater relish. To my sur-

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220 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XII.

prise, however, a few minutes afterwards my break-
fast was placed upon the table, as if I had eaten
nothing. Sing-Hoo now presented himself, and
asked what he was to give the landlord for the treat-
ment we had received, observing at the same time
that he would make .no charge. Of course I was
obliged to give the man a handsome present. Half
suspecting that Sing-Hoo or the coolies had been at
the bottom of the Tein-sin afiair, I desired him to
take care and discourage everything of the kind for
the future. I knew that I had still a long journey
before me and many expenses, and it would not do
for me to run short of money by the way.

I was now on the outskirts of the great black-tea
country of Fokien. I observed large quantities of
tea-plants under cultivation. They were generally
to be found on the lower sides of the hills, and also
in the gardens of the villagers. About ten o'clock in
the forenoon we arrived at Tsong-gan-hien, a lai^e
town in the midst of the black-tea country, where
nearly all the teas of this district are packed and
prepared for exportation. Tsong-gan-hien, according
to observations made by the Jesuits many years ago,
is situated in latitude 27° 47' 38'' north. It stands
in the midst of a fertile plain of small extent, sur-
rounded by hills, and is in the district of Kein-ning-
foo, a city to which I have already alluded in my
journey up the river Min.

The walls of the city are about three miles in cir-
cumference. Both these and the ramparts are in
many parts ruinous and overgrown with weeds.

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Chap. XII. TSONG-GAN-HIEX. 221

They seem hoary with age, and were doubtless built
in more warlike times than the present. The popu-
lation may amount to one hundred thousand inha-
bitants, but I have no means of forming a correct
estimate. The suburbs, which I include in this cal-
culation, are very large and populous, and extend a
considerable way down the sides of the river.

This city abounds in large tea-hongs, in which the
black teas are sorted and packed for the foreign
markets. All those coolies whom I had met on my
journey across the mountains were loaded here. Tea
merchants from all parts of China where teas are
consumed or exported come to this place to make
their purchases of tea and the necessary arrangements
for its transport. Canton men in particular come in
great numbers, as they carry on a large trade with
foreigners both at Canton and Shanghae. I saw
many of them walking about in the streets, but for
obvious reasons avoided them as much as possible.
They are easily distinguished by their features from
the natives of Fokien, as well as from the more
northern Chinese.

The plain in which the town of Tsong-gan-hien is
situated is not of great extent. HiUs are seen appa-
rently surrounding it on all sides, on some of which
the tea-shrub is extensively cultivated. Many of
these hills have a most barren appearance, although
there are here and there very fertile spots on their
sloping sides. Tea is also cultivated extensively in
the lowlands, but these are invariably well raised
above the banks of the river. It will be better, how-

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222 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XII.

ever, to collect into one chapter the remarks I have
to make upon the tea cultivation in this important
part of the country.

As I arrived at Tsong-gan-hien early in the day, I
stopped there only three hours. This was sufficient
to enable me to take a survey of the town, and to
obtain some refreshment both for myself and my
men. At the end of that time I got into my chair
and took the road for Woo-e-shan, which was only
forty or fifty le iurther on. As soon as we were
clear of the town the road seemed entirely different
from that which we had been travelling on before.
The fact is we had left the great tea highway, — that
had ended at the town we just passed. Our road
was now more narrow and less frequented. The
travellers in chairs, the coolies with tea-chests on
their shoulders, and all that motley band which we
had seen on our journey across the mountains, had
disappeared, and we were now journeying alone.

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Chap. XIII. WOO-E-SHAX. 223

CHAPTER XIII.

Woo-e-sban — Asoent of the hill — Arrive at a Buddhist temple —
Deacription of the temple and the scenery — Strange rocks — My
reception — Our dinner and its ceremonies — An interesting con-
versation — An evening stroll — Formation of the rocks — Soil —
View from the top of Woo-e-shan — A priest's grave — A view by
moonlight — Chinese wine — Cultivation of the tea-shrub — Chains
and monkeys used in gathering it — Tea-merchants — Happiness
and contentment of the peasantry.

As soon as I was fairly out of the suburbs of Tsong-
gan-hien I had my first glimpse of the far-famed
Woo-e-shan. It stands in the midst of the plain
which I have noticed in the previous chapter, and is
a collection of little hills, none of which appear to be
more than a thousand feet high. They have a sin-
gular appearance. Their faces are nearly all perpen-
dicular rock. It appears as if they had been thrown
up by some great convulsion of nature to a certain
height, and as if some other force had then drawn
the tops of the whole mass slightly backwards, break-
ing it up into a thousand hills. By some agency of
this kind it might have assumed the strange forms
which were now before me.

Woo-e-shan is considered by the Chinese to be
one of the most wonderful, as well as one of the
most sacred, spots in the empire. One of their
manuscripts, quoted by Mr. Ball, thus describes it :

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224 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XUI.

" Of all the mountains of Fokien those of Woo-e are
the finest, and its water the best. They are awfully
high and rugged, surrounded by water, and seem as
if excavated by spirits; nothing more wonderful can
be seen. From the dyfiasty of Csin and Han, down
to the present time, a succession of hermits and
priests, of the sects of Tao-cze and Fo, have here
risen up like the clouds of the air and the grass of
the field, too numerous to enumerate. Its chief
renown, however, is derived from its productions, and
of these tea is the most celebrated.'*

I stood for some time on a point of rising ground
midway between Tsong-gan-hien and Woo-e-shan,
and surveyed the strange scene which lay before me.
I had expected to see a wonderful sight when I
reached this place, but I must confess the scene far
surpassed any ideas I had formed respecting it There
had been no exa^eration in the description given by
the Jesuits, or in the writings of the Chinese, except-
ing as to the height of the hills. They are not
" awfully high ;" indeed, they are lower than most of
the hills in this part of the country, and far below
the height of the mountain ranges which I had just
crossed. The men who were with me pointed to
the spot with great pride, and said, "Look, that is
Woo-e-shan ! have you anything in your country to
be compared with it ?"

The day was fine, and the sun's rays being very
powerful I had taken up my position under the
spreading branches of a large camphor-tree which
grew by the roadside. Here I could willingly have

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Chap. XIII. ASCENT OF THE HILL. 225

remained until night had shut out the scene from my
view, but my chairbearers, who were now near the
end of their journey, intimated that they were ready
to proceed, so we went onwards.

The distance from Tsong-gan-hien to Woo-e-shan
is only about 40 or 50 le. This is, however, only
to the bottom of the hills, and we intended to take
up our quarters in one of the principal temples near
the top. The distance we had to travel was therefore
much greater than this. When we arrived at the
foot of the hill we inquired our way to the temple.
"Which temple do you wish to go to?" was the
answer; "there are nearly a thousand temples on
Woo-e-shan." Sing-Hoo explained that we were
unacquainted with the names of the different temples,
but our object was to reach one of the largest. We
were directed, at last, to the foot of some perpen-
dicular rocks. When we reached the spot I expected
to get a glimpse of the temple we were in search of
somewhere on the hill side above us, but there was
nothing of the kind. A small footpath, cut out of
the rock, and leading over almost inaccessible places,
was all I could see. It was now necessary for me to
get out of my chair, and to scramble up the pathway
— often on my hands and knees. Several times the
coolies stopped, and declared that it was impossible
to get the chair any frurther. I pressed on, however,
and they were obliged to scramble after me with it.

It was now about two o'clock in the afternoon ;
there was scarcely a cloud in the sky, and the day
was fearfully hot As I climbed up the rugged steep,

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226 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIII.

the perspiration streaming from every pore, I began
to think of fever and ague, and all those ills which
the traveller is subject to in this unhealthy climate.
We reached the top of the hiU at last, and our eyes
were gladdened with the sight of a rich luxuriant
spot, which I knew at once to be near a Buddhist
temple. Being a considerable way in advance of
my chairbearers and coolies, I sat down under the
shade of a tree to rest and get cool before I entered
its sacred precincts. In a few minutes my people
arrived with smiling countenances, for they had got a
glimpse of the temple through the trees, and knew
that rest and refreshment awaited them.

The Buddhist priesthood seem always to have
selected the most beautiful spots for the erection of
their temples and dwellings. Many of these places
owe their chief beauty to the prptection and cultiva-
tion of trees. The wood near a Buddhist temple in
China is carefully protected, and hence a traveller
can always distinguish their situation, even when
some miles distant. In this respect these priests
resemble the enlightened monks and abbots of the
olden time, to whose taste and care we owe some of
the richest and most beautiful sylvan scenery in
Europe.

The temple, or collection of temples, which we
now approached, was situated on the sloping side of
a small valley, or basin, on the top of Woo-e-shan,
which seemed as if it had been scooped out for the
purpose. At the bottom of this basin a small lake
was seen glistening through the trees, and covered

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Chap. XIII. STRANGE BOCKS. 227

with the famous lien-wha, or Nelumbium — a plant
held in high esteem and veneration by the Chinese,
and always met with in the vicinity of Buddhist
temples. All the ground from the lake to the
temples was covered with the tea-shrub, which was
evidently cultivated with great care, while on the
opposite banks, facing the buildings, was a dense
forest of trees and brushwood.

On one side— that on which the temples were
built — there were some strange rocks standing like
huge monuments which had a peculiar and striking
appearance. They stood near each other, and were
each from 80 to 100 feet in height. These no
doubt had attracted, by their strange appearance,
the priests who first selected this place as a site
for their temples. The high-priest had his house
built at the base of one of these huge rocks, and
to it we bent our steps. Ascendii^ a flight of steps,
and passing through a doorway, we found ourselves
in front of the building. A little boy, who was amus-
ing himself under the porch, ran off immediately and
informed the priest that strangers had come to pay
him a visit. Being very tired, I entered the recep-
tion hall, and sat down to wait his arrival. In a very
short time the priest came in and received me with
great politeness. Sing-Hoo now explained to him
that I had determined to spend a day or two on
Woo-e-shan, whose fame had reached even the far-
distant country to which I belonged ; and begged that
we might be accommodated with food and lodgings
during our stay.

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228 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIII.

While the high-priest was listening to Sing-Hoo he
drew out of his tobacco-pouch a small quantity of
Chinese tobacco, rolled it for a moment between his
finger and thumb, and then presented it to me to
fill my pipe with. This practice is a common one
amongst the inhabitants of these hills, and indicates,
I suppose, that the person to whom it is presented is
welcome. It was evidently kindly meant, so, taking
it in the same kind spirit, I lighted my pipe and
began to smoke.

In the mean time our host led me into his best
room, and, desiring me to take a seat, he called the
boy, and ordered him to bring us some tea. And
now I drank the fragrant herb, pure and unadul-
terated, on its native hills. It had never been half
so grateAil before, or I had never been so much
in need of it ; for I was hot, thirsty, and weary, after
ascending the hill under a burning sun. The tea
soon quenched my thirst and revived my spirits, and
called to my mind the words of a Chinese author,
who says, " Tea is exceedingly useful ; cultivate it,
and the benefit will be widely spread ; drink it, and
the animal spirits will be lively and clear.'*

Although I can speak enough of the Chinese lan-
guage to make myself understood in several districts
of the country, I judged it prudent not to enter into
a lengthened conversation with the priests at this
temple. I left the talking part of the business to be
done by my servant, who was quite competent to
speak for us both. They were therefore told that
I could not speak the language of the district, and

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Chap. Xin. BECEPTION AT A TEMPLE. 229

that I came from a far comitry ^' beyond the great
waU."

The little boy whom I have already noticed now
presented himself and announced that dinner was on
the table. The old priest bowed to me, and asked
me to walk into the room in which the dinner was
served. I did not fail to ask him to precede me,
which of com^se he "couldn't think of doing," but
followed me, and placed me at his left hand in the
"seat of honour." Three other priests took their
seats at the same table. One of them had a most
imprepossessing appearance; his forehead was low,
he had a bold and impudent-looking eye, and was
badly marked with the smallpox. In short, he was
one of those men that one would rather avoid than
have anything to do with. The old high-priest was
quite a different-looking man from his subordinate.
He was about sixty years of age, and appeared to be
very intelligent. His countenance was such as one
likes to look upon; meekness, honesty, and truth
were stamped unmistakeably upon it.

Having seated ourselves at table, a cup of wine
was poured out to each of us, and the old priest said»
" Che-sue, che-sue" — Drink wine, drink wine. Each
lifted up his cup, and brought it in contact with
those of the others. As the cups touched we bowed
to each other, and said, " Drink wine, drink wine."
The chopsticks which were before each of us were
now taken up, and dinner commenced. Our table
was crowded with sn^all basins, each containing a
different article of food. I was surprised to see in

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230 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIII.

one of them some small fish, for I had always mider-
stood that the Buddhist priesthood were prohibited
from eating any kinds of animal food The other
dishes were all composed of vegetables. There were
young bamboo shoots, cabbages of various kinds
both fresh and pickled, turnips, beans, peas, and
various other articles, served up in a manner which
made them very palatable. Besides these there was
a fungus of the mushroom tribe, which was really
excellent Some of these vegetables were prepared
in such a manner as made it difficult to believe that
they were really vegetables. All the dishes, how-
ever, were of this description, except the fish already
noticed. Bice was also set before each of us, and
formed the principal part of our dinner.

While the meal was going on the priests conti-
nually pressed me to eat. They praised the different
dishes, and, as they pointed them out, said, ^^Eat
fish, eat cabbage," or, ^^ eat rice," as the case might
be. Not unfrequently their politeness, in my humble
opinion, was carried rather too far ; for they not (mly
pointed out the dishes which they recommended, but
plunged their own chopsticks into them, and drew to
the surface such delicate morsels as they thought
I should prefer, saying, " Eat this, eat this." This
was far from agreeable, but I took it all as it was
intended, and we were the best of friends.

An interesting conversation was carried on during
dinner between Sing-Hoo and the priests. Sing-Hoo
had been a great traveller in his time, and gave them
a good deal of information concerning many of the

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Chap. XIU. DIKNEB AND ITS CEREMONIES. 231

provinces both in the north and in the south, of which
they knew little or nothing themselves. He told
them of his visit to Fekin, described the Emperor,
and proudly pointed to the livery he wore. This
immediately stamped him, in their opinions, as a
person of great importance. They expressed their
opinions freely upon the natives of different pro-
vinces, and spoke of them as if they belonged to
different nations, just as we would do of the natives
of France, Holland, or DenmarL The Canton men
they did not like ; the Tartars were good — the Em-
peror was a Tartar. All the outside nations were
bad, particularly the Kwei-tszes, a name signifying
Devil's children, which they charitably apply to the
nations of the western world

Having finished dinner, we rose from the table and
returned to the hall. Warm water and a wet cloth
were now set before each of us, to wash with after
our meal. The Chinese always wash with warm
water, both in summer and winter, and rarely use
soap or any substance of a similar nature. Having
washed my face and hands in the true Chinese style,
I intimated my wish to go out and inspect the hills
and temples in the neighbourhood.

Calling Sing-Hoo to accompany me, we descended
the flight of steps and took the path which led down
to the lake at the bottom of the basin. On our way
we visited several temples ; none of them, however,
seemed of any note, nor were they to be compared
with those at Koo-shan near Foo-chow-foo. In
truth the good priests seemed to pay more attention

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232 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIII.

to the cultivation and manufacture of tea than to the
rites of their peculiar faith. Everywhere in front of
their dwellings I observed bamboo framework erected
to support the sieves, which^ when filled with leaves,
are exposed to the sun and air. The priests and
their servants were all busily employed in the mani-
pulation of this valuable leaf.

When we arrived at the lake it presented a fine
appearance. The noble leaves of the nelumbium
were seen rising above its surface, and gold and silver
fish were sporting in the water below, while all around
the scenery was grand and imposing. Leaving the
lake we followed the path which seemed to lead us to
some perpendicular rocks. In the distance we could
see no egress from the basin, but as we got nearer a
chasm was visible by which the huge rock was parted,
and through which flowed a little stream with a path-
way by its side. It seemed, indeed, as if the stream
had gradually worn down the rock and formed this
passs^e for itself, which was not more than six or
eight feet in width.

These rocks consist of clay slate, in which occur,
embedded in the form of beds or dykes, great masses
of quartz rock, while granite of a deep black colour,
owing to the mica, which is of a fine deep bluish-
black, cuts through them in all directions. This
granite forms the summit of most of the principal
mountains in this part of the country.

Resting on this clay slate are sandstone conglo-
merates, formed principally of angular masses of
quartz held together by a calcareous basis, and alter-

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Chap. XIII. BOCKS — SOIL. 233

nating with these conglomerates there is a fine eal^
careous granular sandstone, in which beds of dolomitic
limestone occur. The geologist will thus see what a
strange mixture forms part of these huge rocks of
Woo-e-shan, and will be able to draw his own conclu-
sions. Specimens of these rocks were brought away
by me and submitted both to Dr. Falconer of Cal-
cutta and Dr. Jameson of Saharunpore, who are well
known as excellent geolc^ists.

The soil of these tea-lands consists of a brownish*
yellow adhesive clay. This clay, when minutely
examined, is found to consist of particles of the rocks
and of vegetable matter. It has always a very con-
siderable portion of the latter in its composition in
those lands which are very productive and where
the tea-shrub thrives best.

Threading our way onward through the chasm,
with the rocks standing high on each side and drip-
ping with water, we soon got into the open country
again. After having examined the rocks and soil,
my object was to get a good view of the surrounding
country, and I therefore made my way to the heights
above the temples. When I reached the summit the
view I obtained was well worth all my toil. Around
and below me on every side were the rugged rocks
of Woo-e-shan, while numerous fertile spots in glens
and on hill sides were seen dotted over with the tea-
shrub. Being on one of the highest points I had a
good view of the rich valleys in which the towns of
Tsong-gan-hien and Tsin-tsun stand. Far away to
the northward the chain of the Bohea mountains were

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234 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XUL

seen stretching from east to west as far as the eye
could reach, and apparently forming an impenetrable
barrier between Fokien and the rich and populous
province of Kiang-see.

The sun was now setting behind the Bohea hills,
and, as twilight is short in these regions, the last rays
warned me that it would be prudent to get back to
the vicinity of the temples near which I had taken
up my quarters. On my way back I came upon a
tomb in which nine priests had been interred. It was
on the hill side, and seemed a fit resting-place for the
remains of such men. It had evidently been a kind
of natural cavern under the rock, with an opening in
front The bodies were placed in it, the arched rock
was above them, and the front was built up with the
same material. Thus entombed amongst their
favourite hills, these bodies will remain until '^the
rocks shall be rent," at that day when the trumpet of
the archangel shall sound, and the grave shall give
up its dead.

On a kind of flat terrace in front of this tomb I
observed the names of each of its occupants, and the
remains of incense-sticks which had been burning but
a short time before, when the periodical visit to the
tombs was paid. I was afterwards told by the high
priest that there was still room for one more within
the rocky cave. That one, he said, was himself;
and the old man seemed to look forward to the
time when he must be laid in his grave as not far
distant.

As I was now in the vicinity of the temples, and

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Chap. XUI. A MOONLIGHT SCENE. 235

there was no longer any danger of my losing my
way, I was in no hurry to go in-doors. The shades
of evening gradually closed in, and it was night on
Woo-e-shan. A solemn stillness reigned around,
which was broken only by the occasional sound of a
gong or bell in the temple, where some priest was
engaged in his evening devotions. In the mean time
the moon had risen, and the scene appeared, if pos-
sible, more striking than it had been in daylight.
The strange rocks, as they reared their rugged forms
high above the temples, partly in bright light and
partly in deep shade, had a curious and unnatural
appearance. On the opposite side the wood assumed
a dark and dense appearance, and down in the bottom
of the dell the little lake sparkled as if covered with
gems.

I sat down on a ledge of rock, and my eyes wan-
dered over these remarkable objects. Was it a
reality or a dream, or was I in some fairy land?
The longer I looked the more indistinct the objects
became, and fancy seemed inclined to convert the
rocks and trees into strange living forms. In circum-
stances of this kind I like to let imagination roam
uncontrolled, and if now and then I built a few castles
in the air they were not very expensive and easily
pulled down again.

Sing-Hoo now came out to seek me, and to say
that our evening meal was ready, and that the priests
were waiting. When I went in I found the viands
already served. We seated ourselves at the table,
pledged each other in a cup of wine, and the meal

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236 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIII.

went on in the same manner as the former one. Like
most of my comitrymen, I have a great dislike to the
Chinese sam-shoo^ a spirit somewhat like the Indian
arrack, but distilled from rice. Indeed the kind
commonly sold in the shops is little else than rank
poison. The Woo-e-shan wine, however, was quite a
different affiiir : it resembled some of the lighter
French wines; was slightly acid, agreeable, and in
no way intoxicating, unless when taken in immo-
derate quantities. I had no means of ascertaining
whether it was made from the grape, or whether it
was a kind of sam-shoo which had been prepared in
a particular way, and greatly diluted with water. At
all events it was a very agreeable accompaniment to
a Chinese dinner.

During our meal the conversation between Sing-
Hoo and the priests turned upon the strange scenery
of these hills, and the numerous temples which were
scattered over them, many of which are built in the
most inaccessible places. He informed them how
delighted I had been with my walk during the after-
noon, and how much I was struck with the strange
scenery I had witnessed. Anything said in praise of
these hills seemed to please the good priests greatly,
and rendered them very communicative. They in-
formed us that there were temples erected to Buddha
on every hill and peak, and that in all they numbered
no less than nine hundred and ninety-nine.

The whole of the land on these hills seems to be-
long to the priests of the two sects already men-
tioned, but by far the largest portion belongs to the

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Chap. XIH. EMPLOYMENT OF MONKEYS. 237

Buddhists. There are also some fiirms established
for the supply of the court of Peking. They are
called the imperial enclosures; but I suspect that
they too are, to a certain extent, under the manage-
ment and control of the priests. The tea-shrub is
cultivated everywhere, and often in the most inac-
cessible situations, such as on the summits and ledges
of precipitous rocks. Mr. Ball states* that chains are
said to be used in collecting the leaves of the shrubs
growing in such places ; and I have even heard it
asserted (I forget whether by the Chinese or by
others) that monkeys are employed for the same
purpose, and in the following manner : — ^These ani-
mals, it seems, do not like work, and would not
gather the leaves willingly ; but when they are seen
up amongst the rocks where the tea-bushes are grow-
ing, the Chinese throw stones at them ; the monkeys
get very angry, and commence breaking off the
branches of the tea-shrubs, which they throw down at
their assailants I

I should not like to assert that no tea is gathered
on these hills by the agency of chains and monkeys,
but I think it may be safely affirmed that the quan-
tity procured in such ways is exceedingly small. The
greatest quantity is grown on level spots on the hill-
sides, which have become enriched, to a certain ex-
tent, by the vegetable matter and other deposits
which have been washed down by the rains from a
higher elevation. Very little tea appeared to be
cultivated on the more barren spots amongst the

* Gultiyation and Manufacture of Tea.

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238 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIIL

hills, and such ground is very plentiful on Woo-e-
shan.

Having been all day toiling amongst the hills, I
retired to rest at an early hour. Sing-Hoo told me
afterwards that he never closed his eyes during the
night. It seems he did not like the appearance of
die ill-looking priest ; and having a strong prejudice
against the Fokien men, he imagined an attempt
might be made to rob or perhaps murder us during
the night No such fears disturbed my rest I slept
soundly until morning dawned, and when I awoke
felt quite refreshed, and equal to the fatigues of
another day. Calling for some water to be brought
me, I indulged in a good wash, a luxury which I
could only enjoy once in twenty-four hours.

During my stay here I met a number of tea-mer-
chants from Tsong-gan-hien, who had come up to buy
tea from the priests. These men took up their quar-
ters in the temples, or rather in the priests' houses
adjoining, until they had completed their purchases.
Coolies were then sent for, and the tea was conveyed
to Tsong-gan-hien, there to be prepared and packed
for the foreign markets.

On the morning of the third day, having seen all
that was most interesting in this part of the hills, I
determined to change my quarters. As soon as
breakfast was over I gave the old priest a present
for his kindness, which, although small, seemed to
raise me not a little in his esteem. The chair-bearers
were then summoned, and we left the hospitable roof
of the Buddhist priests to explore more distant parts

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Chap. XIII.

LEAVE THE TEMPLE.

239

of the hills. What roof was next to shelter me I had
not the most remote idea.

Our host followed me to the gateway, and made
his adieus in Chinese style. As we threaded our way
amongst the hills, I observed tea-gatherers busily
employed on all the hill-sides where the plantations
were. They seemed a happy and contented race;
the joke and merry laugh were going round, and
some of them were singing as gaily as the birds in
the old trees about the temples.

A CMqcm Tomb.

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240 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.

Stream of "nine windings" — A Taouist priest — His house and temple
— Du Halde's description of these hills — Strange impressions of
gigantic hands on the rocks — Tea-plants purchased — Adventure
during the night — My visitors — Plants packed for a journey —
Town of Tsin-tsun and its trade — Leave the Woo-e hills — Moun-
tain scenery — The lance-leaved pine — Rocks, ravines, and water-
falls — A lonely road — Trees — Birds and other animals — Town of
She-pa-ky — Productions of the country — Uses of the Nelumhium
— Pouching teas — City of Pouching-hien.

We now proceeded across the hills in the direction
of the small town of Tsin-tsun, another great mart
for hlack tea. Our road was a very rough one. It
was merely a footpath, and sometimes merely narrow
steps cut out of the rock. When we had gone about
two miles we came to a solitary temple on the banks
of a small river, which here winds amongst the hills.
This stream is called by the Chinese the river or
stream of nine windings, from the circuitous turns
which it takes amongst the hills of Woo-e-shan. It
divides the range into two districts — the north and
south: the north range is said to produce the best
teas. Here the finest souchongs and pekoes are pro-
duced, but I believe these rarely find their way to
Europe, or only in very small quantities.

The temple we had now reached was a small and
insignificant-looking building. It seemed a sort of
half-way resting-place for people on the road from

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[A Chiueae Bird a <»ye riew of the Sut:am of" Nme Windings' auid 8tx»n^ Bocki*.]

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Chap. XIV. A TAOUIST PRIEST. 24 1

Tsin-tsun to the hills ; and when we arrived several
travellers and coolies were sitting in the porch drink-
ing tea. The temple belonged to the Taouists, and
was inhabited by an old priest and his wife. The
priests of this sect do not shave their heads like the
Buddhists, and I believe are allowed to marry.

The old priest received us with great politeness,
and, according to custom, gave me a piece of tobacco
and set a cup of tea before me. Sing-Hoo now asked
him whether he had a spare room in his house, and
whether he would allow us to remain with him for a
day or two. He seemed to be very glad of the
chance of making a little money, and immediately
led us up stairs to a room which, as we were not very
particular, we agreed to hire during our stay.

This house and temple, like some which I have
already described, were built against a perpendicular
rock, which formed an excellent and substantial back
wall to the building. The top of the rock overhung
the little building, and the water from it continually
dripping on the roof of the house gave the impres-
sion that it was raining.

The stream of " nine windings" flowed past the
front of the temple. Numerous boats were plying up
and down, many of which, I was told, contained
parties of pleasure, who had come to see the strange
scenery amongst these hills. The river was very rapid,
and these boats seemed to fly when going with the
current, and were soon lost to view. On all sides
the strangest rocks and hills were observed, having
generally a temple and tea-manufactory near their

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242 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIV.

summits. Sometimes they seemed so steep that the
buildings could only be approached by a ladder ; but
generally the road was cut out of the rock in steps,
and by this means the top was reached.

Du Halde, in describing these hills, says, " The
priests, the better to compass their design of making
this mountain pass for the abode of the immortal
beings, have conveyed barks, chariots, and other
things of the same kind, into the clefts of the steep
rocks, all along the sides of a rivulet that runs be-
tween, insomuch that these fantastical ornaments are
looked upon by the stupid vulgar as real prodigies,
believing it impossible that they could be raised to
such inaccessible places but by a power more than
human."

I did not observe any of these chariots ; and if
they exist at all, they must either have been made
for the express purpose, or brought from some distant
country, as none are in use in these parts. Boats are
common enough on the river ; and if they are drawn
up into such places, the circumstance would not be
so wonderful.

Some curious marks were observed on the sides of
some of these perpendicular rocks. At a distance
they seemed as if they were the impress of some
gigantic hands. I did not get very near these marks,
but I believe that many of them have been formed
by the water oozing out and trickling down the sur-
face. They did not seem artificial; but a strange
appearance is given to these rocks by artificial means.
Emperors and other great and rich men, when visit-

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Chap. XIV. NIGHT QUABTBR8. 243

ing these hillsy have had stones, with large letters
carved upon them, let in or built into the face of these
rocks. These, at a distance, have a most curious
appearance.

The old priest with whom I had taken up my
quarters seemed miserably poor ; the piece of ground
attached to the temple for his support was very small.
Now and then one of his own sect, who came to
worship at the temples amongst these hills, left him a
small present, but such visits were " few and far
between.'* And there was nothing grand or imposing
about his temple to attract the rich and great, except
indeed the scenery which surrounded it.

Having given the old man some money to purchase
a dinner for myself and my men, I made a hasty
meal and went out to explore the hills. I visited
many of the tea-farms, and was successful in pro-
curing about four hundred young plants. These
were taken to Shanghae in good order, and many of
them are now growing vigorously in the Government
tea plantation in the Himalayas.

The old priest and his wife could not afford to
burn either candle or oil, and were therefore in the
habit of retiring very early to rest. As the night
was wet and my quarters far from comfortable, I soon
followed their example. Sing-Hoo, who was in the
room with me, said he had no confidence in these
Fokien men, as he called them, and that he would let
down the trap-door of our garret and make all fast
for the night before we went to sleep. However
soundly I sleep, the least noise of an unusual kind is

R 2

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244 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIV.

sure to awake me. Somewhere about midnight I
awoke, and for a second or two I heard nothing
except the heavy rain pattering on the roof of our
room. Shortly afterwards, however, a slight noise
below attracted my attention, and my eye naturally
turned to the trap-door. What was my surprise to
see it slowly open and the head of a man make its
appearance in the room where we were ! I scarcely
knew how to act, but at last determined to lie still
and watch his motions, and to be ready if necessary
to defend myself as well as I could. Gradually a
man's figure appeared, and entering the room he
began to grope about, muttering some indistinct
words. This awoke Sing-Hoo, who jumped out of
bed in a great fright and called out to me to get up.
" The rain is coming through the roof of the house
into our bed," said the man, whom we immediately
recognised to be the poor old priest. We now
breathed freely and had a good laugh at our being so
alarmed. The old man, after putting some mats
above the place through which the rain was coming
in, descended the stairs to his own room. " Shut
down the door,*' said Sing-Hoo to him as he went
out. " It is much better up," said the old priest, " it
is much cooler : don't be afraid, there is nothing to
harm you amongst these mountains." Sing-Hoo did
not contradict him, but, when he was gone, got up
and quietly shut down the door. Nothing else dis-
turbed our slumbers during the night.

These old people had not the slightest idea that I
was a foreigner ; but I was subjected to some incon-

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Chap. XIV. MY VISITORS. 246

venience through my servant informing them that I
was a mandarin from Tartary. Sometimes, when I
was in my room, the country people '^ho were passing,
and who had just laid down their burdens to take a
cup of tea, expressed great anxiety to see a traveller
who had come so far. On several occasions some of
them walked up stairs without any ceremony. I
believe I always received them with the utmost po-
liteness and sustained my character tolerably well.
On one occasion, however, I nearly lost my gravity.
An old priest, apparently in his second childhood,
came in to see me, and the moment he entered my
room he fell upon his knees and kow-towed or pros-
trated himself several times before me in the most
abject manner. I raised him gently from this humi-
liating posture, and intimated that I did not wish to
be so highly honoured. Another priest came and
expressed a desire for me to go and visit his temple,
which was on an adjoining hill, and which he told
me had been honoured with a visit from a former
emperor.

I remained two days under the roof of the hospi-
table Taouist, and saw a great part of the Woo-e hills
and their productions. On the evening of the second
day, having entered into a firesh agreement with my
chairbearers and coolies, I intimated to the old priest
that I intended to proceed on my journey early next
morning. He kindly pressed me to stay a little
longer, but, when he saw I was in earnest, he went
out to his tea plantations and brought me some young
plants which he begged me to accept I felt highly

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246 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIV.

pleased with his gratitude for the small present I had
given him, and gladly accepted the plants, which in-
creased my store very considerably ; these with the
other plants were carefully packed with their roots in
damp moss, and the whole package was then covered
with oil-paper. The latter precaution was taken to
screen them from the sun, and also from the prying
eyes of the Chinese, who, although they did not seem
to show any great jealousy on the point, yet might
have annoyed us with impertinent questions. Early
in the morning, our arrangements being completed,
we bade adieu to our kind host and hostess, and set
off across the hills in the direction of Tsin-tsun.

Tsin-tsun is a small town built on the banks of one
of the branches of the river Min. This stream divides
the northern ranges of Woo-e-shan from the southern.
The town is built on both banks of the river, and is
connected by a bridge. Here are great numbers of
inns, eating-houses, and tea-shops for the accommo-
dation of the tea-merchants and coolies. A great
quantity of tea, produced in the surrounding hills, is
brought here for sale, before it finds its way to
Tsong-gan-hien, and thence across the Bohea moun-
tains to Hokow.

When I arrived at Tsin-tsun 1 felt strongly in-
clined to go down the river Min to Foo-chow-foo.
This could have been accomplished in about four
days without trouble or inconvenience, as the whole
journey could be performed in one boat. There
were two objections, however, to this route ; one was
that I should not have seen much more new ground,

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Chap. XIV. TSIN-TSUN. 247

and the other was the difficulty of getting away from
Foo-chow when once there.

After weighing the matter in my mind I determined
neither to go down to Foo-chow-foo, nor to return by
the way I came, but to take another route, which led
eastward to the town of Pouching-hien, then across
the Bohea mountains and down their northern sides
into the province of Chekiang. I ascertained that
the distance from Woo-e-shan to Pouching-hien was
280 le, and that, as the road was mountainous^ the
journey would occupy from three to four days.

We halted in Tsin-tsun only long enough to pro-
cure refreshment, and then pursued our way. Turn-
ing our faces eastward we crossed one of the branches
of the river, which here flows round the foot of the
hills.

I now bade adieu to the far-famed Woo-e-shan,
certainly the most wonderful collection of hills I had
ever beheld. In a few years hence, when China
shall have been really opened to foreigners, and when
the naturalist can roam unmolested amongst these
hills, with no fear of fines and imprisonments to haunt
his imagination, he will experience a rich treat indeed.
To the geologist, in particular, this place will furnish
attractions of no ordinary kind. A Murchison may
yet visit them who will give us some idea how these
strange hills were formed, and at what period of the
world's existence they assumed those strange shapes
which are now presented to the traveller's wondering

The direct road from Woo-e-shan to Poudiing-

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248 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIV,

hien led through the city of Tsong^n; but there
was another road which kept more to the southward,
and joined the Tsong-gan road about a day's journey
from Pouching-hien ; this road I determined to take.
Our course was in an easterly direction- A small
stream, another of the tributaries of the Min, had its
source amongst the mountains in this direction, and
for a great part of the way our road led us along its
banks.

This river had many rapids, its bed was full of
large rocks and stones, and it was not navigable even
for small boats. On the morning of the third day
after leaving the Woo-e hills we arrived at the foot
of a very high range of mountains, and at the source
of the river along whose banks we had been travelling.
This was a little beyond a small town named She-
mun, where we had passed the night.

The scenery which presented itself as we ascended
the gigantic mountain surpassed anything I had seen
in China. It had quite a different character from
that of Woo-e-shan. The sides of the mountains
here were clothed with dense woods of the lance-
leaved pine (Cunninghamia lanceolata). This was
the first time I had seen this fir-tree of sufficient
size to render it of value for its timber. Many of the
specimens were at least eighty feet in height, and
perfectly straight. There was a richness too in the
appearance of its foliage which I had never seen
before ; sometimes it was of a deep green colour, while
at others it was of a bluish tint. There are, doubt-
less, many varieties of tliis tree amongst these hills.

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Chap. XIV. A LONELY ROAD. 249

It must be of great value as a timber-tree in this part
of China.

An excellent paved road led us up through a deep
ravine. Frequently the branches of the trees met
above our heads and darkened the way. Everything
had a wild appearance. Streams were gushing from
the mountain sides and fell over rocky precipices,
when they were lost to the eye amidst the rich and
tropical-looking foliage of the pines. Uniting at the
bottom of the mountains, they form a river and flow
onward to swell the waters of the Min.

When we had got some distance from the base of
the mountain the road became so steep that I was
obliged to get out of my chair and walL Once or
twice^ when I found myself a considerable way in
advance of my men, the road seemed so wild and
lonely that I felt almost afraid. It seemed a fit place
for tigers and other ferocious animals to spring upon
one out of the dense brushwood. We reached the
top of the pass in about an hour from the time we
commenced the ascent. As the day was close and
hot, I was glad to find there a small inn, where I pro-
cured some tea, which was most acceptable and
refreshing.

Resting awhile on the top of the mountain I en-
joyed one of those glorious prospects which well
reward the traveller for all his toil, and then pursued
my journey. I have already said that immense
forests of the lance-leaved pine covered the sides of
these mountains. Besides these the Pinus sinensis^
camphor and tallow trees, were most abundant — the

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250 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. CfiAf . XIV.

latter did not appear to be cultivated here as it is in
many other parts of the country which I had passed
through. Eugenias, guavas, and other myrtaceous
genera were most numerous — the guava was culti-
vated extensively for the sake of its fruit Some
evergreen oaks,* with large glossy leaves, were also
met with, and were highly ornamental. A deciduous
species, not very unlike the English oak, also grew
near the tops of these mountains. AzaleaB were
common, and I found one rhododendron.

The most beautiful bird seen during our journey
was the red-billed pie. This bird is scarcely so large
as the English species, is of a beautiful light-blue
colour, and has several long feathers in the tail tipped
with white. It is generally met with in flocks of ten
or a dozen, and as they fly across the ravines with
their tails spread out they look very beautiful.
Several species of jay were also observed, apparently
new. Pheasants, partridges, and woodcocks were
plentiful and very tame. They did not seem to be
molested by the Chinese sportsman. Many other
small birds, which I had never seen in other parts of
the country, were continually showing themselves,
and making me regret that I had no means at hand
of adding them to my collections. A small species
of deer — the one formerly noticed — was most abun-
dant, and I was told by the Chinese that wild boars
and tigers are not unfrequently seen here.

On the third evening after leaving Woo-e-shan we
arrived at a bustling little town named She-pa-ky,

• Querciis sclerophylla, Q. inversa, &c.

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Chap. XIV. SHE-PA-KY — POUCHING-HIEN. SJ6 1

which was on the main road between Tsong-gan-hi^n
and Pouching-hien. Here we spent the night. Up
to this point our road had in many places been very
bad, but now we were told it was an excellent one all
the way to Pouching-hien, which was only about a
day's journey farther on. She-pa-ky is situated in
the midst of a fine valley, which is extremely fertile*
Rice is the staple production, but I also observed
large quantities of nelumbium cultivated in the low
irrigated lands. The rhizoma, or underground stem,
of this plant is largely used by the Chinese as an
article of food, and at the proper season of the year
is exposed for sale in all the markets. It is cut into
small pieces and boiled, and, like the young shoots of
the bamboo, is served up in one of the small dishes
which crowd a Chinese dinner-table. An excellent
kind of arrowroot is also made from the same part of
this useful plant Tobacco is also grown extensively
in this part of the country, as it is in all parts of the
province of Fokien. The hills around this plain were
in some parts prettily covered with trees, while in
others they seemed uncultivated and barren.

As we approached Pouching-hien we again entered
a tea-country, and the shrub was observed growing
on many of the lower hills. Whether it be owing to
the poorness of the soil, or to an inferior mode of
manipulation, I cannot say ; but Pouching teas are
not valued so highly in the market as those of Woo-
e-shan. There is no doubt that the plant is the same
variety in both districts.

Our road, which had wound amongst hills during

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252 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIV.

the whole of the day after we left the little town of
She-pa-ky, now led us into a wide and beautiful
valley, in the centre of which appeared the town of
Pouching-hien. A pretty river, one of the tributaries
of the Min, passes by its walls ; a bridge is thrown
over it at this point. The suburbs were rather poor
in appearance, and indeed the whole place did not
strike me as being one of very great importance. It is
more like a country market-town than anything else.
I believe it is supposed to contain about a hundred
and fifty thousand inhabitants. The walls and ram-
parts are apparently of a very ancient date; they
are completely overgrown with weeds and straggling
bushes, and are surrounded by a canal or moat, as is
the case with many other Chinese towns.

A considerable trade in tea is carried on here. It is
packed in baskets and sent across the mountains into
Chekiang, from whence it finds its way down the
rivers to Hang-chow-foo, Soo-chow-foo, and Ning-po ;
but I believe little, if any, is exported. A consider^
able portion is also sent down the river Min to
Foo-chow-foo.

As I had left behind me the great black-tea
countries of China, which have been long &med for
the production of the best black teas of commerce,
this seems a fit opportunity, before proceeding with
the narrative of my " adventures," to condense into
the next few pages all the information connected
with tea which I have gleaned during my journey-

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Chap. XV. ADVICE TO THE READER. 253

CHAPTER XV.

Some advice to the reader — Botany of the black-tea country — Geo-
logical features — Soil — Sites of t«a-farms — Temperature — Rainy
season — Cultivation and management of tea-plantations — Size of
farms — Mode of packing — Chop names — Route from the tea-
country to the coast — Method of transport — Distances — Time
occupied — Original cost of tea in the tea-country — Expenses of
carriage to the coast — Sums paid by the foreign merchant — Profits
of the Chinese — Prospect of good tea becoming cheaper— Tiing-po*8
directions for making tea — His opinion on its properties and uses.

As this chapter is intended for the man of science
and the merchant, it may not contain much of interest
to the general reader, who, if he pleases, may pass
it over and go on to the next. Having been thus
fairly warned, he must not blame me if I bring into
it some hard botanical names which are necessary to
the elucidation of my subject.

It is generally admitted that nothing can give a
botanist a better idea of the climate of a locality
than a list of the plants which are indigenous to it.
This knowledge, in the absence of thermometrical
observations, is oftentimes of great value. Fully
impressed with the importance of this subject, I took
care to jot down in my note-book the more import-
ant species of plants which I observed, either wild
or cultivated, in the great black-tea country about
Woo-e-shan.

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254 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

On referring to these memoranda, I find the
following species enumerated: — the camphor-tree
{Lauras camphora)^ various species of bamboo, the
Chinese pine {Pinus sinensis)^ Cunninghamia lanceo-
latOy the tallow-tree, Vitex trifoliata, Buddlea Lind-
leyana, Abelia uniflora^ a spiraea like Spircea helloj
Hamamelis chinennSy Eurya chinensis. Macartney
and other wild roses, brambles and raspberries, Eu-
genias, Guavas and other myrtaceous plants of a like
kind. Gardenia florida and G. radicans^ and various
species of violets, Lycopods, and ferns. There were,
of course, many other genera besides these, but
enough have been mentioned to give a fair idea of
the vegetation of these wonderful hills.

I have already given some account of the geo-
logical features of the Woo-e hills. As it is not
unlikely that the success which has attended the culti-
vation of tea in this part of China may be traced to
have had some connection with the peculiar formation
and properties of these rocks, I may be excused if I
repeat here what I have before said about them.

The rocks consist of clay-slate, in which occur em-
bedded in the form of beds or dykes great masses of
quartz rock, while granite of a deep black colour,
owing to the mica, which is of a fine deep bluish
black, cuts through them in all directions. This
granite forms the summit of most of the principal
mountains in this part of the country.

Besting on the clay-slate are sandstone conglome-
rates, formed principally of angular masses of quartz,
held together by a calcareous basis, and alternating

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Chap. XV. BOTANY — GEOLOGY — SOIL. 255

with these conglomerates there is a fine calcareous
granular sandstone in which beds of dolomitie lime-
stone occur.

The soil of the tea-lands about Woo-e-shan seemed
to vary considerably. The most common kind was
a brownish-yellow adhesive clay. This clay, when
minutely examined, is found to contain a considerable
portion of vegetable matter mixed with particles of
the rocks above enumerated.

In the gardens on the plains at the foot of the
hills the soil is of a darker colour, and contains a
greater portion of vegetable matter, but generally it
is either brownish yellow or reddish yellow. As a
general rule the Chinese always prefer land which is
moderately rich, provided other circumstances are
favourable. For example, some parts of Woo-e-shan
are exceedingly sterile, and produce tea of a very
inferior quality. On the other hand, a hill in the
same group, called Pa-ta-shan, produces the finest
teas about Tsong-gan-hien. The earth on this hill-
side is moderately rich, that is, it contains a con-
siderable portion of vegetable matter mixed with the
clay, sand, and particles of rock.

By far the greatest portion of the tea in this part
of the country is cultivated on the sloping sides of
the hills. I observed a considerable quantity also in
gardens on the level land in a more luxuriant state
even than that on the hill-sides ; but these gardens
were always a considerable height above the level
of the river, and were consequently well drained. It
will be observed, therefore, that the tea-plants on

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256 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

Woo-e-shan and the surrounding country were grow-
ing under the following circumstances : —

1. The soil was moderately rich, of a reddish
colour, well mixed with particles of the rocks of the
district.

2. It was kept moist by the peculiar formation of
the rocks, and the water which was constantly oozing
from their sides.

3. It was well drained, owing to the natural de-
clivities of the hills, or, if on the plains, by being a
considerable height above the watercourses.

These seem to be the essential requisites as regards
soil, situation, and moisture.

Temperature. — With regard to the temperature of
the country about Woo-e-shan, I must draw my con-
clusions from observations which were made at Foo-
chow-foo on the one side and Shanghae on the other.
At Foo-chow (lat. 25° 30' north), in the month of
June and in the beginning of July, the thermometer
ranged from 85° to 95° Fahr., and about the middle
of the latter month it rose to 100°, which I believe
it rarely exceeds. In the winter of 1844-5, during
the months of November, December, and January,
the maximum shown by the thermometer was 78°,
and the minimum 44°. Snow is sometimes seen on
the tops of the mountains, but it does not remain for
any great length of time.

Shanghae is in latitude 31° 20' north. The vari-
ation of temperature here is much greater than at
Foo-chow-foo. In the months of June, July, and

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Chap. XV. TEMPERATURE — RAINS. 257

August the thermometer has frequently marked 105^
Fahr. This is not very different from Foo-chow as
far as the summer-heat is concerned, but we find a
great difference in winter. In the end of October
the thermometer frequently sinks as low as the
freezing-point, and the cold destroys what remains
of the cotton-crop, and those half-tropical productions
which are cultivated in the fields. December, Janu-
ary, and February are not unlike the same months in
the south of England, the thermometer often falls as
low as 12° Fahr., and snow covers the surface of the
ground.

With these facts before us, therefore, it will not be
very difficult to arrive at a correct estimate of the
temperature in the black-tea districts of Fokien.
Tsong-gan-hien is in latitude ^T 47' 38" north.
Situated as it is almost exactly between these two
places, but a little ftirther to the westward, we shall
not be far from the truth if we suppose that the
variations of temperature are greater there than about
Foo-chow, but considerably less than about Shanghae.
I have no doubt that, taking the summer and winter
months as before, we should find that in June, July,
and August the thermometer at Woo-e-shan would
frequently rise as high as 100° Fahr., while in the
winter months of November, December, and January
it would sink to the freezing-point, or even to 28°.

Mains. — In all observations connected with the
cultivation of tea, there is another matter of great
importance to be taken into consideration, and that is
the period of the summer rains. Every one at all

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258 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

acquainted with the principles of vegetable physiology
must be aware that the practice of constantly pluck-
ing the leaves from the tea-bushes must be very
injurious to their health. But it so happens that at
the period when this operation takes place there is a
great deal of moisture in the air, caused by frequent
showers, which fall copiously about the time when
the monsoon changes from north-east to south-west
The buds burst out again with fresh vigour, and the
bushes are soon covered with new leaves. After a
careful consideration of this subject, it seems plain to
me that, however favourable the climate may be as
regards temperature, and however good the soil and
situation of the plantations may be, yet without these
early summer rains it would not be possible to culti-
vate the tea-plant with success. This only shows how
many things have to be considered before one can
assign the true reason for the success of any natural
production in one place, or for its failure in another.

Cultivation and management of plantations, — In
the black-tea districts, as in the green, large quan-
tities of young plants are yearly raised from seeds.
These seeds are gathered in the month of October,
and kept mixed up with sand and earth during the
winter months. In this manner they are kept fresh
until spring, when they are sown thickly in some
comer of the farm, from which they are afterwards
transplanted.* When about a year old they are
from nine inches to a foot in height, and ready for

* Sometimes the seeds are sown in the rows where they are destined
to grow, and, of course, are in that case not transplanted.

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Chap. XV. TEA-PLANTATIONS. 259

transplanting. They are planted in rows about four
feet apart Five or six plants are put together in
each hole, and these little patches are generally about
three or four feet from each other in the rows.
Sometimes, however, when the soil is poor, as in
many parts of Woo-e-shan, they are planted very
close in the rows, and have a hedgeJike appearance
when they are full grown.

The young plantations are always made in spring,
and are well watered by the rains which fall at the
change of the monsoon in April and May. The
damp, moist weather at this season enables the young
plants to establish themselves in their new quarters,
where they require little labour afterwards, except in
keeping the ground free from weeds.

A plantation of tea, when seen at a distance, looks
like a little shrubbery of evergreens. As the tra-
veller threads his way amongst the rocky scenery of
Woo-e-shan, he is continually coming upon these
plantations, which are dotted upon the sides of all the
hills. The leaves are of a rich dark green, and afford
a pleasing contrast to the strange and often barren
scenery which is everywhere aroimd.

The natives are perfectly aware that the practice
of plucking the leaves is very prejudicial to the health
of the tea-shrubs, and always take care to have the
plants in a strong and vigorous condition before they
commence gathering. The young plantations are
generally allowed to grow unmolested for two or three
years, or until they are well established and are pro-
ducing strong and vigorous shoots : it would be cchi-

s 2

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260 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

sidered very bad management to begin to pluck the
leaves until this is the case. Even when the planta-
tions were in full bearing I observed that the natives
never took many leaves from the weaker plants, and
sometimes passed them altogether, in order that their
growth might not be checked.

But, under the best mode of treatment, and with
the most congenial soil, the plants ultimately become
stunted and unhealthy, and are never profitable when
they are old: hence in the best-managed tea-districts
the natives yearly remove old plantations and supply
their places with fresh ones. The length of time
which a plantation will remain in full bearing de-
pends of course on a variety of circumstances, but
with the most careful treatment, consistent with profit,
the plants will not do much good after they are ten
or twelve years old ; they are often dug up and the
space replanted before that time.

Size of tea farms and mode of packing. — The tea-
farms about Tsong-gan, Tsin-tsun, and Woo-e-shan
are generally small in extent. No single farm which
came under my observation could have produced a
chop of 600 chests. But what are called chops are
not made up by the growers or small farmers, but in
the following manner : — A tea-merchant from Tsong-
gan or Tsin-tsun goes himself or sends his agents to
all the small towns, villages, and temples in the dis-
trict, to purchase teas from the priests and small
farmers. When the teas so purchased are taken to
his house, they are then mixed together, of course
keeping the different qualities as much apart as pos-

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Chap. XV. SIZE OP TEA-FARMS — PACKING 261

sible. By this means a chop of 620 or 630 chests
is made, and all the tea of this chop is of the same
description or class.* If it was not managed in this
way there would' be several different kinds of tea in
one chop. The large merchant in whose hands it is
now has to refire it and pack it for the foreign
market.

When the chests are packed the name of the chop
is written upon each. Year after year the same
chops, or rather chops having the same names, find
their way into the hands of the foreign merchant.
Some have consequently a higher name and com-
mand a higher price than others. It does not follow,
however, that the chop of this year, bought from the
same man, and bearing the same name as a good one
of last year, will be of equal quality. Mr. Shaw
informed me that it was by no means unusual for the
merchant who prepares and packs the tea to leave
his chests unmarked until they are bought by the
man who takes them to the port of exportation.
This man, knowing the chop names most in request,
can probably find a good one to put upon his boxes ;
at all events he will take good care not to put upon
them a name that is not in good repute.

Route of teas from the black-tea country to Canton
and Shanghae. — My principal object in collecting
the information that follows was to ascertain, if
possible, the precise amount of charges upon each

« Sometinies a chop or parcel is divided into two packings, consisting
generally of 300 chests each. — Ball's " Cultivation and Manufacture
of Tea:*

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262 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

chest or picul of tea when it arrives at the port
whence it is to be exported. If I am able to give
this information with any degree of accuracy, we shall
then see what amount of profits the Chinese have
been in the habit of making by this trade, and whether
there is any probability of their being able to lower
their prices, and so, with a reduction of our own
import duties, to place a healthful and agreeable
beverage —

« The cup
That oheera, but not inebriates,*' —

within the reach of the whole of our population,

I shall, therefore, endeavour to give a description
of the route by which the black teas are brought from
the country where they are made to the ports of
exportation — Canton or Shanghae. We have already
seen that nearly all the teas grown in the fine districts
about Woo-e-shan are brought to the city of Tsong-
gan-hien by the merchants who buy them from the
small tea-farmers, and that they are there made into
chops, and sold to the dealers connected with the
foreign tea-trade, the chief part of whom are Canton
men.

A chop of tea having been purchased by one of
these merchants, a number of coolies are engaged to
carry the chests northward, across the Bohea moun-
tains, to Hokow, or rather to the small town of
Yuen-shan, a few miles from Hokow, to which it is
sent by boat If the teas are of the common kind,
each coolie carries two chests slung over his shoul-
ders on his favourite bamboo. These chests are often

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Chap. XV. ROUTE OP TEAS. 263

much knocked about during the journey orer the
steep and rugged mountains, as it is frequently neces-
sary to rest them on the ground, which is often wet
and dirty. The finest teas, however, as I have already
stated, are never allowed to touch the ground, but
are carried on the shoulders of the coolies.

The distance from Tsong-gan-hien to Yuen-shan is
220 le, or to Hokow 280 le. A merchant can per-
form it in his chair in three or four days, but coolies
heavily laden with tea-chests require at least five
or six days.

In the country about Yuen-shan and Hokow —
that is, on the northern side of the great mountain
range — a large quantity of tea is cultivated and
manufactured for the foreign market Thousands of
acres were observed under tea-cultivation, but appa-
rently the greater part of this land had been cleared
and planted within the last few years. The teas
made here, as well as those on the southern side of the
Bohea mountains, are brought to Hokow on their
way to one of the ports of exportation. What are
called Moning or Ning-chow teas, made in a country
further to the westward^ near to the Foyang lake,
are also brought up the river, and pass Hokow on
their way to Shanghae.

The town of Hokow— or Hohow, as it is com-
monly called by Canton men — is situated in lati-
tude 29"^ 54' north, and longitude 116° 18' east. It
stands on the banks of the river Kin-keang,* which

* This is the name the river bears near its mouth. Further up it is
called in the map Long-shiar^ong-ho.

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264 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XV.

rises amongst the hills to the north-east of Yuk-shan^
and, flowing westward, empties its waters into the
Foyang lake. Hokow is a large and flourishing
town, abounding in tea-hongs, which are resorted to
by merchants from all parts of China. Many of
these men make their purchases here, without going
further, while others cross the Bohea mountains to
Tsong-gan-hien. When China is really opened to
foreigners^ and when our merchants are able to go
into the country to make their own purchases of
black teas, Hokow will probably be chosen by them
as a central place of residence, from which they can
radiate to Woo-e-shan and Ning-chow, as well as
to the green-tea country of Mo-yuen, in Hwuy-chow.

The teas, having arrived at Hokow, are put into
large flat-bottomed boats, and proceed on their journey
either to Canton or to Shanghae. If intended for
the Canton market, they proceed down the river in a
westerly direction towards the Poyang lake. Ball
says that they are " conducted to the towns of Nan-
chang-foo and Kan-chew-foo, and then sufler many
transshipments on their way to the pass of Ta-moey-
ling, in that part of the same chain of mountains
which divides Kiang-see from Quan-tmig. At this
pass the teas are again carried by porters; the
journey occupies one day, when they are re-shipped
in large vessels, which convey them to Canton. The
time occupied in the entire transport from the Bohea
country to Canton is about six weeks or two months.*'*

If intended for the Shanghae market, the tea-

* Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea.

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Chap. XV; METHOD OF TBANSPOBT. 265

boats proceed up the river, in an easterly direction,
to the town of Yuk-shan. This place is in latitude
28° 45' north, in longitude 113° 28' east, and distant
from Hokow 180 le. The stream runs very rapidly,
and, upon an average, at least four days are required
for this part of the journey. In coming down the
river the same distance is easily accomplished in one
day.

When the tea-chests arrive at Yuk-shan they are
taken from the boats to a warehouse. An engage-
ment is then entered into with coolies, who carry
them across the country, in an easterly direction,
to Chang- shan, in the same manner as they were
brought from Tsong-gan to Hokow. The town of
Yuk-shan is at the head of a river which flows west
to the Poyang lake, while that of Chang shan is
situated on an important river which falls into the
bay of Hang-chow on the east. The distance across
the country from one town to the other is about 100 le.
Travellers in chairs accomplish it easily in one day, but
coolies laden with tea-chests require two or three days.

When the teas arrive at Chang-shan they are put
into boats and conveyed down the river. The dis-
tance from Chang-shan to Hang-chow is about 800
le, and as it is all down-stream it may be performed
in five or six days with perfect ease. At Hang-chow
the chests are transshipped from the river boats to
those which ply upon the canals, and in the latter
are taken on to Shanghae. The distance from Hang-
chow-foo to Shanghae is 500 le, and occupies about
five days.

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266 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

We have traced in this manner the route which
the black teas travel on their way from Woo-e-shan
to Shanghae. The distance travelled and time occu-
pied will stand thus : —

Lb. Dftjs.

Tsong-gan-liien to Hokow 280 6

Hokow to Yuk-shan 180 4

Tok-shan to Chang-shan 100 3

Chang-shan to Hang-chow-foo 800 6

Hang-chow-foo to Shangbae 600 5

Total 1860 24

Three le are generally supposed to be equal to one
English mile, and in that case the exact distance
would be, of course, 620 miles. I am inclined, how-
ever, to think that there are more than three le to a
mile, perhaps four, or in some parts of the country
even five. If this is the case we may be possibly
nearer the mark if we estimate the whole distance at
400 miles. In calculating the time it will be neces-
sary to allow about four days for time consumed
in changing boats, for bad weather, &c. This will
make the whole journey occupy 28 days, which is
about the average time.

With regard to the next item in my account, —
namely, the cost and expenses upon these teas, — ^I
must confess that I cannot speak with the same con-
fidence of accuracy as I have done on the previous
items. Having myself travelled up and down their
rivers, and over their mountains, I was in no neces-
sity of depending at all upon Chinese statements
having reference to distance or time. Their state-
ments upon all subjects, and especially upon those

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Chap. XV. EXPENSES OP TRANSIT. 267

relating to the interior of their country, must be
received with a great degree of caution. I have,
however, been favoured with the assistance of Mr.
Shaw, of Shanghae, who adds to his abilities as a
merchant a knowledge of the Chinese language,
which enabled him to give me valuable aid in the
item of eocpense.

In the first place, let us examine the expenses
upon what is called good common Congou. By
this is meant such tea as was selling in England in
December, 1848, at about Sd. per pound. This tea
was sold in Shanghae at about 12 taels per picul in
1846, 11 taels in 1847, from 9 to 10 taels in 1848,
and 11 taels in July, 1849. These prices included
the export duty.

I will suppose this tea to be brought from the
town of Tsong-gan-hien by the route which I have
already described. The expenses for coolie and boat
hire upon it will be nearly as follows : —

TBong-gan-hien to Hokow (by land) .
Hokow to Yuk-shan (by water) . . .
Tuk-sban to Cbang-shan (by land) . .
Chang-sban to Hang-chow-foo (by water)
Expenses for coolies at Hang-chow-foo .
BUmg-cbow-foo to Shanghae (by water)

Total for carriage . .

Ctfh.

800 per dhest.
150
400
200
10
180

1740

1740 cash per chest would amount to 2718 cash
per picul, which, converted into silver, would be
about 1 dollar 80 cents, or L359 taels. To this sum
must be added the cost of tea in the tea-country, the
expenses of the wholesale dealers for inspection, char-

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268 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

coal, and labour in extra firing, the cost of the chest
and packing, and custom-house and export duties.

Such tea as that above referred to is sold by the culti-
vators and small farmers at about 80 cash a catty,
which is equal to 4 taels per picul. The following
table will show the total amount of these expenses : —

Cost of tea at 80 cash per catty ... 4 taels per picul.

. Do. of chest and packing 0*847 „

Wholesale dealer's extra expenses . . 1 „

Carriage, as above 1*359 ,»

Haug-chow-foo custom-house . . . 0*037 „

Export duty at Shanghae 2*530 „

9*773

If these different items are as correct as I believe
them to be, it would appear that the profit upon
common teas is very small, so small indeed as to
make it a matter of doubt whether they will ever be
produced at a reduced rate.

' It must be borne in mind, however, that all the
expenses just enumerated, excepting the original cost
of tea, are as heavy upon the common kinds as upon
those of a finer quality, for which much higher prices
are paid. Take for example the good and middling
Ohows, and finest teas, which sold in Shanghae, De-
cember 1846, at from 20 to 28 taels, long price;*
in 1847 at 18 to 26 taels; in 1848 at 14 to 22
taels; and in July 1849 at 16 to 25 taels per picul.
Such tea in November 1847 was worth firom Is. to
Is. 4d. per lb. in England.

These fine teas are said to be sold by the small
farmers to the dealers at, on an average, 160 cash a

• Long price "I. p." means that the export duty is included.

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Chap. XV. COST AND EXPENSES. 269

catty, a sum probably higher than that which is
actually paid. But suppose 160 cash per catty is
the original cost, the matter would stand thus : —

Cost of tea at 160 cash per catty ... 8 taels per picul.
Total charges, as before, less the cost of tea 5*773 „

13-773

In round numbers, the whole cost of bringing these
fine teas to the port of Shanghae is 14 taels. The
average price received from the English merchant
during these four years appears, from the above
prices, to have been about 22 taels, thus showing a
clear profit of 8 taels per picul.

Before drawing our conclusions, however, it may
be proper to mention that in the years 1846 and
1847 the trade in Shanghae was chiefly carried on
by barter, which was managed through some Canton
brokers then resident in Shanghae. Under these
circumstances, it was difficult for any one not in the
brokers' secret to say what was the exact sum paid to
the Tsong-gan tea-dealer. It was probably, however,
something considerably less than what it appears to
have been by the above statements. Again, it is to
be remarked that in 1848, when the prices were
firom 14 to 22 taels, the Chinese complained that
they were ruinously low. But the average of even
these prices would be 18 taels, thus showing an aver-
age profit of 4 taels per picul. Considering that this
large trade is in comparatively few hands, even this,
the lowest class of profits, must amount to a very
large sum. It seems even a question whether the

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270 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XV.

Chinese dealers and brokers could not be amply
remunerated by a lower price than any yet quoted.

The above statements would seem to show that it is
greatly to the interest of the Chinese merchant to en-
courage the production of the finer classes of tea, those
being the kinds upon which he gets the largest profits.

I have now shown in detail the cost of the differ-
ent classes of tea in the tea country, the distance
which it has to travel before it reaches the seaport
towns, and the total expenses upon it when it reaches
the hands of the foreign merchant. It forms no part
of my plan to say what ought to be a suflBicient remu-
neration for the Chinese tea-dealer or broker ;* but if
the above calculations are near the truth, we may
still hope to drink our favourite beverage, at least the
middling and finer qualities of it, at a price much
below that which we now pay.

While I encourage such hopes, let me confer a boon
upon my countrjrwomen, who never look so charm-
ing as at the breakfast-table, by a quotation or two
fipom a Chinese author's advice to a nation of tea-
drinkers how best to make tea. "Whenever the
tea is to be infused for use," says Tiing-po, " take
water from a running stream, and boil it over a lively
fire. It is an old custom to use running water boiled
over a lively fire ; that from springs in the hills is
said to be the best, and river-water the next, while
well-water is the worst. A lively fire is a clear and
bright charcoal fire.

* I do not think the small farmer and manipulator is overpaid ; the
great profits are received by the middlemen.

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Cbat. XV. TUNG-PO'9 DIRECTIONS AND OPINIONS. 271

" When making an infusion, do not boil the water
too hastily^ as first it begins to sparkle like crabs'
eyes, then somewhat like fish's eyes, and lastly it
boils up like pearls innumerable, springing and waving
about. This is the way to boil the water.*'

The same author gives the names of six different
kinds of tea, all of which are in high repute. As
their names are rather flowery, I quote them for
the reader's amusement They are these : the " first
spring tea," the "white dew," the "coral dew," the
"dewy shoots," the " money shoots," and the "rivulet
garden tea."

" Tea," says he, " is of a cooling nature, and, if
drunk too freely, will produce exhaustion and lassi-
tude ; country people before drinking it add ginger
and salt to counteract this cooling property. It is an
exceedingly usefiil plant ; cultivate it, and the benefit
will be widely spread ; drink it, and the animal spirits
will be lively and clear. The chief rulers, dukes, and
nobility esteem it ; the lower people, the poor and
beggarly, will not be destitute of it ; all use it daily,
and like it." Another author upon tea says that
" drinking it tends to clear away all impurities, drives
off drowsiness, removes or prevents headache, and it
is universally in high esteem."

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272 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XVI.

CHAPTER XVI.

Geography of the tea-shrub — Best tea districts of China — Names of
tea-plants — Black and green tea made from the same variety — My
Chinamen asked to make tea from Pongamia glabra — They suc-
ceed ! — Difference between black and green tea depends upon mani-
pulation — Method of making green tea — Of making black — Dif-
ference in the manipulation of the two kinds — Mr. Warrington's
remarks on this subject — A familiar illustration — The tea-plant

— Inferior teas made from Thea hohea — Best teas made from Thea
viridis — The Woo-e-shan variety — The tea-plant affected by cli-
mate and reproduction — Tea cultivation in America and Australia

— In English gardens.

The cultivation of the tea-shrub, although confined,
until very lately, to the eastern parts of Asia, is
carried on over a lai^e tract of country. Thunberg
informs us that it grows plentifully in Japan both in
a wild and cultivated state, and Dr. Wallich says that
it is found in Cochin China. I have met with it in
cultivation in China, from Canton in the south up to
the 31st degree of north latitude, and Mr. Reeves
says it is found in the province of Shan-tung, near the
city of Tang-chow-foo, in latitude 36° 30' north.

The principal tea districts of China, however, and
those which supply the greater portion of the teas
exported to Europe and America, lie between the
25th and 31st degrees of north latitude, and the best
districts are those between 27° and 31°.

The plant in cultivation about Canton, from which

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Chap. XVI. NAMES OP TEA-PLANTS. 273

the Gauton teas are made, is known to botanists as
the Thea bohea, while the more northern variety,
found in the green-tea country, has been called Thea
viridis. The first appears to have been named upon
the supposition that all the black teas of the Bohea
mountains were obtained from this species, and the
second was called mndis because it furnished the
green teas of commerce. These names seem to have
misled the public, and hence many persons, until a
few years back, firmly believed that black tea could
be made only from Thea hohea^ and green tea only from
Thea viridis.

In my * Wanderings in China,' published in 1846,
I made some observations upon the plants from which
tea is made in diffierent parts of China. While I
acknowledged that the Canton plant, known to bota-
nists as Thea bohea^ appeared distinct from the more
northern one called Thea viridisj I endeavoured to
show that both black and green teas could be made
from either, and that the difference in the appearance
of these teas, in so far as colour was concerned, de-
pended upon manipulation, and upon that only. In
proof of this I remarked that the black-tea plant
found by me near Foo-chow-foo, at no great distance
from the Bohea hills, appeared identical with the
green-tea plant of Chekiang.

These observations were met by the objection, that,
although I had been in many of the tea districts near
the coast, yet I had not seen those greater ones inland
which furnish the teas of commerce. And this was
perfectly true. The same objection can hardly be

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274 TEA DISTRICTS OF CfflNA. Chap. XVI.

urged now, however, as I have visited both the green-
tea country of Hwuy-chow, and the black-tea districts
about Woo-e-shan, and during these long journeys
I have seen no reason to alter the opinions I had pre-
viously formed upon the subject

It is quite true that the Chinese rarely make the
two kinds of tea in one district, but this is more for
the sake of convenience and from custom than for any
other reason. The workmen, too, generally make
that kind of tea best with which they have had most
practice. But while this is generally the case in the
great tea districts, there are some exceptions. It is
now well known that the fine Moning districts near
the Poyang Lake, which are daily rising in import-
ance on account of the superior character of their
black teas, formerly produced nothing else but green
teas. At Canton green and black teas are made finom
the Tliea bohea at the pleasure of the manufacturer,
and according to demand.

But I must relate an occurrence that took place on
my arrival at Calcutta, which is more curious than
the making of black and green teas from one variety
or species of the tea-plant. I was then on my way to the
Government tea plantations in the north-west provinces
of India, with six Chinese tea-manu&cturers, and a
large supply of plants and implements used in making
tea. Dr. Falconer, of the Calcutta garden, with
whom we were staying for a few days, expressed a
wish to see the process of tea manufacture, and asked
me to communicate his wishes to the Chinamen. He
also invited the late Mr. Bethune and some other

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Chap. XVI. TEA FROM PONGAMIA GLABRA. 275

friends to witness the operation. I told the Chinese
what was proposed, and desired them to unpack a
sufficient number of implements for the purpose.
This was soon done, a little furnace built, and two
pans fixed above the fireplaces, exactly as they are
seen in the manufactories in China.

Thus far everything went on well, but where were
the tea-leaves to be procured ? There were none in
the Calcutta garden, nor in any place nearer than the
Himalayas. ^^ How can we make tea without tea-
leaves ?" said the astonished Chinamen. I now ex-
plained to them that Dr. Falconer and his friends
wanted to see the mode of manipulation only, that the
article so made was to look at, not to drink, and that
they must go out into the garden and try to find a
substitute for tea*leaves. This explanation being
deemed satisfactory, they went out to examine the
trees of the garden. In a short space of time they
returned bringing several parcels of leaves, one of
which proved to belong to Pongamia glabra^ and
seemed the most likely to suit the purpose. Orders
were now given to some of the natives to collect a
large quantity of these leaves and bring them into
the room which had been fitted up for the occasion.

In the mean time the Chinamen had the fires lighted
and everything in readiness to commence operations.
The leaves were now thrown into the pans and heated
for a few minutes, then taken out and rolled, then
shaken out thinly on bamboo trays to dry off the super-
fluous moisture, and finally thrown again into the pans
and tossed about by the hand until perfectly twisted

T 2

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276 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XVI.

and dry. They were afterwards sifted and sorted into
the various kinds known as hyson skin, hyson, young
hyson, imperial, and gunpowder. Some of the sorts
were refired several times, and portions of some of
them were coloured. When the operations were
completed, the samples were so like the teas of
commerce, that nineteen persons out of twenty would
never have suspected them to be anything else.
Here, then, were very fair-looking green teas made
from the leaves of a large tree, as unlike the tea-
shrub as it could well be. And an article as
closely resembling black tea could have been just as
easily made out of these leaves.

It is not my intention to enter minutely into the
subject of the manipulation of black and green teas,
but I will point out, in as few words as possible, the
method of treating each kind during the process of
manufacture. These methods, it will be observed,
differ from each other in some material points, which
are quite sufficient to account for the difference in
colour. It is scarcely necessary to remark that both
kinds of tea are gathered from the bushes in the same
way, and are made from the same description of
leaves, namely, those which are young and lately
formed.

Green tea. — When the leaves are brought in from
the plantations they are spread out thinly on flat
bamboo trays, in order to dry off any superfluous
moisture. They remain for a very short time exposed
in this manner, generally from one to two hours ; this
however depends much upon the state of the weather.

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Chap. XVI. MAKING GREEN TEA. 277

In the mean time the roasting-pans have been heated
with a brisk wood fire. A portion of leaves are now
thrown into each pan and rapidly moved about and
shaken up with both hands. They are immediately
affected by the heat, begin to make a crackling noise,
and become quite moist and flaccid, while at the same
time they give out a considerable portion of vapour.
They remain in this state for four or five minutes, and
are then drawn quickly out and placed upon the rolling
table.

The rolling process now commences. Several men
take their stations at the rolling table and divide the
leaves amongst them. Each takes as many as he can
press with his hands, and makes them up in the form
of a ball. This is rolled upon the rattan worked
table, and greatly compressed, the object being to get
rid of a portion of the sap and moisture, and at the
same time to twist the leaves. These balls of leaves
are frequently shaken out and passed from hand to
hand until they reach the head workman, who examines
them carefully to see if they have taken the requisite
twist When he is satisfied of this the leaves are
removed from the rolling table and shaken out upon
flat trays, until the remaining portions have undergone
the same process. In no case are they allowed to
lie long in this state, and sometimes they are taken at
once to the roasting-pan.

Having been thrown again into the pan, a slow and
steady charcoal fire is kept up, and the leaves are
kept in rapid motion by the hands of the workmen.
Sometimes they are thrown upon the rattan table

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278 TEA DISTRICTS OP CamA. . Chap. XVI.

and rolled a second time. In about an hour or an
hour and a half the leaves are well dried and their
colour has become ^fiwed, that is, there is no longer any
danger of their becoming black. They are of a dullish
green colour, but become brighter afterwards.*

The most particular part of the operation has now
been finished, and the tea may be put aside until a
larger quantity has been made. The second part of
the process consists in winnowing and passing the tea
through sieves of different sizes, in order to get rid of
the dust and other impurities, and to divide the tea
into the different kinds known as twankay, hyson
skin, hyson, young hyson, gunpowder, &c. During
this process it is refired, the coarse kinds once, and
the finer sorts three or four times. By this time
the colour has come out more fully, and the leaves
of the finer kinds are of a dull bluish green.

It will be observed, then, with reference to green
tea — 1st, that the leaves are roasted almost imme-
diately afler they are gathered ; and 2nd, that they
are dried off quickly after the rolling process.

Black tea. — When the leaves are brought in from
the plantations they are spread out upon lai^e bamboo
mats or trays, and are allowed to lie in this state for
a considerable time. If they are brought in at night
they lie until next morning.

The leaves are next gathered up by the workmen
with both hands, thrown into the air and allowed to
separate and fall down again. They are tossed about
in this manner, and slightly beat or patted with the

* I am not now alluding to teas which are coloured artificially.

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Chap. XVL MAKING BLACK TEA. 279

handsy for a considerable space of time. At length,
when they become soft and flaccid, they are thrown
in heaps and allowed to lie in this state for about an
hour or perhaps a little longer. When examined at
the end of this time, they appear to have undergone
a slight change in colour, are soft and moist, and emit
a fragrant smell.

The next part of the process is exactly the same
as in the manipulation of green tea. The leaves are
thrown into an iron pan, where they are roasted for
about five minutes and then rolled upon the rattan
table.

Aft;er being rolled, the leaves are shaken out,
thinly, on sieves, and exposed to the air out of doors.
A framework for this purpose, made of bamboo, is
generally seen in front of all the cotts^es amongst
the tea-hills. The leaves are allowed to remain in
this condition for about three hours : during this time
the workmen are employed in going over the sieves
in rotation, turning the leaves and separating them
from each other. A fine dry day, when the sun is
not too bright, seems to be preferred for this part of
the operation.

The leaves, having now lost a large portion of their
moisture, and having become reduced considerably
in size, are removed into the factoiry. They are put
a second time into the roasting-pan for three or four
minutes, and taken out and rolled as before.

The charcoal fires are now got ready. A tubular
basket, narrow at the middle and wide at both ends,
is placed over the fire. A sieve is dropped into this

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280 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVI.

tube and covered with leaves, which are shaken on it
to about an inch in thickness. After five or six
minutes, during which time they are carefully watched,
they are removed from the fire and rolled a third
time. As the balls of leaves come from the hands of
the roller they are placed in a heap until the whole
have been rolled. They are again shaken on the
sieves as before and set over the fire for a little while
longer. Sometimes the last operation, namely, heat-
ing and rolling, is repeated a fourth time : the leaves
have now assumed their dark colour.

When the whole has been gone over in this
manner it is then placed thickly in the baskets,
which are again set over the charcoal fire. The
workman now makes a hole with his hand through
the centre of the leaves, in order to allow vent to any
smoke or vapour which may rise f5pom the charcoal,
as well as to let the heat up, and then covers the
whole over with a flat basket : previous to this the
heat has been greatly reduced by the fires being
covered up. The tea now remains over the slow
charcoal fire until it is perfectly dry ; it is, however,
carefully watched by the manufacturer, who every
now and then stirs it up with his hands, so that the
whole may be equally heated. The black colour is
now fairly brought out, but afterwards improves in
appearance : the after processes, such as sifting, pick-
ing, and refining, are carried on at the convenience of
the workmen.*

* If the reader is desirous of obtaining more information upon this sub-
ject, he should consult Mr. Ball's * Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea.'

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Chap. XVI. MR. WARRINGTON'S REMARKS. 281

It will be remarked, therefore, with reference to
the leaves which are to be converted into black tea, —
1st, that they are allowed to lie for some time spread
out in the factory after being gathered and before
they are roasted; 2nd, that they are tossed about
until they become soft and flaccid, and then left in
heaps, and that this also is done before they are
roasted; 3rd, that after being roasted for a few
minutes and rolled, they are exposed for some hours
to the air in a soft and moist state ; and 4th9 that
they are at last dried slowly over charcoal fires.
The differences in the manufacture of black and green
teas are therefore most marked, and I think fully
account for the difference in colour, as well as for the
effect produced on some constitutions by green tea,
such as nervous irritability, sleeplessness, &c. This
is shown in some observations made by Mr. War-
rington, of Apothecaries' Hall, in his paper which I
have already quoted.

"The question presents itself, then,*' says Mr.
Warrington, alluding to the variation of physical and
chemical properties in green and black teas, "from
whence do these distinguishing peculiarities arise, and
to what are they to be attributed ? From observa-
tions made in other directions, in the course of the
routine work of the establishment to which I am
attached, I had formed in my own mind certain con-
clusions on this subject. I allude to the exsiccation
of medicinal herbs ; these are for the most part nitro-
genous plants, as the Atropa belladonna^ the Hr/os-
cyamus niger^ the Conium maadatumy and others.

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282 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVL

The plants are brought to us by the growers or col-
lectors from the country, tied up in bundles, and
when they arrive fresh and cool they dry of a good
bright green colour ; but on the contrary, it is found
that if they are delayed in their transit, or remain in
a confined state for too long a period, they become
heated, from a species of spontaneous fermentation,
and when loosened and spread open emit vapours,
and are sensibly warm to the hand: when such
plants are dried, the whole of the green colour is
found to have been destroyed, and a red-brown and
sometimes a btachsh-broim result is obtained. I had
also noticed that a clear infusion of such leaves eva-
porated carefully to dryness was not all undissolved
by water, but left a quantity of brovm oxidised ex-
tractive matter^ to which the denomination Apothem
has been applied by some chemists ; a similar result
is obtained by the evaporation of an infusion of black
tea. The same action takes place by the exposure
of the infusions of many vegetable substances to the
oxidising influence of the atmosphere ; they become
darkened on the surface, and this gradually spreads
through the solution, and on evaporation the same
oxidised extractive matter will remain insoluble in
water. Again, I had found that the green teas, when
wetted and re-dried, with exposure to the air, were
nearly as dark in colour as the ordinary black teas.
From these observations, therefore, I was induced to
believe that the peculiar characters and chemical dif-
ferences which distinguish black tea from green were
to be attributed to a species of heating or fermenta-

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Chap. XVI. THE TEA-PLANT. 283

tion, accompanied with oxidation by exposure to the
air, and not to its being submitted to a higher tem-
perature in the process of drying, as had been gene-
rally concluded. My opinion was partly confirmed
by ascertaining from parties conversant with the
Chinese manufacture, that the leaves for the black
teas were always allowed to remain exposed to the
air in mass for some time before they were roasted.'*

Here, then, we have the matter fully and clearly
explained ; and, in truth, what Mr. Warrington ob-
served in the laboratory of Apothecaries' Hall may
be seen by every one who has a tree or bush in his
garden. Mark the leaves which are blown from trees
in early autumn ; they are brown, or perhaps of a
dullish green, when they fall, and yet, if they are ex-
amined some time afterwards, when they have been
exposed to air and moisture in their detached state,
they will be foimd quite as black as our blackest
teas.

I must now make some observations upon the tea-
plant itself. It has already been remarked that two
tea-plants, considered to be distinct varieties, are met
with in China, both of which have been imported into
Europe. One, the Canton variety, is called Thea
bohea ; the other, the northern variety, is called Thea
mndis. The former produces the inferior green and
black teas which are made about Canton, and from
the latter are made all the fine green teas in the great
Hwuy-chow country and in the adjoining provinces.
Until a few years back it was generally supposed that
the fine black teas of the Bohea hills were also made

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284 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVI.

from the Canton variety, and hence its name. Such,
however, is not the case.

When I visited Foo-chow-foo for the first time in
1845, I observed that the tea-plant in cultivation in
that neighbourhood was very different from the Canton
variety, and apparently identical with the Thea viridis
of Chekiang. Foo-chow-foo was not a very great
distance from the Bohea hills, and I had good reasons
for believing that the Bohea plant was the same as
the Foo-chow one ; but still I had no positive proof.
Now, however, having been on Woo-e-shan itself, and
over a great deal of the surrounding country, and
having dried specimens of all these plants before me,
I am better able to give an opinion upon this long-
disputed subject.

I believe that the Woo-e-shan plant is closely allied
to the Thea viridis and originally identical with that
species, but slightly altered by climate. On the
closest examination I was only able to detect very
slight differences, not sufficient to constitute a distinct
variety, far less a species, and in many of the plants
these differences were not even visible. The dif-
ferences alluded to were these — the Woo-e plant
showed less inclination to throw out branches than the
Hwuy-chow one, and its leaves were sometimes rather
darker and more finely serrated.

But it is possible to go into a tea-plantation in any
part of China, and to find more marked distinctions
amongst its plants than these I have noticed. The
reason of this is obvious. The tea-plant is multiplied
by seed like our hawthorns, and it is perfectly im-

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Chap. XVI. CLIMATE AND REPRODUCTION. 285

possible that the produce can be identical in every
respect with the parent Instead therefore of having
one or two varieties of tea-plant in China, we have in
fact many kinds, although the difference between
them may be slight. Add to this, that the seeds of
this plant are raised year after year in different cli-
mates, and we shall no longer wonder that in the
course of time the plants in one district appear
slightly different from those of another, although
they may have been originally produced from the
same stock.

For these reasons I am of opinion that the plants
of Hwuy-chow and Woo-e are the same species, and
that the slight differences observed are the results
of reproduction and difference of climate.

With regard to the Canton plant — that called
Thea bohea by botanists— different as it appears to
be, both in constitution and habit, it too may have
originally sprung from one and the same species.

These changes, however, do not alter the com-
mercial value of those plants found cultivated in the
great tea-countries of Fokien and Hwuy-chow, where
the finest teas are produced ; for, while the tea-shrub
may have improved in the course of reproduction in
these districts, it may have become deteriorated in
others. For this reason seeds and plants ought
always to be procured from these districts for trans-
mission to other parts of the world where it is
desirable to grow tea.

Of late years some attempts have been made to
cultivate the tea-shrub in the United States of Ame-

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286 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVL

rica, and also in our own Australian colonies.* I
believe all such attempts will end in failure and
disappointment. The tea-plant will grow wherever
the climate and soil are suitable, and, were it merely
intended as an ornamental shrub, there could be no
objections to its introduction into those countries.
But if it is introduced to be cultivated as an object
of commercial speculation, we must not only inquire
into the suitableness of climate and soil, but also into
the price of labour. Labour is cheap in China. The
laboinrers in the tea-countries do not receive more
than twopence or threepence a day. Can workmen
be procured for this small sum either in the United
States or in Australia ? And if they cannot be hired
for this sum, nor for anything near it, how will the
manufacturers in such places be able to compete with
the Chinese in the market ?

The tea-plants of China are common enough in
this country. In the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew
they have been growing in the open air for some
years. They are also to be met with in many other
gardens, and almost in every nursery. They are
pretty evergreen bushes, and produce a profusion
of single white flowers in the winter and spring,
about the time that camellias are in bloom. It is
not, however, for the beauty of then* flowers that
they are grown — ^although there is much in them to
admire — ^but on account of their being the plants
which produce our favourite beverage.

* I shall have to speak of tea cultivation in India in a future
chapter.

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Chap. XVI. THE TEA-PLANT IN ENGLAND. 287

Those persons in England who possess tea-plants,
and who cultivate them for pleasure, should always
bear in mind that, even in the tea-districts of China,
this shrub will not succeed when planted in low wet
land : and this is doubtless one of the reasons why so
few persons succeed in growing it in this country. It
ought always to be planted on a warm sloping bank,
in order to give it a fair chance of success. If some
of the warm spots of this kind in the south of Eng-
land or Ireland were selected, who knows but our
cottagers might be able to grow their own tea? at
all events they might have the fragrant herb to look
upon.

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288 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XVIL

CHAPTER XVIL

Inn at Pouching-hien — Opium-smokers and gamblers — Value of life
in China — A midnight disturbance — Sing-Hoo fights with a joss-
stick — DiflBculty of procuring men next day — Sing-Hoo carries the
luggage, and we march — His bamboo breaks — Scene amongst
beggars — Description of beggars in China — A "king of the
beggars*' — Charity always given — I continue my journey —
Mountain passes and Buddhist temples — A border town and Tartar
guard — We are inspected and allowed to pass on.

Having left tea. and the tea-hills behind me, I shall
now go on with my narrative. When I arrived at
the city of Pouching-hien it was nearly dark. It
had been raining heavily all the afternoon, and, being
wet and uncomfortable, I was glad of the shelter
afforded by a Chinese inn. The one which I entered
did not appear to be so respectable as I could have
wished, and I would have left it and sought another
had the weather been better, but as the night was so
wet I determined to stop where I was.

The chair-bearers and coolie, who had been re-
engaged at Woo-e-shan, had now arrived at the end
of their journey, according to agreement, and in-
tended returning home again next day. They gene-
rally took care to be paid the proportion of then* fare
at the end of each day's journey, and I now desired
Sing-Hoo to pay them the remainder and get rid of
them as soon as possible. He informed me he had

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Chap. XVII. INN AT POUCHING-HIEN. 289

done so, but that tbey intended to remain in the same
inn with ourselves for the night.

A hot dinner was at length placed upon the table.
Rough and unpalatable as this would have appeared
in other circumstances, I was now so accustomed to
the Chinese style of living, that what was placed
before me seemed tempting enough, and I believe I
did full justice to it. My chair-bearers, having re-
ceived their wages, were now seated at a side-table
in another room absorbed in the mysteries of gam-
bling, and Sing-Hoo was quietly smoking his pipe
with the landlord. A number of other travellers were
also loitering about, some of whom had an appearance
which did not produce a favourable impression on
me. They were evidently opium-smokers, from the
sallow colour of their cheeks, probably gamblers, and
altogether such characters as one would rather avoid
than be on intimate terms with.

It still continued to rain heavily, and as all out of
doors seemed dark and dismal, and all within unin-
viting, I retired early to rest. Tired with the ex-
ertions of the day, I was soon fast asleep in spite of
my suspicious inn and strange companions. It might
have been about midnight when I was awakened by
the sounds of angry voices, and amongst them I could
distinguish those of my chair-bearers and Sing-Hoo.
I jumped up with strong suspicions that something
serious was about to happen to us. The noise still
increased, and, from the scuffle which reached my
ears, I feared they were seizing my servant with the in-
tention of robbing us, and perhaps of taking our lives.

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290 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVn.

Human life is not much valued in some parts of the
country, and the province of Fokien does not bear a
high character, and for aught I knew I might be in a
den of thieves and robbers. Sing-Hoo, but a short
time before, had been telling me of an occurrence
which took place in the wild mountain country be-
tween Hoo-chow-foo — the famous silk town — and
Hwuy-chow, his native place. Four travellers, he
said, took up their quarters one evening in an inn on
the roadside. They called for a good dinner, and
afterwards smoked opium and gambled until nearly
midnight. Next morning three of them paid their
bills of fare and took their departure, but the fourth
was nowhere visible. His body was afterwards found
in a pit near the house, doubled up in his own box,
and from its appearance there was no doubt the man
had met with a violent death from the hands of his
companions.

With this story in my mind, I could not endure
the suspense any longer, and throwing on my clothes
I opened the door and walked into the place where
the disturbance was. What I saw was quite sufficient
to alarm a bolder man, and yet there was something
in it laughable too. Eight or ten stout fellows, in-
cluding the chair-bearers, were attacking my servant,
who was standing, like a tiger at bay, up against the
wall of the house. He had a large joss-stick in his
hand which every now and then he was poking at the
faces of those who threatened to close with him. The
most adventurous sometimes got a poke which sent
them back, cursing and swearing, rather faster than

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Chap. XVII. MIDNIGHT DISTURBANCE. 291

they came. The whole scene brought vividly to my
mind Bailie Nicol Jarvie's fight with the red-hot
poker, so admirably described by Sir Walter Scott.

Had I been an uninterested spectator, I might
have enjoyed a hearty laugh at the scene before me ;
but I was in the midst of a strange country and
hostile people^ and, being the weaker jparty, I felt
really alarmed. The only weapon in my possession
was a small pocket-pistol, one of those which are
loaded by unscrewing the barrel. Thinking that if
matters came to the worst this might be of some use,
either in frightening our assailants or in saving my
life, I went back to my bed-room and got it out.
When I examined it I found that the wet had
rusted the barrel, and it would not unscrew ; it was
therefore of no use.

The noise still continued, and if possible got
louder. I determined, therefore, to present a bold
front, and walked straight in amongst the com-
batants, clearing a space between my servant and the
others, and asked the reason of the disturbance. My
chair-bearers and coolie, who had always treated me
with every respect, immediately fell back in the rear,
grumbling at the same time about some cash which
they had not received. On inquiring into the busi-
ness, I found that Sing-Hoo, Chinaman-like, not con-
tent with what he got from me^ had been trying to
squeeze the chair-bearers and coolie out of 300 cash
— about a shilling of our money. He denied the
accusation most stoutly, but I had no doubt in my
own mind that what the men said was true ; besides

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292 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVII.

I was not going to have a disturbance, and perhaps
lose my life, for a shilling, so I ordered him to pay
the money without further delay.

This had the effect of restoring something like
quietness to the house. I now ordered Sing-Hoo
into my room and shut the door. The business, how-
ever, had gone too far, for the other men were
highly incensed at his conduct, and threatened to be
revenged upon him. For hours after this I could
hear them talking about the matter, even after they
had lain down in their beds. Sing-Hoo listened
eagerly to every word of their conversation, and was
evidently in a state of great alarm. He begged me
to allow a candle to be lighted and kept burning in
our apartment during the night.

In the room next to mine, and only separated from
it by a wooden partition, about a dozen opium-
smokers had taken up their quarters. The soft,
sickening fumes of the drug found their way through
the chinks of the partition, and were most disagree-
able. In a short time the opium began to operate upon
the smokers ; they talked and laughed loudly, and
were evidently in their " heaven of bliss." Sing-Hoo's
affiiir was uppermost in their minds, and it seemed
as if they could think or talk of nothing else. What
madmen might do under the circumstances — ^for mad-
men they were while under the influence of the drug
— ^I could not possibly foresee. This kept me awake
for several hours. At last, however, I dropped off to
sleep, and did not awake until daylight was streaming
into our miserable apartment. All was perfectly quiet

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Chap. XVIL FEAR OP REVENGE. 293

Sing-Hoo was lying on his bed fast asleep with his
clothes on, and the opium-smokers had gone off at
last into the land of dreams.

Kousing Sing-Hoo, I desired him to go and look
after another chair and coolies to take me onwards
across the Bohea mountains into the province of
Chekiang. He returned saying that all was arranged,
and that the men would come to the inn as soon as
they had taken their breakfast. In the mean time we
ordered breakfast, and began to make preparations
for our departure. I felt anxious to leave Pouching-
hien before Sing-Hoo's enemies could put into exe-
cution any scheme of revenge, which I had no doubt
they would attempt if they had time. It turned out
afterwards that my fears were not without foun-
dation.

While we were at breakfast one of the men who
had been engaged in the brawl on the evening before
went out and endeavoured to prevent us from getting
men for our journey. He represented that Sing-Hoo
was a bad man, and, however fair he promised, yet
he would not pay at the end of the journey. He
succeeded but too well, for a message came from the
men who had been engaged informing us that they
declined going.

" Well, you see what you have done by your
foolish conduct," said I to Sing-Hoo ; " it is no use
attempting to get a chair and coolies in this quarter ;
these men will prevent you by every means in their
power." ** Yes," said he, "I see the only way is to
leave this house at once, and cut off all connection

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294 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVH.

with it and with those who were here last night. I
will carry the luggage myself until we have done
this, and then we can easily engage a chair and
coolies as before.*' This seemed the most feasible
plan to adopt, and indeed the only one likely to
succeed under the circumstances in which we were
placed. I therefore desired him to go and purchase
a bamboo and some rope by which he could carry
the luggage on his shoulders. In the mean time I
busied myself in packing up my plants and other
things in as small bulk as possible.

When Sing-Hoo returned with the ropes and bam-
boo, he got the luggage on his shoulders, and we left
the inn, in which we had spent a most uncomfortable
night.

It had been raining heavily for many houis, and
it was now pouring in torrents. The streets were
completely flooded, and almost impassable. We
plunged along, however, and were soon clear of the
city, and on the great north road which leads to the
passes across the Bohea mountains. When about a
mile from the city walls, the bamboo with which
Sing-Hoo was carrying our luggage suddenly snapped
in two, and the whole of our effects were deposited in
the mud and water with which the road was flooded.
This part of the road was in the midst of a rice-field ;
no houses were near into which we could go for
shelter, or where it was possible to purchase another
bamboo.

I confess I felt a strong inclination to lose my
temper, and to give utterance to some ill-natured re-

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Chai*. xvii. a MISFOBTUNE. 295

proaches; but when I looked at my servant, who
stood covered with perspiration and dripping with
rain, I had not the heart to reproach him. With the
broken pieces of the bamboo in his hand, and the
luggage (which included his own packages of grass*
cloth) scattered about in the mud and water, he
looked perfectly miserable.

About half a mile farther on I observed one of
those sheds which are often built across the road in
this country for the accommodation of travellers, and
determined to make for it, as w>; could at least obtain
shelter there from the rain. Shouldering part of the
luggage, and desiring Sing-Hoo to take the re-
mainder, I hurried onwards towards this place of
shelter. These sheds are generally tenanted at night
by beggars, who have nowhere else to lay their heads.
When we entered we found a number of them fast
asleep, and one preparing breakfast. Our arrival did
not seem to attract more notice from them than a
passing glance. Some of the sleepers lazily opened
their eyes, but soon closed them again, and the cook
went on with his culinary preparations.

It being impossible to proceed in the plight we
were now in, I despatched Sing-Hoo back to the town
for a chair and coolies, whilst I remained amongst
the beggars to look after the luggage. Being afraid
that he might fall into the hands of his enemies, who
might detain him, or do him a serious injury, I de-
sired him on no account to go near that part of the
dty where they were. I believe he was fiiUy alive
to the importance of tajkiog these precautions.

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296 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVn.

He left me on his errand, and I sat down amongst
the beggars. Never before had I had the honour of
such company, and I devoutly hope I may never
have again. Some of them were covered with natural
sores, and others with artificial ones ; while the low
forehead, restless eye, and sturdy form of others told
of a mind diseased. All were unshaven, and covered
with dirt and filth. Beggars are nmnerous in China,
and generally belong to three very distinct classes^
The first are really objects of pity, and consist of the
blind, the lame, and others who are covered with
filthy cutaneous diseases ; the second are those who
endeavour to make themselves pitiable objects by
artificial means ; the third and largest class consists
of persons who are weak-minded or insane. The
community of beggars is found scattered over the
empire in large numbers : it has its own regulations
or laws, and there is really a " king of the beggars."
The beggars in China are a privileged class, and, as
they beg firom door to door, seem to demand charity
as their right more than as a favour. They are a
great nuisance to the shopkeepers in large towns,
who cannot get rid of them without giving them alms.
Although a shopkeeper or householder is thus com-
pelled to give a little to each, yet the sums given are
often exceedingly small. The coin of the country is
well adapted to this state of things. A hundred
Chinese copper " cash " are worth only about fbur^
pence of our money, and a beggar rarely receives
more than one cash. Often he gets even less than
this, and in the following curious manner : — In every

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Chap. XVII. CHINESE BEGGARS. 297

string of a hundred cash there are a number of small
inferior ones: these are either given to beggars, or
the beggar lays down one of them for the shopkeeper,
who gives in return one of the usual size, so that in
this case the beggar receives about the value of half
a. cash, or the fiftieth part of a penny! I believe, in
many cases, it is not unusual for the inhabitants of a
city to compound with the heads of this strange com-
munity. When this is done a slip of paper is pasted
on the doorposts of the person who has made this
arrangement, and no beggar troubles him during the
space of time for which he has paid.

Such were the kind of persons with whom I shared
the shelter of a public building on this eventful
morning. They were not inquisitive, but left me to
my own meditations, which were not very pleasant
ones. I had three hundred le of a mountain road
before me ere I could reach the head of the river,
which has one of its sources on the northern side of
the Bohea mountains, and in its course joins the
Green Eiver, which falls into the bay of Hang-chow.
This was a most serious undertaking ; and if I could
not procure a chair I should be obliged to discard the
greater part of my luggage, amongst which were the
tea-plants I had procured on the Woo-e hills. I
began to wish now that I had gone down the river
Min to Foo-chow-foo, instead of coming across these
mountains ; but there was no use in repining, the die
was cast, and I must press onwards.

In about an hour Sing-Hoo returned, bringing a
chair and men, whom he had procured without any

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298 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XVII.

difficulty in another part of the town from that in
which we had spent the night Silently but heartily
I bade adieu to Fouching-hien and the beggars, and
getting into my chair continued my journey.

The road from Pouching-hien to the foot of the
mountains (I was now travelling in a northerly direjs*
tion) led through an undulating country. Rice was
the principal crop in the fields, but considerable quan-
tities of tobacco were cultivated on all the spots a
little higher than the irrigated rice-lands. The tallow-
tree was again met with in great abundance.

Forty le north from Fouching-hien we passed
through a large town, the name of which I neglected
to write down at the time, and which I now forgeL
We stopped here about two hours for refreshment^
and pushing onwards arrived the same evening at a
small place amongst the Bohea mountains, named
Tsong-so. Determined not to run the risk of meet-
ing disreputable company, I ordered Sing-Hoo to go
to the principal inn of the town. The landlord re-
ceived me at the door, and conducted me to the
upper part of the hall, on each side of which the
bedrooms were placed. Having chosen one, and de-
posited my luggage in it, I retinrned to tlie hall and
partook of the usual beverage — ^tea. In due time an
excellent dinner was set before me, and so ended in
a peaceful and agreeable manner a most exciting and
disagreeable day.

The next morning we had an early breakfast,
and then continued our journey. The road was a
good one, but, being entirely mountainous, it was very

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Chap. XVU. MOUNTAIN PASSES AND TEMPLES. 299

fatiguing. We crossed over three passes during tke
day. These mountains, like the Woo-e hills, seem
to be the strongholds of Buddhism. This morning,
on reaching the top of the first pass, I found we were
within the precincts of a temple. It was on the left-
hand side of the road, while on the right there was a
large tea-house for the refreshment of travellers ; a
kind of awning connected the two buildings, and
formed a covered way which served as a protection
from sun and rain.

A young priest, who observed tis, ran and made
a table ready and set tea before me. When I had
finished tea he returned, carrying a large book in his
hand, in which subscriptions for the support of the
temple were entered with the names of the donors.
This he presented to me, and intimated that ^^ the
smallest sum would be thankfully received.'* Sing-
Hoo now explained to him that I was not a Buddhist,
and would not subscribe to the support of that re-
ligion. Giving him a small sum for the tea, and
thanking him for his civility, I took my departure.
He closed the book and carried it off, apparently
perfectly satisfied.

About mid-day we reached the top of another pass
having a temple somewhat like the last, and a large
tea-house or refreshment room attached to it.

We were now on the borders of two provinces,
namely, Fokien and Ghekiang, and had to pass
through a border-town where a number of troops
were stationed. This place is called Ching-che, and
stands on l^e banks of a small mountain-stream

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300 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVII.

which flows to the westward. As we entered the
town I observed soldiers idling about in all direc-
tions ; some were washing their clothes in the river,
others were smoking in the tea-shops, while many
were sitting chatting at the doors. All seemed to
have eager eyes for the passing traveller, whom it
was their duty to examine.

When we had got about half way through the town
we stopped at a tea-shop for refreshment. Sing-Hoo
begged me to remain in my chair until we had passed
the Tartar lines, and I judged it prudent to do so.
During the time we stopped, a mandarin of an inferior
grade came and examined us, and seeing nothing out
of the common way he merely inquired of Sing-Hoo
where we haci come from, and where we were going
to. When he had obtained the requisite information,
he walked away, seemingly perfectly satisfied.

We now crossed the river, which, I believe, here
divides Fokien from Chekiang. Another high hill
was before us, and we began to ascend it soon after
we had crossed the river ; and here an accident hap-
pened, which, had it taken place in the midst of
the town through which we had just passed, might
have been attended with disagreeable results. One
of the bamboo levers of my chair, which I had often
thought rather unsound, suddenly snapped in two,
and the chair came down upon the road. This was
very annoying, yet I felt thankful that it had not
occurred while we were within the Tartar lines.

The chair-bearers said they could procure another
bamboo at some cottages close by, so, leaving Sing-

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Chap. XVII. FREQUENT STORMS. 301

Hoo to look after the lu^age and broken chair, I went
on towards the pass, examining the botany of this re-
markable district by the way. I met again with the
pretty Spircea which I had first seen on the western
ranges of the Bohea mountains. Here also it had
chosen its home at a high elevation, and was never met
with in the valleys, or on the lower sides of the hills.

When I reached the top of the pass I observed my
chairmen and coolies far below. They had evi-
dently got everything right again, and were coming
onward as fast as they could. I waited for them on
the top of the mountain. They said they had been
obliged to pay the sum of 200 cash for a pair of new
bamboos, a sum which I told them should be repaid
to them at the end of their journey. They seemed
very much pleased, and afterwards showed their
gratitude in many little ways.

The day was now far advanced, and we had still a
considerable distance to go before reaching the town
in which we intended to spend the night. Almost
every evening we had had a terrific thunder-storm
amongst these mountains, and several hours of heavy
rain. The clouds were already threatening, so we
pressed on as fast as we could.

The town came at last into view, beautifiiUy situ-
ated in the bosom of the hills. It is called Er-she-
pa-tu. Just as we entered it the storm came on, the
thunder sounded nearer and nearer, large drops of
rain began to fall, and there was no time to lose in
seeking an inn. We soon found a comfortable one,
and spent the night agreeably enough.

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302 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVU.

CHAPTER XVIIL

A oelehrated Buddhist temple — Scenery around it — Its trees and
shrubs — Buddhist worship — Leave the temple — ReOections on
Buddhism — Important station for Christian missionaries — Priva-
tions they would have to endure — Roman Catholics and their
labours — Christian charity — Protestant missionaries — Their views
as to the interior of China — A day-dream of China opened —
Bamboo paper — A mandarin on a journey — Town of Ching-hoo
— Engage a boat for Nechow — Return to Shanghae.

The next day's journey was still mountainous. The
roads, although narrow, were excellent, and showed
the indefatigable industry of the Chinese. I have
already stated that many of these mountain passes
have gates, which are constructed not unlike those at
the entrance to a city. On the borders of Chekiang,
where we now were, I observed three of these gates
on the top of one of the mountains, each placed at
a short distance from the other. A long row of
houses, evidently built as barracks, were observed
between the gates, but all ruinous and unoccupied.
I suppose that troops are thrown into these places
in troubled times only, and that in times of peace
they prefer remaining in the towns or villages below,
to being perched up at a high elevation amongst the
barren mountains.

When we reached the top of this mountain, the
Chinamen told us we should pass a celebrated temple

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Chap, XVIII. A CELEBRATED TEMPLE. 303

on the northern side, which we had now to descend.
This temple, they said, was called Shan-te-Maou,
and was situated amongst the mostbeautifiil mountain
scenery, besides being a famous place for refreshment
and rest. It was evidently a place in high repute
amongst the Chinese, so we pushed on for it, deter-
mining to dine and spend the remaining portion of
the day there. We had not gone very far when our
road led through some beautifiil bamboo woods.
These and other large trees told, in language not
to be mistaken by the Chinese traveller, that we
were within the precincts of the Buddhist temple. ^

Shan-te-Maou is built upon a steep hill-side* As
we approached it, the temples were seen on the right-
hand side of the road, and the refectory on the left,
while the space between was thatched over to afford
protection from the sun and rain. The temples
were in three grand divisions, each rising one behind
the other up the hill-side. They were crowded with
images, many of which were very large. The refec-
tory was also upon a large scale, and was evidently
a source of considerable profit to the priests of Buddha,
who inhabit this mountain. In its centre there was
a large space, roofed over, but open at the sides, and
crowded with tables, forms, and chairs for the guests.
On each side there were kitchens, bake-houses, and
all the appurtenances of a large inn.

As the place was so beautiful, and its productions
so interesting to me, I determined to halt for a day or
two at this temple, before bidding adieu for ever to
the Bohea mountains. The good priests had no

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304 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XYUI.

objections to this arrangement ; on the contrary, they
oflfered me a room in which I could lock up my lug-
gage during the day, and in which I could sleep at
night

The beauty of the scenery around had not been
exaggerated by the Chinese. It was grand and im-
posing. High mountains rose behind the temple,
while in front some glimpses were obtained through
the trees of a wide and fertile valley. Besides the
fine thickets of bamboo, there were in the vicinity of
the buildings some noble specimens of different species
of fir-trees. Amongst them, and most conspicuous,
was the beautiful Cryptomeria^ or Japan cedar, to
which I have more than once alluded in these pages.
It is evidently in high favour with the priests of
Buddha, and well deserves to be so. I observed
also two specimens of evergreen oak {^Quercus sclero-
phylla, and Q. inversd)^ with lai^e and glossy leaves,
not unlike the Portugal laurel at a distance. Amongst
shrubs there were Spircsa callosOj S. Beevesiand,
Hydrangeas^ Azaleas^ wild roses, brambles, &c. In-
sects, too, were most numerous, many of which were
new and hitherto undescribed.

I have remarked that these mountains appear to be
the strongholds of Buddhism. I will now endea-
vour to describe the Buddhist form of worship, which
I witnessed in this temple.

Anxious to see the whole of the service, I took my
station at one of the passages leading to the large
temple a few minutes before the priests assembled.
I had not been there long before an old priest walked

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Chap. XVIII. BUDDfflST WORSHIP. 305

past me to a huge block of wood, carved in the form
of a fish, which was slung from the roof of one of the
passages. This he struck several times with a wooden
pole, and a loud hollow sound was given out which
was heard over all the building. The large bronze
bell in the belfiry was now tolled three times; and
the priests were observed coming from all quarters,
each having a yellow robe thrown over his left shoulder.
At the same time an old man was going round
beating on a piece of square board, to awake the
priests who might be asleep, and to call the lazy
ones to prayer.

The temple to which the priests were hurrying
was a lai^e building, fully 100 feet square, and about
60 feet in height. Its roof was supported by numerous
massive wooden pillars. Three large idols — the
Fast, the Present, and the Future — each at least 30
feet in height, — stood in the middle of the temple.
An altar was in front of them, and more than a
hundred hassocks were on the floor in front of the
altar for the priests to kneel on during the service.
Ranged on each side of this spacious hall were nume-
rous idols of a smaller size ; said to be the repre-
sentatives of deified kings and other great men who
had been remarkable for piety during their lifetime.

Entering with the priests, I observed a man light-
ing the candles placed upon the altar and burning
incense. The smoke of the incense as it rose in the
air filled the place with a heavy yet pleasing perfume.
A solemn stillness seemed to pervade the temple.
The priests came in one by one, in the most devout

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306 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XVm.

manner, — scarcely lifting their eyes from the ground,
and arranged themselves on the right and left sides
of the altar, kneeling on the hassocks, and bending
down lowly several times to the idols. Again the
lai^e bell tolled, — slowly and solemnly at first, then
gradually quicker; and then everything was per-
fectly still.

The priests were now all assembled — about eighty
in number — and the services of the temple began.
I took a seat near the door. The priest nearest to
the altar now rang a small bell, — another struck a
drum ; and the whole eighty bent down several times
upon their knees. One of them then struck a round
piece of wood, rather larger than a man's skull, and
hollow inside, alternately with a large bronze bell.
At this stsige of the ceremonies a young priest stepped
out from amongst the others, and took his station directly
in front of the altar, bowing lowly and repeatedly as
he did so. Then the hymn of praise began. One of
the priests, apparently the leader, kept time by beat-
ing upon the hollow piece of wood, and the whole of
the others sang or chanted the service in a most
mournful key. At the commencement of the service,
the priests who were ranged in front of the altar, half
on the right side and half on the left, stood with their
faces to the large images. Now, however, they sud-
denly wheeled round and faced each other. The
chanting, which began slowly, increased in quickness
as it went on, and when at the quickest part suddenly
stopped. All was then silent for a second or two.
At last, a single voice was heard to chant a few notes

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Chap. XVin. BUDDHIST WORSHIP. 307

by itself, and then the whole assembly joined, and
went on as before.

The young priest who had come out from amongst
the others now took his station directly in front of the
altar, but near the door of the temple, and bowed
lowly several times upon a cushion placed there for
that purpose. He then walked up to the altar with
slow and solemn steps, took up a vessel which stood
on it, and filled it with water. After making some
crosses and gyrations with his hand, he sprinkled a
little of the water upon the table. When this was
done, he poured a little from the vessel into a cup,
and retired slowly from the altar towards the door of
the temple. Passing outside, he dipped his fingers in
the water and sprinkled it on the top of a stone pillar
which stood near the door.

While this was going on the other priests were still
chanting the service. The time of the music fre-
quently changed : — now it was fast and lively, — now
slow and solemn, — ^but always in a plaintive key.
This part of the service being ended, all knelt lowly
before the altar, and when they rose from their knees
a procession was formed. The priests on the right of
the altar filed off to the right, and those on the left to
the left, each walking behind the other up the two
sides of the spacious hall, and chanting as they went
a low and solemn air, time being kept by the tinkling
of a small bell. When the two processions met at
the farther end of the buildmg, each wheeled round
and returned in the same order as it came. The
procession lasted for about five minutes, and then the

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308 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVni.

priests took up their stations in f5pont of the altar, and
the chanting went on as before. A minute or two
after this the whole body fell upon their knees, and
sang for a while in this posture. When they rose,
those on the left sang a part of the service by
themselves, then knelt down. The right side now
took up the chant, and, having performed their part,
also knelt down. The left side rose again, and so
they went on for ten minutes, prostrating themselves
alternately before the altar. The remainder of the
service was nearly the same as that at the commence-
ment

This striking ceremony had now lasted for about an
hour. During the whole time a thick screen had been
hanging down in front of the large door, to keep out
the sun's rays. Just before the conclusion of the
service the curtain was drawn aside, and a most
striking and curious effect was produced. Streams of
ruddy light shot across the temple, the candles on the
altar appeared to burn dimly, and the huge idols
seemed more massive and strange than they had done
before. One by one the priests slowly retired as
solemnly as they came, and apparently deeply im-
pressed with the services in which they had been
engaged. Nearly all the priests adjourned to the
refectory, where dinner was served immediately.
The Buddhists eat no animal food ; but they manage
to consume a very large quantity of rice and vege-
tables. I have been perfectly astonished at the quan-
tity of rice eaten by one of these priests at a meaL
And yet, generally, they look poor and emaciated

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Chap. XVIH. REFLECTIONS. 309

beings, which is probably owing as much to the
sedentary lives which they lead as to the nature of
their food-

On the morning of the third day, after refJreshing
myself with a cup of the pure bohea, probably the
last which I shall drink on these mountains, from
which it gets its name, I bade adieu to the priests and
left the temple. Leaving my men to finish a substantial
meal of rice, I strolled down the hill by myself. The
road had been made in a zigzag manner, owing to the
steepness of the hill. Now I was in a dense tropical-
looking forest, and now by some turning of the road I
obtained a view down into the valley, which was
covered with rice-fields of the most luxuriant green.

Looking up behind me, I got a glimpse of the
temple peeping out from amidst the rich woods which
surrounded it. The sun was shining gaily upon it,
and making the tiled roof sparkle as if covered with
precious stones. It looked more like an enchanted
palace than the dwelling-place of man. And yet it
was melancholy to think that, however fair and
enchanting to look upon, and however beautifiil the
scenery around it, a cloud more dark than the thun-
dercloud rested upon it, for it was but "an altar
erected to the unknown God."

When China is really opened these mountains may
become important stations for the labours of the
Christian missionary. It will doubtless be a sacrifice
of no ordinary kind for men to immure themselves
and their families in such places, far away from any
means of communicating with their friends or rela-

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310 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XYHI.

tions at home. But the Roman Catholic church has
led the way, and amidst many dangers and difficulties
has given us some noble examples of self-denial and
heroism. I know very well that some persons ima-
gine that these men have other objects in view than
the advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom upon
earth. I trust I am a consistent Protestant^ but I
am not one of these who are uncharitable enough to
try to find out other reasons than the true one to
account for the conduct of men who have left all that
is dear on earth — ^firiends, home, and country — ^in
many instances for ever, to preach the Gospel to the
heathen. A good cause can always afford to give
praise where praise is due. I confess it pains me to
hear the labours of these men undervalued, for I
know well what they have to undergo.

The Protestant church has many champions as
bold and undaunted as it had in the days of the Refor-
mation. To these missionaries the way into the heart
of the Chinese empire may not be very clear. They
may not consider it their duty to press beyond the
wide field which exists already at the five ports where
foreigners reside. There is no doubt, however, that
a few years will see a vast change in China ; it may
be that another war and all its horrors is inevitable,
and whenever that takes place this vast country will
be opened up to foreigners of every nation. Then
the Christian missionary will be able to extend his
labours to those far-distant stations amongst the Bohea
hills which I have just been describing. With the
blessing of God these temples may yet be the spots

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Chap. XVm. MISSIONS— A DAY-DREAM. 311

from which the Sun of righteousness shall shine.
The "glad news of the Gospel" may yet be pro-
claimed in them, and spread from hill to valley, and
fit)m valley to hill, until the whole of this vast
country shall hear the glad and joyiul tidings.

While seated at the bottom of the hill under the
shade of a lai^e camphor-tree waiting for my men,
it was pleasant to dream of all these vast changes,
and to picture to the mind future scenes amongst
these mountains. Absorbed in thought, I could
fancy I heard the sound of the sabbath-bell tolling
the hour of prayer — I could almost see the crowds
coming up from the valley dressed in their holiday
attire, and could hear them chanting the beautiful
Morning Hymn : —

" Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run."

While these thoughts were passing through my
mind, my people arrived, and, getting into my chair,
I proceeded across the valley. About a mile below the
temple I observed a manufactory for making paper
out of the bamboo. Large water-tanks were con-
structed in the fields for the purpose of steeping the
bamboo stems. They appeared to be steeped for a
length of time in some solution of lime. They were
then taken out and beaten upon stones until they
became quite sofl, or till all the flinty matter which
abounds in their stems was removed.

After passing through this rice-valley we ascended
another hill, from the top of which an excellent view
was obtained. We were now fairly on the northern

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312 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVni.

side of the Bohea range. The hills appeared to fall
back in all directions, and thus a wide expanse of
valley was exposed to view. We were now near the
source of the river to which we were bound, and in
the evening we arrived at a town named Sha-co,
which is built on both sides of its banks.

We put up for the night at the principal inn of
this town. A young lady, apparently the landlord s
daughter, amused us during dinner, and for several
hours in the evening, by playing upon a stringed
instrument, not unlike a guitar, accompanying it
with her voice. It was really pretty music, and
I believe I enjoyed it as much as the Chinese them-
selves did. During the evening the landlord in-
formed us that he expected a mandarin of high rank
to stay in his house next night. This personage, he
said, was on his way from the court of Peking to
Foo-chow-foo, and runners had been sent on before to
make preparations for his reception.

The next morning I met the old gentleman and
his family at a Buddhist temple on the plain, where
they had stopped to refresh themselves. He had
several women and children with him, besides several
inferior mandarins, and a large number of servants
and soldiers. When we met the cavalcade at the
temple it completely blocked up the road. We were
therefore obliged to wait patiently until they had
finished their meal before we could get on. They
took the road across the Bohea mountains, over
which we had come, and we that to the town of Ching-
hoo, which we reached early in the afternoon. It is

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Chap. XVEI. CHING-HOO. 313

a small bustling town, and a place of considerable
importance, being at the head of one of the branches
of the river which flows into the bay of Hang-chow.
All the traffic carried on between the towns near the
sea, such as Hang-chow-foo» Shanghae, &Co and
those on the eastern Bohea mountains, as Pouching-
hien, must pass through Ching-hoo. All the basket
teas manufactured in the Pouching districts are brought
here on their way to the fertile and populous countries
in the north-east.

As soon as we arrived we went to an inn to dine
and make inquiries r^arding a boat. In this instance
I took care to pay the chairbearers and coolie myself,
not wishing to have another scene like that at Pou-
ching-hien. The men had behaved very well during
the journey, so I paid them, in addition to their
wages, a small sum for the accident that had hap-
pened to the chair ; I also gave them the usual
gratuity for wine, or sam-shoo, which they always
expect on these occasions. They appeared perfectly
satisfied, and, after making many low bows, went their
way back to Pouching-hien.

Sing-Hoo now went out to engage a boat to take
us down the river. While he was absent a barber
came into the room where I was, and politely asked
me if I wanted my head shaved after coming off
such a long journey across the mountains. I need
scarcely say I begged to decline any attention of this
kind. My servant soon came back, bringing a boat-
man with him, whom he had engaged to take us down
to Nechow, a small town near the mouth of the river.

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314 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XVm.

As I glided smoothly and quickly down the river
I looked upon the difficulties and dangers of my
journey as at an end. Although between two and
three hundred miles to the westward of any of the
ports at which foreigners reside, yet the river seemed
like an old friend who had met me at Ching-hoo to
carry me safely home.

Nothing further happened to damp the pleasure of
my journey. On my way down I paid another visit
to the pretty town of Nan-che ; I also stopped a day
at Yen-chow-foo to procure some plants of the weep-
ing cypress for Mr. Beale's garden at Shanghae, and
arrived at last at Nechow.

The route which I had now before me has been
already fiilly described. I arrived at Shanghae in
due time, having been absent on this long journey
nearly three months. Although I had been eating
with chopsticks all this time, I had not forgotten the
use of knives and forks, and I need scarcely say I
heartily enjoyed my first English dinner. The tea-
plants procured in Woo-e-shan reached Shanghae in
good order, and most of them are now flourishing on
the slopes of the Himalayas.

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Chap. XIX. CJOLLECTION OF TEA-PLANTS, ETC. 315

CHAPTER XIX.

Tea-plants, &c., taken to Hong-kong — Shipped for India — I sail
again for the north — Shanghae gardens in spring — " South Gar-
den" — Double-striped peach and other plants — Moutan gardens
— Fine new varieties of the tree-peeony — Chinese method of propa^
gating them — Mode of sending them to Canton — Value there —
Introduction to Europe — Size in England — Azalea gardens —
SMmmia Reevesiana — New Azaleas — The " Kwei-wha " — The
Glycine — Its native hills — Chinese mode of training it — The
yellow Camellia.

In the month of August the weather was excessively
hot. As exposure to the sun at this time of the
year is attended with great danger, and as I had
some hard work before me in the autumn^ I did not
wish to run the risk of being laid up with fever. I
therefore remained quietly under Mr. Beale s hos-
pitable roof until the end of September.

In October and November I procured a large
supply of tea-seeds and young plants from Hwuy-
chow, and from various parts of the province of Che-
kiang. These were all brought to Shanghae in order
to be prepared and packed for the long voyage to
India. When they were all gathered together into
Mr. Beale's garden they formed a collection of great
interest. Here were tea-plants, not only from Silver
Island, Chusan, and the districts about Ning-po,
but also fix)m the far-famed countries of Sung-lo-
shan and the Woo-e hills. A number of Ward's
glazed cases were now got ready for the reception of

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316 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

the plants, and the whole of them were taken down
to Hong-kong under my own care. They were then
divided and sent on to Calcutta by four diflFerent
vessels, in case of accident.

As soon as I had got all the plants put on board I
left Hong-kong again for the north. My object now
was to engage some first-rate tea manufacturers for
the Indian plantations, to procure a supply of the
implements used in the best districts for the manu-
facture of tea, and to get together another lai^
collection of tea-plants.

I reached Shanghae in the month of April, 1850.
The winter had passed away, and spring was just
commencing. Trees and shrubs were bursting into
leaf and flower, birds were singing gaily in every
bush, and all nature was teeming with life and joy.

Taking advantage of the fine weather and a few
days of leisure I determined to make a tour of the
gardens near Shanghae, some of which are of con-
siderable interest.

The first I visited is about two miles from the
south-west comer of the city, and is now well known
to the foreign residents as the " South Garden.'* It
was one of those in which I had found many new
plants on my first visit to China.

This little garden covers about an acre of land,
and is surrounded, like many of these places, by
a ditch, which is connected with canals through which
the tide ebbs and flows. On entering the gate, the
first object which one notices is the gardener's house.
It is a rude building of one story, and contains the

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Chap. XIX. SHANGHAE GARDENS. 317

old couple, two sons with their wives, and a lai^e
number of young children. The Chinese in the
country always live in little colonies of this descrip-
tion. When a son marries, the wife is brought home,
and a portion of the building is set apart for their
use. Here they live together in the most harmonious
manner, and the grandchildren, when they grow up
and marry, occupy a part of the same buildings,
rarely leaving the place of their birth.

" Ah, you have come back !*' " Are you well ?"
"How did the plants get home?*' "Were they
much admired in England?" were the questions
which were rapidly put to me by the old nurseryman
and his sons ; at the same time they brought a chair,
and asked me to sit down under the awning of the
cottage. I told them that most of the plants had
arrived safely in England, that they had been greatly
admired, and that the beautiful Weigela had even
attracted the notice of her Majesty the Queen. All
these statements, more particularly the last, seemed
to give them great pleasure ; and they have doubtless
fancied the Weigela of more value ever since.

This garden contains many of the beautiful plants
introduced by the Horticultural Society of London
from 1843 to 1846. Amongst some pots at the
entrance there were fine plants of the now well-
known Weigela^ the pretty Indigofera decora^ For-
sythia viridissimOy and a fine white variety of Wis-
taria sinensis. Round the sides of the ditch were
many magnificent specimens of Edgeworthia chry-
santhoy and Gardenia florida Fortuniana, growing

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318 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

in the open ground. Some of the Gardenias were
4 feet high and 15 feet in circumference. When
covered with its large camellia-looking blossoms it is
extremely handsome, and at all times forms a pretty
evei^een bush. In a bed in the middle of the gar-
den the white variety of Platt/codon grandijlorus
was in ftdl bloom, and near it another bed of Dklytra
spectabUis. Both these looked very handsome, par-
ticularly the latter ; its large purse-like blooms of a
clear red colour, tipped with white, and hanging
down gracefully from a curved spike, and its moutan-
like leaves, render it a most interesting plant, and one
which will become a great £ivourite in English gar-
dens. Several kinds of roses were growing in pots,
and amongst them the new yellow, or salmon-coloured,
introduced by the Horticultural Society. This rose
deserves more notice at home than it has yet had ;
doubtless it will be more thought of when it is better
known and properly treated. It should be planted
out at the foot of a wall with a southern or western
aspect, and allowed to scramble over it. It grows
rapidly; the flowers are of a striking colour, and
are produced in great profusion. Fine plants of
Viburnum plicaturriy and V. macrocephalumj were
also noticed, both in pots and also in the open
groimd.

I also observed some young plants of the interest-
ing palm-tree {Chamcercps (?) excelsa) which I have
already noticed in the earlier pages of this work. It
is perfectly hardy about Shanghae, and thrives there
unprotected throughout the severest winters. There

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Chap. XIX. DOUBLE-STRIPED PEACH, 319

were other palms, but this was the only one that
seemed hardy.

Here were also some beautiful peach-trees with
double flowers. Two of these have been already
described by Dr. Lindley in the * Journal of the
Horticultural Society/ and named the "double white "
and "double crimson" peaches. But, fine as these
undoubtedly are, there is a third far more beautiful
and striking than either of them. This produces
large double white flowers, which are striped with red
or crimson lines like a carnation. A tree of this
variety in full bloom is one of the most beautiful
objects that can be imagined. Sometimes the branches
" sport," and produce self-coloured flowers — the co-
lours being, in this case, either white or crimson.
This fine tree is now safely in England, and in a few
years it may be expected to produce a marked effect
in our gardens early in spring.

These double peach-trees seem to be particularly
well adapted for forcing, as they form their flower-
buds fully in autumn, and are ready to burst into
bloom with the first warm days in spring. A little
artificial heat, therefore, will bring them into full
flower about the new year, or any time from that
period up to March.

As spring' flowers they are highly prized by the
Chinese. Itinerant gardeners carry them about the
streets for sale in the northern Chinese towns. The
flower-buds are then just beginning to expand ; the
buyer puts them into pots, gives them a little water,
and places them in his window or sitting-room. In a

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320 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIX.

day or two the buds burst, and the little tree is one
mass of bloom. In this state all the three varieties
are very beautiful, but I think the carnation-striped
one is the handsomest of them all.

In the centre of the South Garden there is the
family tomb — a large mound of earth covered with
many pretty flowers. Here the old man's forefathers
for many generations lie buried, and here he will
sleep among the flowers he loved in his lifetime.
This garden contains a good assortment of shrubs and
trees which have been longer known than those I
have enumerated. There are some beds of Reeves'
Spiraea (5. Reevesiana)^ a beautiftil shrub ; the Chi-
nese juniper, Hibiscus syriacusy Wistaria sinensis^
LagerstrosmiaSy plums, and the favourite la-mae (CJu-
monanthiLs\ with which Chinese ladies decorate their
hair.

I had now made the circuit of the garden, and
came to the little wooden bridge by which I entered,
and to the gardener s house. Having rested there, I
walked on to the Moutan Gardens. They are
situated about five or six miles west of Shanghae,
and in the midst of an extensive cotton country. On
the road I met a number of coolies, each carrying
two baskets filled with moutans (tree-paeonies) in fiill
flower, which were being taken to the markets for
sale. When I reached the gardens I found many of
the plants in full bloom, and certainly extremely
handsome. The purple and lilac-coloured kinds were
particularly striking. One, a very dwarf kind, and
apparently a distinct species, had finely cut leaves,

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Chap. XIX. MOUTAN GARDENS. 321

and flowers of a dark velvety purple, like the Tus-
cany rose of our gardens. This the Chinese call the
" black" moutan, and I believe it is the same which
Dr. Lindley has described in the Journal of the
Horticultural Society, and named Poeonia atrosan-
guinea. Another kind, called the " tse,'* or purple,
has double flowers of a large size ; this is probably
the variety reported to have 1000 petals, and which
is said to exist only in the garden of the emperor.
The third is called the " Ian," or blue ; this is a lilac
variety, with flowers of the colour of Wistaria sinensis.
There are others of various shades of purple, per-
fectly distinct from these, and equally fine.

The double whites are also numerous and hand-
some. The largest of these Dr. Lindley has named
P. globosa^ but there are four or five others nearly as
large and double. Some of them have a slight lilac
tinge, which gives a richness to the colour. The
most expensive is one called " wang," or yellow, by
the Chinese: it is a straw-coloured variety, rather
pretty, but not so handsome as some of the others.

The reds (hong) are also numerous. Curiously
enough, those kinds which are common in Canton
and England are rare here. There are about half-a-
dozen new varieties of reds in these gardens : one of
them, called " Van-yang-hong," is the finest flower I
ever saw. The flowers are of a clear red colour,
unlike any of the others, perfectly double, and each
measures 10 inches across. Altogether I numbered
about thirty distinct varieties in these gardens.

Nearly all these fine varieties of the moutan are

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322 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIX*

quite unknown in Canton. This may seem strange
in a country where the people are proverbially fond
of flowers, but the Chinese are so machine-like in aU
their movements, that after a little acquaintance with
them we cease to wonder at the apparent anomaly.
The fact is, the Canton gardens are supplied with
moutans by another district, which lies much fiirther
to the west than Shanghae. From time immemorial
the same gardens have supplied these flowers ; they
came always by the same road and at the same time
of the year. Shanghae, until the close of the last
war, never seems to have had any connection with
Canton in so far as flowers were concerned, con-
sequently these fine varieties of the tree-p»ony never
found their way to the south and from thence to
Europe.

The moutan gardens are numerous, but each is
upon a very small scale. They look more like cot-
tage gardens than anything else, and are managed in
the same way as gardens of this description generally
are, namely, by the members of the family. The
female part of the community seem to take as much
interest in the business as the males, and are very
avaricious and fond of money. I invariably found
that I had to pay a higher price for a plant when
they were consulted on the matter. The soil of
these gardens is a rich loam, well manured, and thus
rendered lighter in texture than that of the surround-
ing country in which the cotton grows.

The propagation and management of the moutan
seem to be much better understood at Shanghae than

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Chap. XIX. THE MOUTAN. 323

in England. Our nurserymen always complain that
they cannot propagate it with facility, and conse-
quently this fine flower is invariably high in price.
The Chinese method is as follows : —

In the beginning of October large quantities of the
roots of a herbaceous paeony are seen heaped up in
sheds and other outhouses, and are intended to be
used as stocks for the moutan. The bundle of tubers
which forms the root is pulled to pieces, and each of
the finger-like rootlets forms a stock upon which the
moutan is destined to be grafted. Having thrown a
large number of these rootlets upon the potting bench,
the scions are then brought from the plants which it
is desirable to increase. Each scion used is not more
than H inch or 2 inches in length, and is the point
of a shoot formed during the bygone summer. Its
base is cut in the form of a wedge, and inserted in
the crown of the finger-like tuber. This is tied up
or clayed round in the usual way, and the operation
is completed. When a large number of plants have
been prepared in this manner they are taken to the
nursery, where they are planted in rows about a foot
and a half apart, with the same distance between the
rows. In planting, the bud or point of the scion is
the only part which is left above ground ; the point
between the stock and scion, where the union is des-
tined to take place, is always buried beneath the sur-
face. Kaempfer states that the Chinese propagate
the moutan by budding ; but this must be a mistake,
as budding is never practised in the country, and is
not understood. He was probably deceived by the

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324 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XEX.

small portion of scion which is employed, and which
generally has only a single bud at its apex.

Many thousands of plants are grafted in this man-
ner every autumn, and the few vacant spaces which
one sees in the rows attest the success which attends
the system ; indeed it is rare that a graft fails to
grow. In about a fortnight the union between the
root and the scion is complete, and in the following
spring the plants are well-established and strong.
They frequently bloom the first spring, and rarely
later than the second, when they are dug up and
taken to the markets for sale. When each has only
one stem and one flower-bud, it is of more value
in the eyes of the Shanghae nurseryman than when
it becomes larger. In this state it is more saleable ;
it produces a very large flower, and is easily dug up
and carried to the market. I could always buy mode-
rately large plants at a cheaper rate than small ones,
owing to these circumstances.

In the gardens of the mandarins the tree-paeony
frequently attains a great size. There was one plant
near Shanghae which produced between 300 and 400
blooms every year. The proprietor was as careful of
it as the tulip fancier is of his bed of tulips. When
in bloom it was carefully shaded from the bright rays
of the sun by a canvas awning, and a seat was placed
in front on which the visitor could sit down and enjoy
the sight of its gorgeous flowers. On this seat the
old gentleman himself used to sit for hours every day,
smoking pipe after pipe of tobacco, and drinking cup
after cup of tea, while all the time he was gaadng on

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Chap. XIX. THE MOUTAN. 325

the beauties of his favourite ** Moutan-wha." It was
certainly a noble plant, and well worthy of the old
man's admiration.

The tree-paBony is found wild on the mountains of
the central provinces of China, and is cultivated as
a garden-plant in all parts of the empire- It is called
the MoU'tan-tchay or Moutan flower, by the natives,
and hence botanists in Europe, retaining the Chinese
name for the species, call it Paeonia moutan. It was
first seen by Europeans in the gardens about Canton,
but it is not indigenous to that part of China. The
Canton gardeners carry on a lai^e trade with the
moutan growers, who bring the plants yearly in boats
from the provinces of Hoo-nan and the western parts
of Kiang-nan, a distance of at least one thousand
miles. This takes place in the winter months when
the plants are leafless and in a state of rest The
roots are packed in baskets, and have scarcely any
soil adhering to them ; in this simple manner they
are distributed over all the empire without suflering
any injupy. On their arrival in the south they are
immediately potted by the purchasers, and, owing to
the difference m the temperature, soon come into
bloom. In the winter months snow is rarely seen on
the hills about Canton or Hong-kong, and oftentimes
the weather is very warm. The change, therefore,
acts upon the plants like a forcing-house, and soon
brings the leaves and flowers to maturity. As soon
as the flower-buds are fairly formed, the plants are
eagerly boi^ht up by the natives to ornament their
balconies, halls, and gardens. The price of each plant

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326 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

depends not upon its size or strength, but upon the
number of flower-buds which it has upon it. The first
thing the Canton nurseryman does, when asked the
price of a moutan, is to count the number of flowers
which it is likely to produce ; if it has only one bud,
it may be worth a quarter of a dollar ; if two, half a
dollar, and so on. This is reasonable enough, when
the circumstances of the case are considered. The
moutan, when brought down into the hot climate of
the south, will not thrive for any length of time.
Being strong and vigorous when received, it blooms
well the first year, but, being deprived of its natural
period of rest — that is, a cold winter — it gets out of
health, and, although it may continue to exist, is ever
afterwards quite worthless as an ornamental flower.
The southern Chinese, therefore, never attempt to
preserve it after it has once bloomed, and hence the
value of the plant to them depends entirely upon the
manner in which it blooms during the first year after
being brought away from its native climate. This
circumstance keeps up the constant yearly trade be-
tween the moutan country and Canton.

According to Loudon, the first plant of the tree-
pseony reached Europe in 1787. In the * Arboretum
et Fruticetum Britannicum' we find the following
notice of it from the pen of that indefatigable author:
— " From Chinese drawings, and from the extrava-
gant praises bestowed upon this plant in the ^ M^
moires sur la Chine,' published by the missionaries,
an ardent desire was excited, in Sir Joseph Banks
and others, to import plants into England ; and, pre-

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Chap XIX. THE MOUTAN IN EUROPE. 327

viously to 1786, Sir Joseph Banks engaged Mr.
Duncan, a medical gentleman attached to the East
India Company's service, to procure a plant for the
Royal Garden at Kew, where it was first received,
through Mr. Duncan's exertions, in 1787*

** One of the largest tree-paeonies within ten miles
of London stood, till lately, in the grounds at Spring
Grove, where it was planted by Sir Joseph Banks.
It was 6 feet or 8 feet high, and formed a bush 8 feet
or 10 feet in diameter, in 1825. South of London
there are equally large plants at Rook's Nest, near
Godstone, Surrey, which were planted in 1818.
North of London the largest plant in the country is
at the seat of Sir Abraham Hume, at Wormleybury,
in Hertfordshire. It is 7 feet high, and forms a bush
14 feet in diameter, after having been planted thirty
years. It stands the winter, in general, very well,
but, if the flower-buds swell too early in February, it
becomes advisable to cover the plant slightly with a
mat. In the year 1835 this plant perfected 320
flowers ; but it has been known to bear three times
that number. In most parts of Scotland the tree-
psBony will grow without protection, and near the sea-
coast nearly as well as in England. The largest
plants are at Hopeton House and in Dalkeith Park.
In Ireland the plant attains a large size with little or
no protection, as will appear by the notice of one
12 feet high at Lord Ferrand's."

A few days after visiting the moutan district I
went to see the azalea gardens, which are equally in-
teresting. About five miles from the city there are

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328 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XIX.

two nurseries, each of which contains an extensive
and valuable collection. They are usually known as
the Pou-shan Gardens, and are often visited by the
foreign residents in Shanghae.

My road led me through a country which is per-
fectly level and in a high state of cultivation. The
deciduous trees were covered with fresh green leaves^
as yet uninjured by the attacks of insects ; wheat and
barley were in the ear, and the air was scented with
the field-bean, which was now in full bloom. Clumps
of trees were dotted over the country, generally di-
vided pretty distinctly into two kinds — deciduous
and evergreen. The deciduous clumps marked the
spots where the villages and farm-houses were situ-
ated; the evei^eens, consisting chiefly of cypress
and juniper trees, were growing about the tombs of
the dead.

Little more than an hour's walk broij^ht me to the
garden I had come to visit. There were no external
marks, such as a name or signboard, to direct the
stranger to the garden ; indeed, a person unacquainted
with the customs of the Chinese would never have
dreamed of finding such a beautiful place as this in
a poor country village. Going up a narrow passage
between two houses, I reached the residence of the
nurserjnoian. He received me with great politeness^
asked me to sit down in his house, and called to one of
his sons to bring me a cup of tea. Having drunk the
refreshing beverage, I walked out with him to inspect
his garden.

In the front of the house three or four flat stages

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Chap. XIX. AZALEA GARDENS. 329

were covered with Japanese plants, of which the old
man had a good collection. A small species of pinus
was much prized, and, when dwarfed in the manner of
the Chinese, fetched a very high price ; it is generally
grafted on a variety of the stone pine. The Azalea
obtusa^ and some varieties of it with semi-double
flowers, were in full flower, and are highly prized by
the Chinese. The colour of this species is much more
brilliant and dazzling in China than I have ever seen
it in England. A beautiful variety, quite new, had
small semi-double pink flowers, which it produced in
great profiision. This will be a great favourite in
England when its merits are known. Its novel
colour, small leaves, and neat habit will render it
most desirable for bouquets and for decorative purposes.
I have named it Azalea amcsna^ and it is now in
England.

On the same stage with this Azalea I observed a fine
new shrub, which I mistook for a holly. It turned
out to be a species of Skimmia, and I observe that
Dr. Lindley has described it as Skimmia japonica.
It is however quite a different plant from that known
by the name in the gardens of this country, and I
propose to call it Skimmia Reevesiana.* It produces
a profusion of whitish flowers, deliciously scented, and
afterwards becomes covered with bunches of red
berries like our common holly. Its glossy ever-
green leaves and neat habit add greatly to its beauty,

* In compliment to John Reeves, Esq., who has introduced many
Chinese plants into this country, and who has been of great service to
me while in China.

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330 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

and will make it a general favourite when it becomes
better known. The Chinese call this the Wang-shan-
kwei, and it is said to have been discovered on Wang-
shan, a celebrated mountain in the districtof Hwuy-cho w.

After looking over the plants upon the stage, I
passed on to the main portion of the nursery, which is
situated behind the house. Here a beautifiil sight was
presented to the eye. Two large masses of Azaleas,
arranged on each side of a small walk, were covered
with flowers of the most dazzling brightness and
beauty. Nor were they common kinds. Generally
they belonged to the same section as A. indica (the
varieties of A. variegata do not flower so early), but
the species so common in Canton and the south were
comparatively rare here. A most beautiflil kind,
having the habit of A. indica and half deciduous, had
its flowers striped with pale blue or lilac lines, and
sometimes blotches of the same colour upon a white
ground. Not unfipequently it " sports " like the double-
blossomed peach already described, and then, in addi-
tion to its carnation-striped flowers, has some self-
colomred purple ones on the same plant. This species
has been named Azalea mttata*

Another species allied to this, which I have named
A. Bealei^ had red stiipes, and a third was mottled and
striped in its flowers, the colours being still the same.
These are all quite new, and they flower early in the
season, fully three weeks or a month before that section
to which A. variegata belongs. A red variety, which
flowers later, is particularly worthy of notice. Its
habit is different from any known species ; its leaves are

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Chap. XIX. THE KWEI-WHA. 331

dark green, shining, and evergreen ; and its flowers
are of a deep clear red, and very large. Each flower
measures from three to four inches in diameter. It is
said to be a Japanese species. Specimens of all these
fine plants are now to be found in English gardens.

Passing over a little wooden bridge, I entered the
third compartment of the nursery, which contained a
collection of the common shrubs of the country.
Along the banks of a ditch, through which the tide
ebbs and flows, there is a row of the Olea fragrans.
This is the famous Kwei-wha of the Chinese, and one
of their most favourite flowers. It forms a good-sized
bush, about as large as a lilac, and flowers in the
autumn. There are three or four varieties, the main
diflFerence between them consisting in the colour of
their blossoms. Those kinds which produce brownish-
yellow flowers are the finest and are most highly
esteemed by the natives. The bushes are seen grow-
ing near all the villages in the north-eastern provinces
of the empire, and are plentifiil in gardens and nurse-
ries. When they are in flower in the autumnal months,
the air in their vicinity is literally loaded with the
most delicious perfume. One tree is enough to scent
a whole garden.

In England we know nothing of the beauty of this
charming plant. But there is no other amongst all
the beautifiil productions of the East which more
deserves our care, or that would more richly reward
it. And I am quite sure that English gardeners have
only to take the subject in hand to ensure the most
complete success. Look at Camellias^ Azaleas^ Gar-

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332 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

deniasy and a host of other things, all natives of China,
and most of them much better grown, and brought to a
greater state of perfection in England than amongst
the Chinese themselves. And why should one of the
most delightful plants of China be so neglected?
All that is required is a span-roofed conservatory,
where the bushes can be planted out in the bed, and
liberally supplied with fresh air. During the summer
months, when they are growing, they must be kept
warm and moist, in order that the young wood may
be well matured. In the autumn let them be kept
rather dry, and give the house little or no artificial
heat during winter. The plants will thus be subjected
to a system of treatment similar to that which they
receive in their native country. In the central and
northern provinces of China, where the plant succeeds
much better than it does in the warmer climate of the
south, the winters are oflen extremely cold. The ther-
mometer (Fahr.) is sometimes within a few degrees
of zero. The summers are very hot : in the
months of June, July, and August, the thermometer
ranges, during the day, between 80 and 100 degrees,
and the weather is generally very wet in May and June.
The flowers of the Kwei-wha are a source of great
profit to the Chinese cottager, as well as to the nur-
serymen, who produce them in large quantities for
the market There is a great demand for them in
all the large towns. Ladies are fond of wearing
wreaths of them in their hair ; they are also dried and
placed in ornamental jars, in the same way as we do
rose-leaves in Europe, and they are used largely for

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Chap. XIX. THE AZALEA. 333

mixing with the finer kind of tea, in order to give it
an agreeable perfume.

In all these gardens the Azalea is propagated
readily and extensively. Layering is the common
method employed, but grafting and striking from
cuttings are also resorted to with success. During
the hot summer months, both young and old plants
are shaded from the mid-day sun. Most of these
new kinds which I have been describing flower early,
that is, in March and April : the section to which the
A. variegata belongs flowers in May. After the
flowering season has passed, the weather is generally
moist, owing to a change in the monsoon. It is at
this period that the plants grow most luxuriantly, and
form their young wood, and this growth is completed
and the wood ripened during the fine summer and
autumn which follow. These northern Azaleas are
exposed to severe colds during the winter. As I have
already observed, the thermometer often sinks to
within a few degrees of zero, and the weather is not
unlike that which we have in England.

The Azalea is indigenous to China, and is found
wild on every hill side, like the heath of our own
country. About Hong-kong and Canton it is usually
found in a wild state high up on the sides of the
mountains, from 1000 to 2000 feet above the level of
the sea. In latitude 25° north, in the province of
Fokien, it is met with in less elevated situations, that
is, from 500 to 1000 feet high ; and when we reach
Chusan, in latitude 30° north, we find it growing
plentiftiUy on the lower sides of all the hills, and

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334 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

never, or at least rarely, at a high elevation. We
thus see how plants, which are naturally fitted for the
temperature of one part of the globe, can accommodate
themselves to another by choosing a higher or lower
situation on the hills.

Although this genus is thus found spreading itself
over a vast tract of country, yet the northern parts
just indicated are evidently those in which it is most
at home. All who have been in the island of Chusan
will remember how beautiful the hill sides and woods
were in the months of April and May, when the
Azaleas were in bloom. Every hill was a garden
gay with flowers, planted and reared by the hand of
Nature herself. Before I saw these hills I thought
nothing could be more magnificent than those goi^eous
displays of Azaleas at our flower-shows, and certainly,
if we look merely at individual specimens, many of
those reared by the skill of English gardeners surpass
those which we find in a state of nature. But Nature
plants and rears with no sparing hand ; her colours
are clear and brilliant, and she is not confined to
greenhouses and flower-tents in which to display her
productions, but scatters them with wild profiision
over the sides of the hills. It is here that she is
inimitable, and it is thus that she produces eflects
which, once seen, can never be forgotten.

Before leaving these Shanghae Azalea gardens, I
must notice one plant which was in flower at the time
I paid this visit to them. It was a specimen of Wistaria
chinensis, in a dwarfed state, growing in a pot The
tree was evidently aged, from the size of its stem. Tt

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Chap. XIX. THE GLYCINE. 335

was about six feet high, the branches came out from
the stem m a regular and symmetrical manner, and it
had all the appearance of a tree in miniature. Every
one of these branches was now loaded with long
racemes of pendulous lilac blossoms. These hung
down from the horizontal branches, and gave the
whole the appearance of a floral fountain.

The Glycine, or Wistaria Chinensisj has been long
known in Europe, and there are large trees of it on
many of our house and garden walls. It was intro-
duced into this country from a garden near Canton,
belonging to a Chinese merchant named Consequa ;
but it is not indigenous to the south of China, and is
rarely seen in perfection there. Indeed the simple
fact of its being perfectly hardy in England shows at
once that it has a more northern origin.

Before the last war with China foreigners were
confined to narrow limits about Canton and Macao,
where they had no means of knowing anything of the
more hardy plants of the north, which they some-
times met with in gardens, and introduced into
Europe. Now, however, we can prosecute our
botanical researches in a country which is nearly a
thousand miles further to the north-east, and at
many other places which lie along that line of coast
The island of Koo-lung-su, for example, near Amoy,
was taken by our troops during the war, ^nd occupied
by them for some years, according to treaty, until a
portion of the ransom-money was paid. It seepied
to have been a place of residence for many of the
mandarins and principal merchants in peaceful times,

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336 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XIX.

and boasted of its gardens and pretty fish-ponds.
When I first saw these gardens they were mostly in
a ruinous condition, and everywhere exhibited the
fatal effects of war. Many beautiful plants, however,
still continued to grow and scramble about over the
ruined walls. Captain Hall, of the Madras army,
who was stationed there for some time, was very fond
of botany, and took great pleasure in pointing out to
me all the plants which he met with in his rambles.
"I have good news for you," said he one morning
when I met him ; " come with me and I will show
you the most beautiful plant on the island. I have
just discovered it It is a creeper, produces fine long
racemes of lilac flowers before it puts forth its leaves,
and is deliciously fragrant." What could it be ? was
it new? would it produce perfect seeds? or could
young plants be procured to send home ? were ques-
tions which rapidly suggested themselves. It is only
the enthusiastical botanical collector who can form an
idea of the amount of excitement and pleasure there
is when one fancies he is on the eve of finding a new
and beautifiil flower. Captain Hall led the way, and
we soon reached the spot where the plant grew.
There had been no exaggeration in his description ;
there it was, covering an old wall, and scrambling up
the branches of the adjoining trees; it bore long
racemes of pea-shaped flowers, and scented the sur-
rounding air with its odours. Need I say it was the
beautiful Wistaria ? But it was not found in a wild
state even at Amoy, and had evidently been brought
from more northern latitudes.

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Chap. XIX. THE GLYCINE. 337

When I reached Chusan, in latitude 30° north, I
found a remarkable change in the appearance of the
vegetation. Tropical forms had entirely disappeared,
or were rarely met with. Although the summers
were as warm, or even warmer, than they were in
the south, yet the winters were nearly as cold as
those we have in England. At this place, and all
over the provinces of Chekiang and Eiang-nan, the
Glycine seemed to be at home. It grew wild on
every hill-side, scrambling about in the hedges by the
footpaths, and hanging over and dipping its leaves
and flowers into the canals and mountain-streams.

But by far the most beautiful effect is produced
when it attaches itself to the stems and branches of
other trees. This is not unfrequent in nature, and is
often copied by the Chinese and introduced into theif '
gardens. One can scarcely imagine anything more
gorgeous or beautiful than a large plant of this kind
in full bloom. Its main and larger branches are
entwined round every branch and branchlet of the
tree, and from them hundreds of small ones hang
down until they nearly touch the ground. The whole
of the branches are covered with flower-buds, which
a day or two of warm weather brings rapidly forward
into bloom. To form an idea of the effect produced
by these thousands of long lilac racemes, one must
imagine a floral cascade, or a weeping willow covered
with the flowers of the Glycine. There are some
large specimens of this kind on the island of Chusan.
One, in particular, was most striking. Not content
with monopolising one tree, it had scrambled over a

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SaS TEA DISTEICTS OF CfflNA. Chap. XIX.

whole cluizip, and formed a pretty arbour undemeaih.
When I saw it last it was in full flow^, and had a
most charming appearance.

The Chinese »e fond of growing the Glycine on
trellis-work, and forming long covered walks in the
garden, or arbours and porticos in frcmt of their doors.
I have already noticed a large specimen of this
description in the garden of the British consulate at
Shanghae. There is another remarkable one in the
garden of a mandarin at Ning-po. Growing in com-
pany with it is the fine new variety introduced lately
by the Horticultural Socjiety of London, and described
in the Journal of the Society^ In icdiage and general
habit the two kinds are nearly alike, bat the new one
bears los^ racemes of pure white flowers. The kind
old gentleman to whom the garden beloi^ed (he is
dead now) allowed me to make layers of this plant
on the top of his house, and during the sununer
months, when I was travelling in other districts, at*
tended to them and watered them with his own
hands. When I saw him about a year ago he told
me he was then nearly eighty years old. One of the
gentlemen who accompanied me (Dr. Kirk, of Shang-
hae), being introduced to him as a medical man, was
asked if he could live one year more. The old man
said he knew he must die soon, but he was most
anxious to live for another year, but feared he should
not His presentiment was but too correct, for the
next time I visited Ning-po, about six months after,
I found the door of the mansion bricked up, and the
gardai neglected and overrun with weeds.

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Chap. XIX. THE YELLOW 0AMELLL4. 339

I visited several other nursery gardens about ten
or twelve miles to the eastward of Shanghae. One
of them contained a very remarkable plant which I
must not omit noticing. Those who have read my
* Wanderings in Chma* may remember a story I told
of my endeavours to find a YeUow Camellia^ — ^how I
offered five dollars for one — ^how a Chinaman soon
found two instead of one — and how he got the money
and I got taken in I

In one of these nurseries, however, I found a
yellow Camellia, and it was in bloom when I bought
it It is certainly a most curious plant, although not
very handsome. The flowers belong to the anemone
or Warratah class ; the outer petals are of a French
white, and the inner ones are of a primrose yellow.
It appears to be a very distinct species in foliage,
and may probably turn out more hardy than any of
its race.

z 2

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340 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XX.

CHAPTER XX.

Safe arriyal of tea^plants in India — Means taken in China to engage
tea manufactarere — I visit Chusan — My lodgings — A mandarin
who smoked opium — His appearance at daylight — A smnmer
morning in Chnsan — An emperor's edict — The Tang-mae —
Beauty of its fruit — City of Ting-hae — Poo-too, or Worshipping
Island — Andent inscriptions in an unknown language — A Chinese
caught fishing in the sacred lake — He is chased by the priests-^
The bamboo again — The sacred Nelumbium — My holidays expire

— Collections of tea-seeds and plants made — Return to Shanghae

— Tea manufacturers engaged — We bid adieu to the north of
China.

During the summer of 1850 I had the satis&ction
of hearing that my collections of tea-plants had ar-
rived safely at Calcutta. Owing to the excellent
arrangements made there by Dr. Falconer, and at
AUahabad by Dr. Jameson, they reached their
destination in the Himalayas in good order. One of
the objects of my mission to China had been, to a
certain extent, accomplished. The Himalayan tea
plantations could now boast of having a number of
plants from the best tea-districts of China, namely,
from the green-tea country of Hwuy-chow, and from
the black-tea country of the Woo-e hills.

I had now, however, what I believed to be a much
more difficult and uncertain task before me. This
was to procure tea manufacturers from some of the
best districts. Had I wanted men from any of the

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Chap. XX. CHUSAN. 341

towns on the coast, they might have been procured
with the greatest ease. A shipload of emigrants had
been induced to embark for California only a short
time before, and emigration was carried on most
extensively both at Amoy and Canton. But I
wanted men from districts &r inland, who were
well acquainted with the process of preparing the
teas.

In order that I might accomplish this in a satis-
&ctory manner, Mr. Beale kindly lent me his aid
His Compradore, who was a man highly respected
by the Chinese and well known, undertook to conduct
the n^otiations. In the mean time I left Shanghae
for the tea-districts about Ning-po, in order to make
arrangements for another supply of seeds and young
plants from that country.

In the end of June the weather, as usual, became
excessively hot, and it was dangerous to be out in
the sun, more particularly in an inland district I
determined, therefore, to leave the old monastery
where I was staying, and take up my quarters on
some of the islands in the Chusan archipelago.

I was anxious to see the island of Chusan, which
we had held for some years after the war, but which
is now once more in the possession of the Chinese.
I found it a bustling place, and apparently greatly
improved. The fine harbour was full of junks, some
bound for the south, others for the north, and all
seemed to make Chusan a kind of starting point A
large town had been built along the shore, and it was
difficult to find out the old houses in which the

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342 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XX.

English lived when the island was in possession of the
Queen's troops.

The large hospital built by the English was still
standing, and, being now converted into a kind of
customhouse and used for public purposes, I went
there to look for quarters during my stay. Here I
found an old mandarin, who received me politely, and
offered me a room upstairs next to his own.

This old man was an inveterate opium-smoker.
In the evening, when my servant was spreading out
my bed, he happened to lay it by the wall next to
the old man's room. " You had better not put your
master's bed there," said one of the people connected
with the office ; ^^ the Loi-ya smokes opium, and makes
a disagreeable noise in his sleep." I found this was
too true.

About nine o'clock in the evening the old man
lay down in hisjbed, lighted his little lamp, and b^an
to inhale the fumes of the intoxicating drug. He
was smoking, at intervals, until I went to bed, and
for some time afterwards. Between one and two
o'clock in the morning I was awakened out of a
sound sleep by a strange and unusual noise. It was
some seconds before I could call to mind where I
was or who was my neighbour. At last I remem-
bered the warning which my servant had received.
The drug had done its work ; the old opium-smoker
was evidently asleep and in the land of dreams. His
nasal organs were producing most discordant sounds,
and it was these and a harsh moaning noise which
awoke me.

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Geaf. XX. OFniM-SMOXING. 343

At daybreak I rose and paBsed through his room>
on my way out of the boiidhig. He was now sleep*
ing soundly and quietly. The Ofdum-pipe was
placed on a table at the side of his bed, and the little
lamp was standing by the side of it. The heavy
fiimes of opium still filled the apartrntent^ and made
me glad to get out into the open air.

What a chaiise was now presented to my view I
I had been looking on a pitiable depraved specimen
of man — " the lord of creation ;" I now looked on
creation itself The air was cool^ soft, and refreshing,
as it blows at this time of the year from the south,
and consequcxitly comes over the sea. The dew was
qmrkling on tiie grass, and the birds were just be-
ginning their morning song of praise.

When I returned from a nK>ming stroll I found
the old mandarin up at breakfost About this time
an edict had been promulgated by the new Emperor,
not only condemning opium^smoking, but threatening
with severe punishment all who indulged in the habit.
Any officer in the service of Government who* was an
opium-smoker was to lose his appointment and also
his rank, and the disgrace and degradation were to be
extended to his family and children for some gene-
rations. But the most curious port of the proceeding
remains to be told, and shows how very considerate
his Celestial Majesty is to his subjects in matters of
this kind. The celebrated edict was not to be en-
forced for some months. The opium-smoker had
begun the year smoking, and he was to be allowed
to continue to smoke until its chse f Of course an

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344 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XX.

edict of this kind was sure to create a considerable
sensation, not only amongst the Chinese, but also
amongst the importers of the drug. The best in-
formed, however, and those who had some experience
of the character of the Chinese, treated it as so much
waste paper — ^as a collection of high-sounding words
without meaning. Nor were they wrong, for when
the new year arrived the edict had been long forgot-
ten, and opium-smokers went on smoking as they had
done before.

The Chusan people had received the edict about
the time of my visit, and this old gentleman evi-
dently knew all about it. " WelV said I to him,
'^ how is this ? you were smoking opium last night ;
have you not seen the edict?" ^*0h yes," he
replied, " but it does not come into force until next
year." Every night afterwards during my stay here
he used to walk into my room about nine o'clock with
a smile on his countenance and say, ^^ I am going to
smoke now; you know I shall not be allowed to
smoke next year." And I firmly believe the old
man smoked more than he had been accustomed to
do, and likewise enjoyed it more.

As I have given a full description of the island of
Chusan in my former work, I shall not again describe
it ; but I must not fail to notice a fruit which is cul-
tivated on the sides of the hills here, and in various
parts of the province of Chekiang. It is called the
Yang-maej and appears to be a species of MyricOj
allied to the Himalayan M. sapida^ noticed by Frazer,
Royle, and other writers. The Chinese variety is.

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Chap. XX. THE YANG-MAE. 345

however, much superior to the Indian. Indeed, I
believe the Chinese have both, but use the Indian
one as a stock for grafting upon.

There is a very large plantation of this tree in
Chusan, and the fruit was beginning to be brought
to the market during my stay there. It was sold at
a very cheap rate, and was considered a great luxury
by the natives.

I had frequently seen the trees of the Yang-mae,
but never when in fruit, so I determined to visit one
of the plantations. Starting very early one morn-
ing, I crossed over the first range of hills, and found
myself in the centre of the island with my view
bounded by hills in all directions. On the sides of
these inland hills there were large quantities of the
Yang-mae. The trees were bushy, round-headed, and
from fifteen to twenty feet in height They were at
this time loaded with dark-red fruit, not unlike, at
first sight, the fruit of our Arbutus, although very
differently formed and much lai^er. I obsen^ed two
kinds, one with red fruit, and the other with firuit of
a yellowish colour. The trees formed most striking
objects on the hill side.

The natives were busily ei:igaged in gathering the
fruit and packing it in baskets for the markets.
Large quantities are consumed in the city of Ting-
hae, the capital of Chusan, and a great deal is taken
across to the main land. The streets of Ning-po
used to be crowded with it during the season. The
gatherers appeared delighted to see a stranger, and
offered me liberal supplies of this fine fruit. It

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346 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XX.

looked very beautiful and inviting, both upon the
trees and also as it lay crowded in the little baskets.

On my return from the Yang-mae plantations I
spent some time in the old city of Ting-hae. AU
marks of English possession had entirely disap-
peared. Tailors, shoemakers, and other tradesmen,
with their quaint English names and signboards, so
amusing in former days, were now nowhere to be
seen. Everything was purely Chinese, and no one,
unacquainted with the history of the place, would
have suspected that it had been in the hands of the
English a year or two before.

After staying fw a few days at Chusan I went
onward to another of the islands named Poo-too.
This is commonly called by foreigners the "Wor-
shipping Island,'* and is inhabited by the priests of
Buddha and their followers. I had two objects in
visiting it at this time;, the first was on account of
my health, which was getting affected by the excessive
heat of the weather, and the second was to obtain a
copy of some inscriptions which I had observed on a
former occasion.

When I landed I walked over the hill in the
direction of one of the prmcipal temples, which had
been built in a little valley or glen between the hills.
On the roadside, by the way, I came to the stones on
which the inscripticms had been carved. There were
two of them; they looked like little grave-stones,
and, as usual in such eases, each had a small place
near its base for burning incense.

The characters upon them were not Chinese, and

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Chap. XX. ANCIENT INSCRIPTIONS. 347

no Chinaman could read them. I applied to some
of the most learned priests in Poo-too, but without
success. They could neither read them, nor could
they give me the slightest information as to how
they came to be placed there.

The characters looked like those of some northern
Indian language. One of the stones was evidently
less aged than the other. In this, the unknown cha-
racters were placed along the top, and a row of Chi-
nese ones below. The latter, when read, appeared to
be nothing more than an unmeaning phrase used by
the Buddhist priests at the commencement of their
worship, " Nae mo o me to fa'* What the upper
line means, some oriental scholar may possibly be
able to say.

i^m

The second stone was evidently very ancient
There were no Chinese characters upon this.

How, or when, these stones were placed there, it is
difficult to form even a conjecture. Buddhism, we
know, was imported from India to China, and it is
just possible that under these old stones may lie the
remains of some of its earliest preachers. Persecuted,
perhaps, by the heathens of the time, they sought a

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348

TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA.

Chap. XX

is^n^R/^^

[Old StODS at Poo too.]

home on the small and solitary island where their
remains are now reposing.

Haying made copies of the characters, I went
onwards down the hill, in the direction of a large
group of temples. At the bottom of the hill, and in
front of the temples, there is a pretty lake filled with
the Nelumbium, which was now in full bloom. As
I came near, I observed a Chinaman fishing in the
lake. This rather surprised me, as the Buddhists in
this part of China do not take the life of any animal,
and never eat animal food, — at least such is their pro-

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Chap. XX. A TRESPASSER. 349

fession. The man evidently knew he was doing
wrong, and was hiding behind the pillars of a bridge
which is here thrown over the lake. His occupation,
however, was soon put a stop to in a most laughable
manner. At a little distance on the other side of
the bridge stood a group of men whose long flowmg
garments and shaved tailless heads denoted that they
belonged to the Buddhist priesthood. They were
evidently watching the movements of the angler with
considerable anxiety and interest. At last one of
their number, with a bamboo in his hand, left the
others and moved towards the bridge by a circuitous
route, so as not to be observed by the man who was
fishing. The priest managed this so cleverly that he
was on the bridge and by the side of the angler before
the latter knew that he had been observed ; indeed
the first intimation he received of his being dis-
covered was from the bamboo, which the priest did
not fail to lay pretty smartly over his shoulders.

This scene was now most laughable to all except
the trespasser. He seemed at first inclined to turn
upon his assailant, but the priest, who was a stout
young fellow, laid the bamboo on without mercy.
The other priests were also fast coming upon the
scene of action. When the delinquent observed
them, he evidently considered that ^^ discretion was
the better part of valour," and took to his heels,
running up the hill with the whole party of priests in
full chase after him. He would most likely have
been caught, had not my appearance on the scene
attracted the notice of his pursuers.

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350 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XX.

As soon as the priests saw me they gave up the
pursuit^ and, coming up to me, received me with much
politeness, and asked me to visit the temples. In
the mean time the unfortunate angler was making the
best of his way over the hills in the direction of the
sea. Having returned the salutations of the priests^
I asked them to explain the cause of the extraor-
dinary scene which I had just witnessed. They
informed me that the man I had seen was a thief
and a pirate, who had come from some of the neigh-
bouring islands to fish in the sacred lake and kill
their fishes I

I now walked down to the lake accompanied by
the priests. No flower could be more beautifiil or
more majestic than the Nelumbium was at this season.
As I stood on the little romantic bridge I looked to
the right and left; my eye rested on thousands of
these flowers, some of which were white, others red,
and all were rising out of the water and standing
above the beautifiil clear green foliage. The leaves
themselves, as they lay upon the smooth surface of
the lake, or stood erect upon long footstalks^ were
scarcely less beautiful than the flowers, and both har-
monized well tc^ether. Gold, silver, and other kinds
of fishes were seen swimming swiftly to and fro^ and
apparently enjoying themselves under the shade of
the broad leaves, in happy ignorance of the encounter
between their protectors and their piratical enemy.

The surrounding scenery was strikingly pictur-
esque. On all sides of the lake were well-wooded
hills, whose summits were about fifteen hundred feet

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Chap. XX. THE NBLUMBIUM. 351

above the level of tibe sea. The ancient pile of tern-
pies, which covered many acres of land, was situated
on the northern side of the lake, while others of a less
pretending character were seen peeping out from
amongst the trees on every hill-side.

The lake, covered with flowers, the wooded moun-
tains, the ancient temples, and the glorious flood of
light which was scattered over the scene from a clear
sky, made one almost fancy oneself in some scene of
enchantment.

In the garden of a mandarin at Ning^po I once
observed a very beautiful variety of the Nelumbium,
different from the red and white kinds already noticed,
and which I may distinguish by the name ofN. vitta-
turn, its flowers being finely striped. It was evidently
extremely rare in that part of China, so rare indeed
that I coukl not succeed in procuring a plant to send
to England.

Although these plants are generally grown in the
stove when their cultivation is attempted in this
country, they are fitted by nature to endure a very
low degree of temperature in winter. They are
abundant in all parts of the province of Eiang^nan,
at Shanghae, Soo-chow, and Nanking, where the
winters are very severe. The ponds and lakes are
often frozen up, and the thermometer frequently
sinks to within a few degrees of zero. During the
spring and summer months the plants form and per-
fect their leaves, flowers, and fruit ; in autumn, all
the parts which are visible above water gradually
decay, and nothing is left in a living state except the

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352 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XX.

large roots, which remain buried deep in the mud,
and they continue in a dormant state until the warmth
of spring again calls vegetable life into action. This
is the treatment which Nature gives this beautifiil
plant, and we shall never succeed with its cultivation
in this country unless we follow her example. Our
summers are probably not hot enough for it to succeed
if planted out in our lakes and ponds, but, if we find
it necessary to give it artificial heat in summer, we
must not forget that it requires a period of rest during
winter. In China the lotus-ponds are generally
nearly dry in winter, when the plants are in a state
of rest ; this is another point for our consideration
when we cultivate them artificially.

The Nelumbium, or Lienrwha, is cultivated very
extensively in China for the sake of its roots, which
are esteemed an excellent vegetable, and are much
used by all classes of the community. The roots
attain their largest size at the period when the leaves
die ofi^; and are dug up and brought to market during
the winter months in the north of China. The stalls
of the greengrocers are always loaded with them at that
season of the year. Although in high repute amongst
the natives, being served up with many of their dishes
and forming part of others, I must say that I never
liked them, nor are they generally liked by foreign-
ers. An excellent description of arrowroot is made
from them, which is considered equal in quality to
that which we iipport firom the West Indies. The
seeds are also h^ld in high estimation ; they are com*
monly roasted before being served up to table.

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Chap. XX. COLLECTIONS MADE. 353

In the beginning of September, my two months'
holiday having expired, I left the islands of the
Chusan archipelago for the main land. The south-
west monsoon was nearly over, northerly winds were
not unfrequent, and the weather was already much
cooler. Responsible men on whom I could depend,
or rather on whom I had sufficient checks, were now
despatched to the great tea districts of Hwuy-chow
and Fokien for collections of tea-seeds, and I took
up my quarters in the districts near Ning-po. On
many occasions during these campaigns I was greatly
indebted to the British consuls here for much kind-
ness and hospitality — in the first instance to Mr.
Sullivan, now at Amoy, and latterly to Mr. Brooke
Robertson. There is an excellent garden at the
Ning-po Consulate, and T often took advantage of it
for the protection of my plants.

Having procured a large quantity of tea-seeds and
young plants, I left the Ning-po districts in the end of
December for Shanghae. On my arrival there I
found that some good tea manufacturers and lead
box makers had been engaged, and everything had
succeeded far beyond my most sanguine expectations.
A large assortment of implements for the manufacture
of tea had also arrived. Nothing therefore remained
for me to do except to pack my plants and proceed
on my voyage to India.

It was an amusing scene to see these inland China-
men taking leave of their friends and their native
country. A large boat was engaged, and lay along-
side the jetty, to take them and their effects from

2 A

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354 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XX.

Shanghae down to the mouth of the river, where the
" Island Queen" was at anchor, to start for Hong-
kong next morning. The landing-place was crowded
with the emigrants and their friends. When the
hour of departure arrived, the eight Chinese walked
on board, and the boat was immediately pushed out
into the stream. Now the emigrants on board, and
their friends on shore, with clasped hands, bowed to
each other many, many times, and the good wishes
for each other's health and happiness were not few,
nor apparently insincere. Next morning the " Island
Queen," Captain M*Farlane, got under way, and we
bade adieu to the north of China.

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Chap. XXI. PACKING TEA-SEEDS. 355

CHAPTER XXI.

Experiments with tea-seeds — Best method of sending them to distant
countries — How oaks and chestnuts might be transported —
Arrive at Calcutta — Condition of the collections — East India
Company's botanic garden — Amherstia and other plants in bloom
— Proceed onwards — The Sunderbunds — Arrive at Allahabad —
Land journey — Reach Saharunpore — State of the teapplants--
Saharunpore garden — Mussooree garden — Its trees and other
productions — Its value to the country and to Europe.

In the autumn of 1848 I sent large quantities of
tea-seeds to India. Some were packed in loose
canvas bags, others were mixed with dry earth and
put into boxes, and others again were put up in very
small packages, in order to be quickly forwarded by
post ; but none of these methods were attended with
much success. Tea-seeds retain their vitality for a
very short period if they are out of the ground. It
is the same with oaks and chestnuts, and hence the
great difficulty of introducing these valuable trees into
distant countries by seeds.

In 1849, however, I succeeded in finding a sure
and certain method of transporting tea-seeds to
foreign countries in iuU life ; and as this method will
apply to all short-lived seeds as well as to those of
the tea-plant, it is important that it should be gene-
rally known. It is simply to sow the seeds in Ward's
cases soon after they are gathered.

2 A 2 ^ J

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356 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXI.

My first experiment was tried in the following
manner. Having procured some fine mulberry-plants
from the district where the best Chinese silk is pro-
duced, I planted them in a Ward's case in the usual
way, and watered them well. In two or three days,
when the soil was sufficiently dry, a large quantity of
t«a-seeds were scattered over its surface, and covered
with earth about half an inch deep. The whole was
now sprinkled with water, and fastened down with a
few crossbars to keep the earth in its place. The
case was then screwed down in the usual way, and
made as tight as possible.

When the case reached Calcutta the mulberry-
plants were found to be in good condition, and the
tea-seeds had germinated during the voyage, and
were now covering the surface of the soil. Dr. Fal-
coner, writing to me upon the receipt of this case,
says, " The young tea-plants were sprouting around
the mulberries as thick as they could come up."

During this year (1849) large quantities of seeds
were sown in other cases between the rows of young
tea-plants. These also germinated on their way to
India, and reached their destination in the Himalayas
in good condition.

When the news of the success of these experiments
reached me from India, I determined to adopt the
same plan when I packed the cases which I was now
taking round under my own care. Tea-seeds were
therefore sown in all the cases between the rows of
young plants.

Fourteen cases having been packed and prepared

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Chap. XXI. TRANSPORTING SEEDS AND PLANTS. 357

in this manner, I had still a large quantity of seeds
— about a bushel — remaining on hand. These I de-
termined to dispose of in the following manner. Two
glazed cases had been prepared to take a collection
of camellias from China to the Botanic Garden at
Calcutta. The tea-seeds were emptied out in front
of these cases and a small portion of earth thrown in
amongst them. A layer of this mixture, which now
consisted of about one part earth and two parts seeds?
was laid in the bottom of each case, and the camellia-
plants were lifted gently out of their pots and placed
upon it. The spaces between the plants were then
filled up to the proper height with this mixture of
tea-seeds and earth, and a little soil was sprinkled
upon the surface to cover the uppermost seeds. The
whole was then well watered, bars were nailed across
to keep the earth in its place, and the lids of the
cases were fastened down in the usual manner.

My collections of plants and seeds, which now
filled sixteen glazed cases, were in this state when I
left Shanghae with the Chinese manufacturers and
implements, as described in the last chapter. This
was on the 16th of February, 1851. The north-east
monsoon was now blowing steadily along the coast of
China. This being a fair wind, all sail was set, and
in four days we anchored in the bay of Hong-kong,
having run little less than one thousand miles. We
at once went onwards in the steam-ship ** Lady Mary
Wood," and arrived at Calcutta on the 15th of
March. Here we took up our abode with Dr. Fal-
coner, the superintendent of the H.C. Botanic Garden,

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358 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXI.

and it was at this time that the counterfeit tea was
made from the leaves of Pongamia glabra^ the ac-
count of which I have given in a former chapter.
All the glass cases were taken to the garden to
be examined and put in order for the next part of
the journey.

When the cases were opened in Calcutta the
young tea-plants were found to be in good condition.
The seeds which had been sown between the rows
were also just beginning to germinate. These, of
course, were left undisturbed, as there was room
enough for them to grow; but it was necessary
to take other measures with those in the camellia
cases. On opening the latter, the whole mass of
seeds, from the bottom to the top, was swelling, and
germination had just commenced. The camellias,
which had now arrived at their destination, were
lifted gently out and potted, and appeared as if they
had never left their native country. Fourteen new
cases were got ready, filled with earth, and these
germinating seeds were sown thickly over the surface,
and covered with soil in the usual way. In a few
days the young plants came sprouting through the
soil ; every seed seemed to have grown ; and by this
simple plan about twelve thousand plants were added
to the Himalayan plantations.

Many attempts are yearly made by persons in
Europe to send out seeds of our oaks and chestnuts
to distant parts of the world, and these attempts gene*
rally end in disappointment. Let them sow the seeds
in Ward's cases as I have described, and they are

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Chap. XXI. BOTANIC GARDEN AT CALCUTTA. 359

almost sure of success. If they are to be sent to a
great distance, they should be sown thinly, not in
masses.

The H. C. Botanic Garden at Calcutta is situated
on the right bank of the river Hooghly, a little below
the " City of Palaces/' From the time of Dr.
Wallich's retirement until the appointment of Dr.
Falconer extensive alterations appear to have been
made. It must be confessed, however, that some of
these alterations have been most injurious to the
garden. For example, many valuable specimens and
groups of trees have been cut down, which cannot be
replaced in one generation. We look in vain for
those noble specimens of palm-trees which must have
been planted in the days of Roxburgh and Wallich,
while in their places we find some small " botanical
arrangements " which cannot be carried out, and
which are never likely to answer the purposes for
which they were intended.

The alterations now in progress appear to be of a
very different kind, and are the first results of a well-
digested plan. It is proposed to form a large Arbo-
retum in one portion of the grounds, to contain
specimens of all the exogenous trees and shrubs
which grow in the climate of Bengal; in another
part of the garden the endogens, such as palms,
Dracaenas, &C., are to be placed ; and no doubt other
classifications of herbaceous and medical plants will
also be formed. If this plan is carried out as it has
been commenced, this noble establishment will pre-
sent a very different appearance in a few years.

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360 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXI.

During my stay here I saw two remarkable plants
in full bloom. The one was Amherstia nohUis, and
the other Jonesia Asoca. The former was considered
rather difficult to manage, but it is now succeeding
admirably under the treatment of Mr. Scott, the head
gardener. Its long racemes of scarlet flowers were
certainly most graceful and pretty. The Jonesia^
however, in my opinion is the more beautiftd of the
two. I had frequently seen it in our stoves at home,
but I had no idea of its beauty until I saw it in die
Calcutta garden. It was now literally loaded with
its fine orange blossoms, which contrasted so well
with the dark-green leaves. Were the shrub better
known at home, I am sure we should see finer
specimens produced at our metropolitan flower-
shows.

The collections under my care being ready, I re-
ceived orders from the Indian Government to pro-
ceed onwards on the 25th of March in one of the
small river steamers as far as Allahabad. The
Hooghly was shallow at this time of the year, it
being the dry season in India. We were, therefore,
obliged to go down the river to its mouth, and across
amongst the Sunderbunds. This vast country stretches
from the river Hooghly on the western side of the
bay of Bengal, to Chittagong on the east, and is
upwards of two hundred miles across. It is cut up
into hundreds of islands, some having the appearance
of being surrounded by arms of the sea, while others
are formed by rivers which intersect the land in all
directions. These are the many mouths of the

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Chap. XXI. THE SUNDERBUNDS. 361

Ganges by which that mighty river empties itself
into the bay of Bengal.

I was much struck with the dense vegetation of
the Sunderbunds. The trees are low and shrubby in
appearance ; they grow close to the water's edge, and
many dip their branches into the stream. The
ground is so low in many places as to be nearly
covered at high water or during spring-tides.

A great portion of the Sunderbunds is uninhabited
by man. Here the Bengal tiger roams unmolested .
in his native wilds. I was told that the poor wood-
cutters who come here in boats to cut wood are
frequently carried off by this animal, notwithstanding
all the charms which are used to keep him away.
A priest is often brought in the boat, whose duty it is
to land on the spot where the wood is to be cut, and
to go through certain forms which are supposed to
act as a spell upon the tigers. This, however, is
frequently of little use, as the following anecdote will
show. A short time since a small river steamer, in
passing through the Sunderbunds, was in want of fuel.
Her chief officer boarded one of these wood-boats in
order to get some wood to enable her to proceed to
the nearest coaling station. The poor woodman begged
and prayed to be allowed to keep the wood which he
had been some weeks in procuring, and in obtaining
which he had lost six of his crew, who had been all
carried off by tigers. " How is that," said the officer ;
" had you no priest with you to charm the tigers ?"
"Alas 1 that was of no use," replied the woodman, *' for
the priest was the first man the tigers took away."

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362 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XXI-

As we steamed along through these narrow pas-
sages, numerous herds of deer were observed quietly
feeding on the edges of the jungle. They appeared
very tame, and often allowed us to get quite close
to them before they took any notice of the steamer.

On the fifth day after leaving Calcutta we entered
the main stream of the Ganges. All the towns on
its banks have already been frequently described in
accoimts of India. I may, therefore, simply state
that we passed in succession the large towns of Fatna,
Dinapoor, Ghazepoor, Benares, and Mirzapoor, and
reached Allahabad on the 14th of April. Here the
river Jumna joins the Ganges, neither of which
is navigable for steamers above the fortress of Alla-
habad; we had, therefore, to continue our journey
to Sahanmpore by land. All the tea-plants were
brought on shore and put in an open shed until
arrangements could be made for sending them on-
ward. Mr. Lowther, the Commissioner, who had
received instructions from the Government concern-
ing us, appeared most anxious that everything should
be done to ensure the speedy and safe arrival of the
men, plants, &c., at their destination. My thanks
are also due to Mr. Waddington, the Government
agent, for the kind manner in which he attended
to my suggestions.

The Chinese and their effects, with the tea-plants
and implements for manufacture, filled nine waggons.
As it was not possible to get buUbcks for more than
three waggons a day, it was determined to send three
on the 16th, three on the 17th, and the remainder

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Chap. XXI. SAHARUNPORE. 363

on the 18th of the month. I left Allahabad on the
evening of the 19th in a Government carriage, and
by quick travelling I was enabled to inspect the dif-
ferent parties several times on the road between
Allahabad and Saharunpore.

In due time all arrived at their destination in
perfect safety, and were handed over to Dr. Jameson,
the Superintendent of the Botanical Gardens in the
North- West Provinces and of the Government tea-
plantations. When the cases were opened, the tea-
plants were found to be in a very healthy state. No
fewer than 12,838 plants were counted in the cases,
and many more were germinating. Notwithstanding
their long voyage from the north of China, and the
frequent transshipment and changes by the way, they
seemed as green and vigorous as if they had been all
the while growing on the Chinese hills.

Saharunpore is about thirty miles from the foot of
the Himalayas. Its botanical garden is well known.
It contains a large collection of ornamental and useful
plants suited to the climate of this part of India, and
they are propagated and distributed in the most
liberal manner to all applicants. Medical plants are
also cultivated upon an extensive scale, particularly
the Hyoscyamus or Henbane. Upon the whole,
this seems a valuable establishment, and exceedingly
well managed by Dr. Jameson and the excellent head
gardener, Mr. Milner.

But the climate of Saharunpore is too hot in sum-
mer for such plants as are commonly found in the
open air in England, or which are indigenous to the

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364 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXI.

higher elevations of the Himalayas. Hence the
Indian Government, at the suggestion of Dr. Royle»
established in 1826 another nursery near the well-
known stations of Mussooree and Landour, and from
six to seven thousand feet above the level of the sea.

As the garden at Mussooree is of more interest to
the English reader than those at Calcutta and Sa-
harunpore, I shall endeavour to give a description
of it It is situated on the northern side of the first
range of the Himalayas^ and extends a considerable
way down a romantic-looking glen. A public road
or bridle-path leads along the brow of the hill above
the garden, and it was from this road that I had the
first view of this pretty and interesting place. A
single glance was suflScient to convince me that this
was the celebrated garden from which so many in-
teresting Himalayan trees and shrubs had found their
way to Europe. Many of the hill pines were most
conspicuous. The beautiful Deodar was seen tower-
ing above the other trees, and, although all the
specimens were comparatively young, they were yet
striking and graceful. Near it was the Abies
Smithiana. It had a dark and sombre appearance,
yet it was peculiarly graceful, owing to its symme-
trical form and somewhat pendulous habit Then
there was the Cupressus torulosa^ which stood promi-
nently out from amongst the other trees, and a
distinct variety of the same species said to be from
Cashmere.

On entering the garden I commenced a minute
inspection of its interesting and varied productions.

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Chap. XXI. MTJSSOOREE GARDEN. 365

It has no pretensions to be considered an ornamental
garden, in so far as its walks and arrangements are
concerned. Narrow footpaths winding about in all
directions amongst the trees, and little terraced
patches for the cultivation of the different plants, are
all that is to be seen in the way of arrangement. To
introduce the useful and ornamental plants of other
countries to the northern provinces of India, and to
gather together the productions of the Himalayas and
send them out in all directions with a liberal hand,
seem to be the principal objects for which this garden
is maintained. And very noble objects these un-
doubtedly are, and well worthy of the enlightened
and liberal Government that supports it.

Our common garden-flowers seemed almost as abun-
dant here as they are in our English nurseries. Pelar-
goniums, fuchsias, pinks, dahlias, violets, mimuluses,
&c., were met with in great profusion, and at the
time of my visit nearly all were in bloom. Many of
our English fruit trees and bushes had also been im-
ported, such as apples, pears, plums, raspberries, &c.
A quantity of apple and pear trees had just been
received from America in a novel manner. They
had been sent out to Calcutta in ice by one of the
vessels freighted with that article ; about one-fourth
of the original number had reached the Himalayas in
good condition.

Amongst Indian fhiit-trees I observed a number
of Cashmere kinds, which had been introduced here
by Drs. Royle and Falconer. Dr. Jameson had also
introduced apples, pears, plums, almonds, &c., from

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366 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXI.

Cabul. All these things will one day find their way
to Europe, and some of them may prove of great
value.

As may be expected this little spot is particularly
rich in the vegetable productions of the Himalayas.
Besides those I have already noticed, I might add
A. Webbiana and Pinus excelsa. Less known than
these was a fine horse-chestnut called Pavia indica^
a noble poplar {Popidus ciliata)^ a species of Buxus
— the box-tree of the hills, Andromeda ovalifolia,
and Ilex dipyrena. Two fine species of evei^een
oaks were also observed, named Quercus dilatata and
Q. semecarpifolia. Amongst herbaceous plants I
noticed some pretty primroses, Lilium giganteura and
WaUicManurriy and FntiUaria polyphyUa. Here
also was the once famous Frangos plant in full bloom.

But this establishment is of great value in another
point of view. Connected with it are a number of
native gardeners, who are out in the hills for months
every autumn, collecting seeds of ornamental and
useful trees and shrubs for distribution all over the
world where such plants will grow. If we consider
the thousands of the Deodar and other Himalayan
pine-trees which are now to be found in every Eng-
lish nursery, we must perceive the vast amount of
benefit which an establishment of this kind, small as
it is, confers upon England.

In these days, when our Indian empire has become
so greatly extended that it embraces every variety of
climate and soil, one regrets that a place of this kind
should be so small. Perhaps the Mussooree garden

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Chap. XXI. VALUE OP THE MUSSOOREE GABDEN. 367

could not be much extended, but other places might
be found even more suitable to cany out the purposes
for which it was designed. It may be very true that
we have nearly all the productions of the Himalayas
which are of value growing plentifully in our gardens
at home, but the inhabitants of India cannot say as
much with reference to the valuable productions with
which our gardens abound. In my opinion, one of
the great objects of having a Government garden in
these hills should be to introduce from Europe trees
of a useful kind for the benefit of the natives of this
country.

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368 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XXII.

CHAPTER XXII.

■ Ordered to inspect the tea-plantations in India — Deyra Boon planta-
tion — Mussooree and Landour — Flora of the mountains — Height
and general character — Our mode of travelling — Hill-plants
resemble those of China — Guddowli plantation — Chinese manu-
facturers located there — I bid them farewell — The country im-
proves in fertility — Tea-plantations near Almorah — Zemindaree
plantations — Leave Almorah for Bheem Tal — View of the Snowy
range — Bheem Tal t^a-plantatious — General observations on tea
culture in India — Suggestions for its improvement — Other plants
which ought to be introduced — Nainee Tal — Arrive at Calcutta —
The Victoria regia.

Soon after my arrival at Saharunpore I received
through the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-
Westem Provinces orders from the Governor-General
of India to visit all the tea plantations in the districts
of Gurhwal and Kumaon, and to draw up a report
upon their condition and future prospects. In this
tour of inspection I was accompanied by Dr. Jame-
son, who has the charge of all the Government tea
plantations. The first plantations we visited were
those in the Deyra Doon.

The Deyra Doon, or Valley of Deyra, is situated
in latitude 30° 18' north, and in longitude 78° east
It is about 60 miles in length from east to west, and
16 miles broad at its widest part. It is bounded on
the south by the Sewalick range of hills, and on the
north by the Himalayas proper, which are here nearly

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Chap. XXH. DETRA DOON PLANTATIONS. 369

8000 feet above the level of the sea. On the west
it is open to the river Jumna, and on the east to the
Ganges, the distance between these rivers being about
60 miles.

In the centre of this flat valley the Eaolagir tea
plantation has been formed. Eight acres were under
cultivation in 1847. There are now 300 acres
planted, and about 90 more taken in and ready for
many thousands of young plants lately raised from
seeds in the plantation.

The soil is composed of clay, sand, and vegetable
matter, rather stiff and apt to get " baked" in dry
weather, but free enough when it is moist or during
the rains. It rests upon a gravelly subsoil, consisting
of limestone, sandstone, clay-slate, and quartz rock,
or of such rocks as enter into the composition of the
surrounding mountain ranges. The surface is com-
paratively flaty although it falls in certain directions
towards the ravines and rivers.

The plants are arranged neatly in rows 5 feet
apart, and each plant is about Ah feet from the next
one. A long rank-lowing species of grass, indige-
nous to the Doon, is most diflScult to keep from over-
topping the tea-plants, and is the cause of much extra
labour. Besides the labour common to all tea-coun-
tries in China, such as weeding, and occasionally
loosening the soil, there is here an extensive system
of irrigation carried on. To facilitate this, the plants
are planted in trenches, from four to six inches below
the level of the ground, and the soil thus dug out is
thrown between the rows to form the paths. Hence

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370 TEA DISTRIC5TS OF CHINA. Chap. XXH.

the whole of the plantation consists of numerous
trenches. At right angles with these trenches a
small stream is led from the canal, and by opening or
shutting their ends irrigation can be carried on at the
pleasure of the overseer.

The plants generally did not appear to me to be
in that fresh and vigorous condition which I had
been accustomed to see in good Chinese plantations.
This, in my opinion, is caused, 1st, by the plantation
being formed on flat land; 2nd, by the system of
irrigation; 3rd, by too early plucking; and 4th,
by hot drying winds, which are not unfrequent in
this valley from April to the beginning of June.

Leaving the Doon, we took the hill-road for Paorie,
near which was the next tea-plantation on our route.
This road led us through the well-known hill stations
of Mussooree and Landour. As we ascended the
mountains, it was curious to mark the changes which
took place in the character of the vegetable produc-
tions. On the plains and lower sides of these hills
such plants as Justicia Adhatoda^ BavJiinia racemosa
and variegata^ Vitex trifolia, Grislea tomentosOj &c.,
grew in the greatest profusion. Higher up, say 3000
or 4000 feet above the level of the sea, Berberis
asiatica makes its appearance, while nearer the top
we find Oaks, Rhododendrons, Berberis nepalensis,
Andromeda ovalifolia^ Viburnums, Spiraeas, and many
other plants which are either hardy or half-hardy in
England.

The mountains about Mussooree and Landour are
nearly 8000 feet above the level of the sea. Their

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Chap. XXII. MUSSOOREE AND LANDOUR. 371

sides are steep, and they are generaUy exceedingly
barren; here and there I observed little terraced patches
of cultivation, bnt these were few and far between.
The view from the tops of these mountains on a clear
day is very fine. The Valley of Deyra lies spread out
to the southward, and appears as if bounded on all
sides by hills, while to the northward nothing is seen
but ru^ed barren mountains and deep glens. The
snowy range is also visible when the atmosphere is clear.

Leaving these hill stations on the 30th of May, we
went onwards in an easterly direction along the sides
of the mountains. The country was very moun-
tainous, and there were no traces of cultivation for
many miles on this part of our journey. A long
train of Paharies or hill-men carried our tents, lug-
gage, and provisions. Dr. Jameson and myself rode
on ponies, while Mrs. Jameson, who accompanied us,
was carried in a jaun-pan, or kind of light sedan-
chair. In many places our road led along the sides
of precipices which it made one giddy to look down,
and had we made a single false step we should have
fallen far beyond the reach of earthly aid.

On the journey along the upper sides and tops of
these mountains, I had a good opportunity of observ-
ing the character of their vegetable productions. As
Royle and other travellers have told us, the flora of
the Himalayas at high elevations bears a striking
resemblance to that of European countries ; and I
can add that it resembles still more the hill vege-
tation of the same latitudes in China. In fact many
of the species found in the Himalayas are identical

2 B 2 ^. ,

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372 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXH.

with those which I met with on the Bohea mountains,
and on the hills of Chekiang and Kiang-see. I might
here give the names of the diflFerent plants met with
on this journey from Mussooree to Paorie, but it will,
perhaps, be better for me to refer the reader for such
information to Royle's * Illustrations of the Botany
of the Himalayan Mountains/

On the morning of the 6th of June we arrived at
the Guddowli plantation near Paorie. This planta-
tion is situated in the province of Eastern Gurhwal,
in latitude 30° 8' north, and in longitude 78"" 45'
east. It consists of a large tract of terraced land,
extending from the bottom of a valley or ravine to
more than 1000 feet up the sides of the mountain.
Its lowest portion is about 4300 feet, and its highest
5300 feet, above the level of the sea : the surrounding
mountains appear to be from 7000 to 8000 feet
high. The plantation has not been measured, but
there are, apparently, fiilly one hundred acres under
cultivation.

There are about 500,000 plants, about 3400 of
which were planted in 1844 and are now in full
bearing ; the greater portion of the others are much
younger, having been planted out only one, two, or
three years. There are besides a large number of
seedlings in beds ready for transplanting.

The soil consists of a mixture of loam, sand, and
vegetable matter, is of a yellow colour, and is most
suitable for the cultivation of the tea-plant It re-
sembles greatly the soil of the best tea districts in
China. A considerable quantity of stones are mixed

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Chap. XXH. GUDDOWLI PLANTATION. 373

with it, chiefly small pieces of clay-slate, of which
the mountains here are composed. Large tracts of
equally good land, at present covered with jungle,
might be made available in this district without inter-
fering in any way with the rights of the settlers.

I have stated that this plantation is formed on the
hill side. It consists of a succession of terraces, from
the bottom to the top, on which the tea-bushes are
planted. In its general features it is very like a
Chinese tea-plantation, although one rarely sees tea-
lands terraced in China. This, however, may be
necessary in the Himalayas, where the rains fall so
heavily. Here too a system of irrigation is carried
on, although to a small extent only, owing to the
scarcity of watier during the dry season.

This plantation is a most promising one, and I
have no doubt will be very valuable in a few years.
The plants are growing admirably, and evidently like
their situation. Some of them are suflTering slightly
from the effects of hard plucking, like those at Eao-
lagir ; but this can easily be avoided in their future
management Altogether, it is in a most satisfactory
condition, and shows how safe it is in matters of this
kind to follow the example of the Chinese cultivator,
who never makes his tea-plantations on hw rice land
and never irrigates.

The country about Paorie is entirely mountainous.
Whichever way we look, east, west, south, or north,
nothing is seen but mountains and hills, stony ravines,
and deep glens. The view is bounded on the north
and north-west by the snowy range.

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374 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chaf. XXH.

The land is mucli more fertile than about Mus-
fiooree, and more thickly inhabited. Cultivated spots
are everywhere visible, particularly on the lower
portions of the hills and to about half way up their
sides. All above that is generally barren, and, I
should think, is rarely visited by man.

The Chinese manufacturers whom I had brought
round from China were located on this farm. They
had nice cottages and gardens given them, and every-
thing was done which could add to their comfort in a
strange land. On the morning I left Faorie the poor
fellows got up early, and were dressed in their holiday
clothes to bid me good bye. They brought me a
packet of letters addressed to their relations in China,
which they begged me to forward ; they also offered
me a small present, which they asked me to accept as
a slight token of their gratitude for the kindness I
had shown them during our long journey. This, of
course, I declined, while I told them how much I
was pleased with the motives by which they were
actuated. I confess I felt sorry to leave them. We
had travelled together for a long time, and they had
always looked up to me with the most perfect confi-
dence as their director and friend. While I had
always treated them kindly myself, I had taken mea-
sures to have them kindly treated by others, and
never, from the time of their engagement until I left
them in their new mountain home, had they given
me the slightest cause for anger.

We now proceeded to visit the plantations in the
vicinity of Almorah. The country became more and

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Chap. XXn. PLANTATIONS NEAR ALMORAH. 375

more fertile as we advanced, and numerous excellent
lands, well suited for the cultivation of the tea-plant,
were passed on our route. On the 29th of June we
arrived at the Hawulbaugh plantation.

This tea-farm is situated on the banks of the river
Kosilla, about six miles north-west from Almorah,
the capital of Kumaon. It is about 4500 feet above
the level of the sea. The land is of an undulating
character, consisting of gentle slopes and terraces, and
reminded me of some of the best tea-districts in
China. Indeed, the hills themselves, in this part
of the Himalayas, are very much like those of China,
being barren near their summit and fertile on their
lower sides.

Thirty-four acres of land are under tea-cultivation
here, including the adjoining farm of Chullar. Some
of the plants appear to have been planted in 1844;
but, as at Paorie, the greater number are only from
one to three years old.

The soil is what is usually called a sandy loam ; it
is moderately rich, being well mixed with vegetable
matter. It is well suited for tea-cultivation. The
greater part of the farm is terraced as at Guddowli,
but some few patches are left in natural slopes in
accordance with the Chinese method. Irrigation is
practised to a limited extent.

All the young plants here are in robust health and
are growing well, particularly those that are on land
where water cannot flood or injure them. Some few
of the older bushes appear rather stunted; but this
is evidently the result of water remaining stagnant

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376 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XXIL

about their roots, and partly also of OYer-plucking ;
both defects, however, admit of being easily cured.

Nearer Almorah, and about 5000 feet above the
level of the sea, there are two small plantations
named Lutchmisser and Kuppeena. The former
contains three acres, and the latter four acres of land
under cultivation. The soil is light and sandy, and
much mixed with particles of clay-slate which have
crumbled down from the adjoining rocks. These
plantations are rarely irrigated, and the land is steep
enough to prevent any stagnant water from remaining
about the roots of the plants.

Most of the bushes here have been planted for
many years. They are in full bearing, and generally
in excellent health. On the whole I consider these
plantations in good order.

I have now described all the Government plan-
tations in Gurhwal and Kumaon, except those at
Bheem Tal. Before visiting these, however, I was
instructed to inspect some others belonging to the
2iemindars, and under the patronage of the Commis-
sioner and Assistant-Commissioner of Kumaon and
Gurhwal

The first of these is at a place named Lohba,
which is situated in eastern Gurhwal, about fifty
miles to the westward of Almorah, and is at an ele-
vation of 5000 feet above the level of the sea. It is
one of the most beautiful spots in this part of the
Himalayas. The surrounding mountains are high^
and in some parts precipitous, while in others they
consist of gentle slopes and undulations. On these

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Chap. XXII. ZEMINDAREE PLANTATIONS. 377

undulating slopes there is a great deal of excellent
land suitable for tea-cultivation. A few tea-bushes
have been growing vigorously for some years in the
Commissioner's garden, and they are now fully
10 feet in height. These plants having succeeded so
well, naturally induced the authorities of the province
to try this cultivation upon a more extensive scale.
It appears that in 1844 about 4000 young plants
were obtained irom the Government plantations, and
planted on a tract of excellent land, which the natives
wished to abandon. Instead of allowing the people
to throw up their land, they were promised it rent-
free upon the condition that they attended to the
cultivation of the tea, which had been planted on a
small portion of the ground attached to the village.

This arrangement seems to have failed, either from
want of knowledge, or from design, or perhaps partly
from both of these causes. More recently, a lai^er
number of plants have been planted, but I regret to
say with nearly the same results.

But results of this discouraging kind are what any
one acquainted with the nature of the tea-plant
could have easily foretold, had the treatment in-
tended to be given it been explained to him. Upon
inquiry, I found the villagers had been managing the
tea-lands just as they had been doing their rice-fields,
— that is, a regular system of irrigation was practised.
As water was plentiful^ a great number of the plants,
indeed nearly all, seem to have perished from this
cause. The last planting alluded to had been done
late in the spring, and just at the commencement of

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378 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXII.

the dry weather, and to these plants little or no water
seems to have been given. So that in fact it was
going from one extreme to another equally bad, and
the result was of course nearly the same.

I have no hesitation in saying that the district in
question is well adapted for the cultivation of tea.
With judicious management a most productive farm
might be established here in four or five years. Land
is plentiful, and of little value either to the natives
or the Government.

The second Zemindaree plantation is at Eutoor.
This is the name of a large district thirty or forty
miles northward from Almorah, in the centre of
which the old town or village of Byznath stands. It
is a fine undulating country consisting of wide valleys,
gentle slopes, and little hills, while the whole is inter-
sected by numerous streams, and surrounded by high
mountains. The soil of this extensive district is
most fertile, and is capable of producing large crops
of rice on the low irrigable lands, and dry grains and
tea on the sides of the hills. From some cause, how-
ever, either the thinness of population, or the want of
a remunerative crop^* large tracts of this fertile dis-
trict have been allowed to go out of cultivation.
Everywhere I observed ruinous and jungle-covered
terraces, which told of the more extended cultivation
of former years.

* The crops of this district, such as rice, mundooa, and other grains,
are so plentiful and cheap as scarcely to pay the carriage to the nearest
market town, much less to the plains. In Almorah a maund of rice
or mundooa sells for something less than a rupee, of barley for eig^t
annas, and of wheat for a rupee.

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Chap. XXII. ZEMINDAREE PLANTATIONS. 379

Amongst some hills near the upper portion of this
district, two small tea-plantations have been formed
under the patronage and superintendence of Captain
Ramsay, Senior Assistant-Commissioner of Kumaon.
Each of them covers three or four acres of land, and
had been planted about a year before the time of my
visit. In this short space of time the plants had
grown into nice strong bushes, and were in the highest
state of health. I. never saw, even in the most
favoured districts in China, any plantations looking
better than these. This result. Captain Ramsay in-
formed me, had been attained in the following simple
manner. All the land attached to the two villages
with which the tea-farms are connected is exempted
from the revenue-tax, a sum amounting to fifty-two
rupees per annum. In lieu of paying this, the
assamees (cultivators) of both villages furnish manure,
and assist at the transplanting season, as well as
in ploughing and preparing fresh land. In addition
to this, one chowdree and four prisoners are con-
stantly employed upon the plantations. The chief
reason of the success of these plantations, next to that
of the land being well suited for tea-cultivation, may,
no doubt, be traced to a good system of management :
that is, the young plants have been carefully trans-
planted at tte proper season of the year, when the
air was chained with moisture, and they have not
been destroyed by excessive irrigation afterwards.
The other Zemindaree plantation at Lohba might
have been now in full bearing had the same system
been followed.

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380 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXIL

From the description thus given, it will be ob-
served that I consider the Kutoor plantations in a
most flourishing condition; and I have no doubt
they will continue to flourish, and soon convince the
Zemindars of the value of tea-cultivation, provided
three things intimately connected with the success of
the crop are strongly impressed upon their minds ;
viz^ the unsuitableness of low wet lands for tea culti-
vation ; the folly of irrigating tea as they would do
rice ; and the impropriety of commencing the pluck-
ing before the plants are strong and of considerable
size. I am happy to add that amongst these hills
there are no foolish prejudices in the minds of the
natives against the cultivation of tea. About the
time of my visit a Zemindar came and begged to have
2000 plants to enable him to commence tea-growing
on his own account

It is of great importance that the authorities of a
district and persons of influence should show an in-
terest in a subject of this kind. At present the natives
do not know its value, but they are as docile as
children, and will enter willingly upon tea-cultivation
providing the " sahib " shows that he is interested in
it. In a few years the profits received will be a
sufficient inducement.

About the middle of July we left the Almorah
districts in order to visit those of Bheem Tal. Our
road led across a high mountain which lies between
Almorah and the plains of India. I think it is called
the Gaughur mountain, and is nearly 9000 feet above
the level of the sea. While winding up the sides of

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Chap. XXH. THE SNOWY RANGE. 381

this mountain I had my first good view of the snowy
range. We had stopped for the night at a Dak
bungalow. Next morning when we resumed our
march a light drizzling rain was falling, and heavy
clouds were hanging in masses about the sides of the
hills. These clouds were not only above us, but they
were also seen far down in the glens below. As I
turned to look on this strange and wonderful scenery,
the snowy mountains lay before me in all their
grandeur, and the sun was shining on them. To say
that they rose far above the clouds conveys no idea
of their height, for I was above the clouds on the
spot where I stood. Their snowy peaks seemed to
reach to heaven itself, and to pierce the deep-blue
sky.

Never in all my wanderings had such a view been
presented to my eyes. It was indeed grand and
sublime in the fullest sense of the words. How little
the most gigantic works of man seemed when com-
pared with these ! The pyramids of Egypt themselves,
which I had looked upon in wonder some years
before, now sank into utter insignificance ! I could
have looked for hours upon such glorious objects, but
the clouds soon closed in around me, and I saw the
snowy range no more.

After crossing the Gaughur we gradually de-
scended its southern sides until we reached the
Bheem Tal tea-plantations.

The lake of Bheem Tal is situated in latitude
29° 20' north and in longitude 79° 30' east. It is
4000 feet above the level of the sea, and some of

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382 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXTT.

the surrounding mountains are said to be 8000 feet.
These form the southern chain of the Himalayas,
and bound the vast plain of India, of which a glimpse
can be had through the mountain passes. Amongst
these hills there are several tals or lakes, some flat
meadow-looking land, and gentle undulating slopes,
while higher up are steep and rugged mountains. It
is amongst these hills that the Bheem Tal tea-plan-
tations have been formed. They may be classed
under three heads, viz. : —

1. Anoo and Kooasur Plantations. — These adjoin
each other, are both formed on low flat landj and
together cover about forty-six acres. The plants do
not seem healthy or vigorous ; many of them have
died out, and few are in that state which tea-plants
ought to be in. Such situations never ought to be
chosen for tea-cultivation. The same objection applies
to these plantations as to those at Deyra, but in a
greater degree. No doubt, with sufficient drainage,
and great care in cultivation, the t^a-plant might be
made to exist in such a situation; but I am con-
vinced it would never grow with that luxuriance
which is necessary in order to render it a profitable
crop. Besides, such lands are valuable for other
purposes. They are excellent rice-lands, and as such
of considerable value to the natives.

2. Bhurtpoor Plantation. — This plantation covers
about four and a half acres of terraced land on the
hill-side, a little to the eastward of those last noticed.
The soil is composed of a light loam, much mixed
with small pieces of clay-slate and trap or greenstone,

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Chap. XXII. BHEEM TAL PLANTATIONS. 383

of which the adjacent rocks are composed. It contains
also a small portion of vegetable matter or humus.
Both the situation and soil of this plantation are well
adapted to the requirements of the tea-shrub, and
consequently we find it succeeding here as well as at
Guddowli, Hawulbaugh, Almorah, and other places
where it is planted on the slopes of the hills.

3. Russia Plantation. — This plantation extends
over seventy-five acres, and is formed on sloping
land. The elevation is somewhat less than Bhurt-
poor, and, although terraced in the same way, the
angle is much lower. In some parts of the farm
the plants are doing well, but generally they seemed
to be suffering from too much water and hard pluck-
ing. I have no doubt, however, of the success of
this farm when the system of cultivation is improved.
I observed some most vigorous and healthy bushes in
the overseer's garden, a spot adjoining the plantation
which could not be irrigated, and was informed they
" never received any water except that which fell
from the skies."

In the Bheem Tal district there are large tracts of
excellent tea-land. In crossing over the hills towards
Nainee Tal, with Mr. Batten, Commissioner of Ku-
maon, I pointed out many tracts admirably adapted
for tea-cultivation, and of no great value to the
natives ; generally, those lands on which the mundooa
is cultivated are the most suitable.

Dr. Jameson now left me and returned to his
duties at Hawulbaugh, while I went on to Nainee
Tal, on my way to the plains. I have great pleasure

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384 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXH.

in bearing my humble testimony to the enei^ and
skill with which Dr. Jameson has managed the tea-
plantations which were placed by Government mider
his care. Considering that until lately we had litde
or no information as to how the tea-plant was ma-
naged in China, the only wonder is that so few mis-
takes have been made in its cultivation in India.

Having thus described all the tea-plantations in
the provinces of Gurhwal and Kumaon, I shall now
make some general observations upon the cultivation
of the tea-plant in India, and offer some su^estions
for its improvement.

1. On Land and CvMvation. — From the observa-
tions already made upon the various tea-farms which
I have visited in the Himalayas, it will be seen that
I do not approve of low flat lands being selected for
the cultivation of the tea-shrub. In China, which at
present must be regarded as the model tea-country,
the plantations are never made in such situations, or
they are so rare as not to have come under my notice.
In that country they are usually formed on the lower
slopes of the hills, that is, in such situations as those
at Guddowli, Hawulbaugh, Almorah, Kutoor, &c., in
the Himalayas. It is true that in the fine green-tea
country of Hwuy-chow, in China, near the town of
Tun-che, many hundred acres of flattish land are
under tea-cultivation. But this land is dose to the
hills, which jut out into it in all directions, and it is
intersected by a river whose banks are usually firom
15 to 20 feet above the level of the stream itself, not
unlike those of the Ganges below Benares. In feet,

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Chap. XXII. TEA-CULTURE IN INDIA. 386

it has all the advantages of hilly land such as the tea-
plant delights in. In extending the Himalaya plan-
tations this important fact ought to be kept in view.

There is no scarcity of such land in these moun-
tains, more particularly in eastern Gurhwal and Ku-
maon. It abounds in the districts of Faorie, Kunour,
Lohba, Almorah, Kutoor, and Bheem Tal, ai)d I was
informed by Mr. Batten that there are lai^e tracts
about Gungoli and various other places equally suit-
able. Much of this land is out of cultivation, as I
have already stated, while the cultivated portions
yield on an average only two or three annas per acre
of revenue.

Such lands are of less value to the Zemindars than
low rice-land where they can command a good supply
of water for irrigation. But I must not be under-
stood to recommend poor worn-out hill-lands for tea-
cultivation — land on which nothing else will grow.
Nothing is further from my meaning. Tea, in order
to be profitable, requires a good sound soil — a light
loam, well mixed with sand and vegetable matter,
moderately moist, and yet not stagnant or sour.
Such a soil, for example, as on these hill-sides pro-
duces good crops of mundooa, wheat, or millet, is well
adapted for tea. It is such land which I have
alluded to as abounding in the Himalayas, and which
is at present of so little value either to the Govern-
ment or to the natives themselves.

The system of irrigation applied to tea in India is
never practised in China. I did not observe it prac-
tised in any of the great tea-countries which I visited.

2 c

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386 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXII.

On asking the Chinese manufacturers whom I brought
to India, and who had been bora and brought up in
the tea-districts, whether they had seen such a prac-
tice, they all replied, " No, that is the way we grow
rice ; we never irrigate tea" Indeed, I have no hesi-
tation in saying that, in nine cases out of ten, the
effects of irrigation are most injurious. When tea
will not grow without irrigation, it is a sure sign that
the land employed is not suitable for such a crop. It
is no doubt an excellent thing to have a command of
water in case of a long drought, when its agency
might be useful in saving a crop which would other-
wise fail, but irrigation ought to be used only on such
emergencies.

I have already observed that good tea-land is
naturally moist, although not stagnant ; and we must
bear in mind that the tea-shrub is not a water plant,
but is found in a wild state on the sides of hills.
In confirmation of these views, it is only necessary
to observe further, that all the best Himalayan plan^
tations are those to which irrigation has been most
sparingly applied.

In cultivating the tea-shrub much injury is often
done to a plantation by plucking leaves from very
young plants. In China young plants are never
touched until the third or fourth year after they have
been planted. If growing under favourable circum-
stances, they will yield a good crop after that time.
All that ought to be done, in the way of plucking or
pruning, before that time, should be done with a view
to form the plants, and make them bushy if they do

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Chap. XXII. TEA^ULTURE IN INDIA. 387

not grow so naturally. If plucking is commenced
too early and continued, the energies of the plants
are weakened, they are long in attaining any size,
and consequently there is a great loss of produce in a
given number of years. A bush that has been pro-
perly treated may when eight years of age yield from
two to three pounds of tea per annum, while another
of the same age, but not a quarter of the size from
over-plucking, may not produce more than as many
ounces.

The same remarks apply also to plants which
become unhealthy from any cause ; leaves ought
never to be taken from such plants; the gatherers
should have strict orders to pass them over until they
get again into a good state of health.

2. On Climate. — I have already stated that eastern
Gurhwal and Kumaon appear to me to be the most
suitable spots for the cultivation of the tea-plant in
this part of the Himalayas. My remarks upon cli-
mate will therefore refer to that part of the country.

From a table of temperature kept at Hawulbajigh
from November 28th, 1850, to July 13th, 1851,
obligingly furnished me by Dr. Jameson, I observe
that the climate here is extremely mild. During the
winter months the thermometer (Fahr.) was never
lower at sunrise than 44°, and only on two occasions
so low, namely on the 15th and 16th of February,
1851. Once it stood as high as 66°, on the morning
of February the 4th, but this is fall ten degrees
higher than usual. The minimum in February must,
however, be several degrees lower than is shown by

2 c 2

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388 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXIL

this table, for ice and snow are not unfrequent ;
indeed opposite the 16th of February, in the column
of remarks, I find written down "a 'oery frosty
morning J' This discrepancy, no doubt, arises either
from a bad thermometer being used, or from its
being placed in a sheltered verandah. We may,
therefore, safely mark the minimum as 32*^ instead
of 44^.

The month of June appears to be the hottest in
the year. I observe the thermometer on the 5th,
6th, and 7th of that month stood at 92^ at 3 p. m,,
and this was the highest degree marked during the
year. The lowest, at this hour, during the month
was 76°, but the general range in the 3 p. m. column
of the table is from 80° to 90°.

The wet and dry seasons are not so decided in the
hills as they are in- the plains. In January, 1851,
it rained on five days and ten nights, and the total
quantity of rain which fell, as indicated by the rain-
gauge, during this month, was 5*25 inches; in
February, 3'84 inches fell; in March, 2*11; in
April, 2-24; in May none; and in June 6*13. In
June there are generally some days of heavy rain,
called by the natives Chota Bursaut, or small rains ;
after this there is an interval of some days of dry
weather before the regular " rainy season ** com-
mences. This season comes on in July and con-
tinues until September. October and November
are beautifiil months, with a clear atmosphere and
cloudless sky. After this fogs are frequent in all the
valleys until spring.

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Chap. XXII. TEA-CULTURE IN INDIA. 389

In comparing the climate of these provinces with
that of China, although we find some important dif-
ferences, yet upon the whole there is a great simi-
larity. My comparisons apply, of course, to the best
tea-districts only, for, although the tea-shrub is found
cultivated fi-om Canton in the south, to Tan-chow-foo
in Shan-tung, yet the provinces of Fokien, Kiang-see,
and the southern parts of Kiang-nan yield nearly all
the finest teas of commerce.

The town of Tsong-gan, one of the great black-tea
towns near the far-famed Woo-e-shan, is situated in
latitude 27° 47' north. Here the thermometer in
the hottest months, namely in July and August,
rarely rises above 100°, and ranges from 92° to
100° as maximum ; while in the coldest months,
December and January, it sinks to the freezing point
and sometimes a few degrees lower. We have thus
a close resemblance in temperature between Woo-e-
shan and Almorah. The great green-tea district
being situated two degrees further north, the extremes
of temperature are somewhat greater. It will be
observed, however, that while in the Himalayas the
hottest month is June, in China the highest tem-
perature occurs in July and August ; this is owing to
the rainy season taking place earlier in China than
it does in India.

In China rain falls in heavy and copious showers
towards the end of April, and these rains continue at
intervals in May and June. The first gathering of
tea-leaves, those from which the Pekoe is made,
is scarcely over before the air becomes chained with

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390 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXH.

moisture, rain falls, and the bushes, being thus placed
in such favourable circumstances for vegetating, are
soon covered again with young leaves, from which
the main crop of the season is obtained.

No one acquainted with vegetable physiology can
doubt the advantages of such weather in the cultiva-
tion of tea for mercantile purposes. And these ad-
vantages, to a certain extent at least, seem to be
extended to the Himalayas, although the regular
rainy season is later than in China. I have already
shown, from Dr. Jameson's table, that spring showers
are frequent in Kumaon, although rare in the plains
of India ; still, however, I think it would be prudent
to adapt the gathering of leaves to the climate,
that is, to take a moderate portion from the bushes
before the rains, and the main crop after they have
commenced.

3. On the Vegetation of China and the Hima-
layas. — One of the surest guides from which to draw
conclusions on a subject of this nature is found in
the indigenous vegetable productions of the countries.
Dr. Royle, who was the first to recommend the cul-
tivation of tea in the Himalayas, drew his conclusions,
in the absence of that positive information from China
which we now possess, not only from the great simi-
larity in temperature between China and these hills,
but also from the resemblance in vegetable produc-
tions. This resemblance is certainly very striking.
In both countries, except in the low valleys of the
Himalayas (and these we are not considering), tropical
forms are rarely met with. If we take trees and

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Chap. XXII. CHINESE AND INDIAN VEGETATION. 391

shrubs, for example, we find such genera as PinuSj
Cupressus, Berberis, Qaercus, Viburnum, Indigofera^
Andromeda, Lonicera, Deutzia^ Rubus, Myrica^
SpirceOj Hex, and many others common to both
countries.

Amongst herbaceous plants we have Gentiana,
Aquilegia, Anemone, Rumex^ Primula, Liliumy Le-
ontodon, Ranunculus^ &c., equally distributed in the
Himalayas and in China, and even in aquatic plants
the same resemblance may be traced, as in Nelum-
biumy Caladium^ &c. And more than this, we do
not find plants belonging to the same genera only,
but in many instances the identical species are found in
both countries. The Indigofera, common in the
Himalayas, abounds also on the tea-hills of China,
and so does Berberia nepalensis^ Lonicera diversi-
folia, Myrica sapida^ and many others.

Were it necessary, I might now show that there is
a most striking resemblance between the geology of
the two countries as well as in their vegetable pro-
ductions. In both the black and green tea countries
to which I have alluded, clay-slate is most abundant.
But enough has been advanced to prove how well
many parts of the Himalayas are adapted for the cul-
tivation of tea ; besides, the flourishing condition of
many of the plantations is, after all, the best proof,
and puts the matter beyond all doubt.

4. Suggestions. — Having shown that tea can be
grown in the Himalayas, and that it would produce
a valuable and remunerative crop, the next great
object appears to be the production of superior tea,

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392 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XXJI.

by means of fine varieties and improved cultivation.
It was well known that a variety of the tea-plant
existed in the southern parts of China from which
inferior teas only were made. That, being more
easily procured than the fine northern varieties,
from which the great mass of the best teas are made,
was the variety originally sent to India. From it
all those in the Government plantations have sprung.

It was to remedy this, and to obtain the best
varieties from those districts which furnish the trees of
commerce, that the Honourable Court of Directors
sent me to China in 1848. Another object was to
obtain some good manufacturers and implements
from the same districts. As the result of this mis-
sion, nearly twenty thousand plants from the best
black and green tea countries of Central China have
been introduced to the Himalayas. Six first-rate
manufacturers, two lead-men, and a large supply of
implements from the celebrated Hwuy-chow districts
were also brought and safely located on the Govern-
ment plantations in the hills.

A great step has thus been gained towards the
objects in view. Much, however, remains still to be
done. The new China plants ought to be carefully
propagated and distributed over all the plantations ;
some of them ought also to be given to the Zemindars,
and more of these fine varieties might be yearly im-
ported from China.

The Chinese manufacturers, who were obtained
some years since from Calcutta or Assam, are, in my
opinion, fiir from being first-rate workmen ; indeed, I

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Chap. XXII. SUGGESTIONS ON TEA-CULTURE. 393

doubt much if any of them learned their trade in
China. They ought to be gradually got rid of and
their places supplied by better men, for it is a great
pity to teach the natives an inferior method of mani-
pulation. The men brought round by me are first-
rate green-tea makers ; they can also make black tea,
but they have not been in the habit of making so
much black as green. They have none of the Canton
illiberality or prejudices about them, and are most
willing to teach their art to the natives, many of
whom will, I have no doubt, soon become excellent
tea manufacturers. And the instruction of the na-
tives is one of the chief objects which ought to be
kept in view, for the importation of Chinese mani-
pulators at high wages can only be regarded as a
temporary measure ; ultimately the Himalayan tea
must be made by the natives themselves ; each native
farmer must learn how to make tea as well as how to
grow it ; he will then make it upon his own premises,
as the Chinese do, and the expenses of carriage will
be much less than if the green leaves had to be taken
to the market.

But as the Zemindars will be able to grow tea
long before they are able to make it, it would be
prudent in the first instance to offer them a certain
sum for green leaves brought to the Government
manufactory.

I have pointed out the land most suitable for the
cultivation of tea, and shown that such land exists in
the Himalayas to an almost unlimited extent. But
if the object the Government have in view be the

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394 TEA DISTRICTS OP CHINA. Chap. XXIL

establishment of a company to develop the resources
of these hills, as in Assam, I would strongly urge the
propriety of concentrating, as much as possible, the
various plantations. Sites ought to be chosen which
are not too far apart, easy of access, and if possible
near rivers.; for, no doubt, a considerable portion of
the produce would have to be conveyed to the plains
or to a seaport.

In my tour amongst the hills I have seen no place
so well adapted for a central situation as Almorah or
Hawulbaugh. Here the Government has already a
large establishment, and tea-lands are abundant in all
directions. The climate is healthy, and better suited
to an European constitution than most other parts of
India. Here plants from nearly all the temperate
parts of the world are growing as if they were at
home. As examples, I may mention Myrtles, Pome-
granates, and Tuberoses from the south of Europe ;
Dahlias, Potatoes, Aloes, and Yuccas from America ;
Melianthus majoi' and bulbs from the Cape ; the
Cypress and Deodar of the Himalayas ; and the La-
gerstraemias, Loquats, Boses, and Tea of China.

In these days, when tea has become almost a ne-
cessary of life in England and her wide-spreading
colonies, its production upon a large and cheap scale
is an object of no ordinary importance. But to the
natives of India themselves the production of this
article would be of the greatest value. The poor
paliarie, or hill peasant, at present has scarcely the
common necessaries of life, and certainly none of its
luxuries. The common sorts of grain which his lands

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Chap. XXII. SUGGESTIONS ON TEA-CULTURE. 395

produce will scarcely pay the carriage to the nearest
market-town, far less yield such a profit as will enable
him to purchase even a few of the necessary and
simple luxuries of life. A common blanket has to
serve him for his covering by day and for his bed at
night, while his dwelling-house is a mere mud-hut,
capable of affording but little shelter from the incle-
mency of the weather. If part of these lands pro-
duced tea, he would then have a healthy beverage to
drink, besides a commodity which would be of great
value in the market Being of small bulk compared
with its value, the expense of carriage would be
trifling, and he would have the means of making
himself and his family more comfortable and more
happy.

Were such results doubtful, we have only to look
across the frontiers of India into China. Here we
find tea one of the necessaries of life in the strictest
sense of the word. A Chinese never drinks cold
water, which he abhors, and considers unhealthy.
Tea is his favourite beverage from morning until night ;
not what we call tea, mixed with milk and sugar, but
the essence of the herb itself drawn out in pure water.
Those acquainted with the habits of this people can
scarcely conceive the idea of the Chinese existing,
were they deprived of the tea-plant ; and I am sure
that the extensive use of this beverage adds much to
the health and comfort of the great body of the people.

The people of India are not unlike the Chinese in
many of their habits. The poor of both countries
eat sparingly of animal food, and rice with other

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396 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXH.

grains and vegetables form the staple articles on
which they live ; this being the case, it is not at all
unlikely the Indian will soon acquire a habit which is
so universal in China. But in order to enable him
to drink tea, it must be produced at a cheap rate ; he
cannot afford to pay at the rate of four or six shillings
a pound. It must be furnished to him' at four pence
or six pence instead, and this can easily be done, but
only on his own hills. If this is accomplished, and I
see no reason why it should not be, a boon will have
been conferred upon the people of India of no com-
mon kind, and one which an enlightened and liberal
Government may well be proud of conferring upon
its subjects.

But while the cultivation of the tea-plant is of the
first importance, there are in China other productions
of the vegetable kingdom which ought not to be
overlooked, and which, if introduced, would add
greatly to the comforts of the people of India. There
is a fruit-tree, called by botanists Myrica sapida,
which is found growing wild on the Himalayas. A
very fine variety of this fruit is cultivated in China,
and is as superior to the Indian one as the apple is
to the crab. It is much esteemed by the Chinese,
and would be a great luxury to the inhabitants of
northern India. Our English cherries, chestnuts,
and the finer sorts of pears, ought also by all means
to be introduced to the Hir^ialayas. They would
grow in the climate of Almorah as well as they do at
home.

The varieties of the bamboo found in the north of

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Chap. XXU. NAINEE TAL. 397

China would be of great value in the Himalayas,
more particularly a fine large clean-stemmed kind
common about the temples in the tea-districts. Some-
thing of this kind appears to be much wanted in the
provinces of Gurhwal and Kumaon.*

When I reached Nainee Tal I was kindly received
by Captain Jones, who oflTered me quarters in his
house until my dak was laid for Meerut, to which
I was now bound on my way to Calcutta and Eng-
land. Nainee Tal is one of the prettiest stations
I have seen in the Himalayas. Its romantic-looking
lake is almost surrounded by richly wooded moun-
tains. A fine broad road has been made round the
edge of the lake, and the houses of the inhabitants
are scattered on the sloping sides of the hills.
Schooners and pleasure-boats are seen daily sailing
on the lake, and when viewed from a high elevation
have a curious and striking appearance. From one
of the positions where I stood I could see the lake,
and through an opening in the hills the far-spreading
plains of India. Heavy masses of clouds were hang-
ing over the plains far below the level of the lake,
and the little vessels were actually sailing about at an
elevation higher than the clouds !

On the 28th of July I left Nainee Tal and took
the road for the plains. Mr. Batten accompanied
me down the hill as far as a little garden which we
had agreed to visit, where we found breakfast await-

* The observations, in this chapter, Upon tea-cultivation in India,
are taken, by permission of the Honourable Court of Directors of the
East India Company, from a Report which I had the honour to make
to the Indian Government.

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398 TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA. Chap. XXII.

ing us. The scenery here is so wild and striking as
to baffle all attempts at description. Behind us were
mountains of all heights, rent and broken up into
every variety of form, while before us lay the plains
of India stretching away as far as. the eye could reach
without a mountain or a hill to obstruct the view.

Mr. Batten now left me and returned to his home
amongst the mountains, while I pursued my home-
ward journey. I visited the well-known cities of
Delhi and Agra on my route, and arrived at Cal-
cutta on the 29th of August, when I took up my
quarters with Dr. Falconer, in the botanic garden,
until the mail-steamer was ready to receive her pas-
sengers for England.

On the 5th of September I had the pleasure of
seeing the Victoria regia flower for the first time in
India. It was growing luxuriantly in one of the
ponds in the botanic garden, and no doubt will soon
be a great ornament to Indian gardens. It will soon
reign as the queen of flowers in every land, and,
like our beloved sovereign whose name it bears, the
sun will never set on its dominions.

<)>•

PKKIITBD BT W. CLOWES AND SONS, 8TAMP0KD STEBKT.

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Full text of "A journey to the tea countries of China; including Sung-Lo and the Bohea hills; with a short notice of the East India company's tea plantations in the Himalaya mountains"

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