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Two Visits to the Tea Countries of China
and the British Tea Plantations in the Himalaya
Robert Fortune
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TWO VISITS
TO THE
rEA COUNTRIES OF CHINA
AND THE
BRITISH TEA PLANTATIONS IN THE HIMALAYA;
WITH A NARRATIVE OF ADVENTURES, AND A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE
CULTURE OF THE TEA PLANT, THE AGRICULTURE,
HORTICULTURE, AND BOTANY OF CHINA.
By ROBERT FORTUNE,
FORMERLY BOTANICAL COLLECTOR TO THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, AND
NOW IN THE SERvICE OF THE HON. EAST INDIA COMPANY IN CHINA.
IN TWO VOLUMES.—Vol. II.
CfltrH ffi&itton,
WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1853.



CONTENTS OP VOL. II.
CHAPTEK I.
Second Visit to China — Shanghae — New English Town — 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 —i Increase in Exports — City of Seh-
mun-yuen — Pear of Thieves — Hang-chow-foo — The " Garden
of China " — Description of the City and its Suburbs — Gaiety of
the People — Adventure in the City — Kan-du — A " Chop " —
A Chinese Inn — Boat engaged for Hwuy-chow — Importance of
Hang-chow both for trading and " squeezing" . . . . Page 1
Leave Hang-chow-foo — A China Passage-boat — Scenery and na-
tural 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 Water-mills — A valuable Palm-tree — Birds —
Lime-kilns and green Granite— Tea-plant met with — The new
Funereal Cypress discovered — Its Beauty — How its Seeds
were procured — Strange Echo — River and Land Beggars —
Charity 28
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
CHAPTER IT.
CHAPTER III.
a 2


IV
CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
of the Hills — 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-shari . . . Page 48
CHAPTER IV.
Sung-lo-shan — Its Priests and Tea — Its Height above the Sea —
Eock Formation — Cultivation of the Tea-shrub — Mode of pre-
serving 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 66
CHAPTER V.
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-che — 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 73
CHAPTER VI.
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 — Sail for Hong-kong — A Game-ship — Canton
Seeds, and Mode of packing them — False Notion regarding their
being poisoned 90


CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
V
CHAPTER VII.
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-hunt —
Scenery about Tein-tung — Roadside Temples — A Priest and
Siphon — Lakes of Tung-hoo Page 102
CHAPTER VIII.
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
Ohang-shan 125
CHAPTER IX.
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 Respectability — Description of the Country and its Pro-
ductions — Arrive at the Town of Hokow 146
CHAPTER X.
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 —


CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
Town of Yuen-shan — Appearance of the Eoad — 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 160
CHAPTER XI.
First View of the Bohea Mountains — Mountain Pass — A noble
Pir-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 Chinawoman —
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 171
CHAPTER XII.
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 in-
teresting Conversation — 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 Pea-
santry 186
CHAPTER XIII.
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 pur-
chased— Adventure during the Night—My Visitors — Plants
packed for a Journey — Town of Tsin-tsun and its Trade —
Leave the Woo-e Hills — Mountain Scenery — The Lance-leaved
Pine — Rocks, Ravines, and Waterfalls — A lonely Road —
Trees — Birds and other Animals — Town of She-pa-ky —
Productions of the Country — Uses of the Nelumbium — Pouch-
ing Teas — City of Pouching-hien 202


CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
vii
CHAPTER XIV.
Soil of Woo-e-Shan — Sites of Tea-farms — Cultivation and Man-
agement 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's
Directions for making Tea — His Opinion on its Properties
and Uses Page 217
CHAPTER XV.
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 succeed 1 — Difference between Black and Green Tea de-
pends upon manipulation — Method of making Green Tea — Of
making Black — Difference in the manipulation of the two kinds
— Mr. Warrington's Remarks on this Subject — A familiar Illus-
tration — The Tea-plant — Inferior Teas made from Thea bohea
— Best Teas made from Thea viridis — The Woo-e-shan Variety
— The Tea-plant affected by Climate and Reproduction — Tea
Cultivation in America and Australia—In English Gardens 232
CHAPTER XVL
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 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 247


CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
CHAPTER XVII.
A celebrated Buddhist Temple — Scenery around it — Its Trees and
Shrubs — Buddhist Worship — Leave the Temple — Reflections
on Buddhism — Important Station for Christian Missionaries —
Privations 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 Shang-
hai Page 261
CHAPTER XVIII.
Tea-plants, &c, taken to Hong-kong — Shipped for India — I sail
again for the North — 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 — City of Ting-hae — Poo-too, or Worship-
ping Island — Ancient Inscriptions in an unknown Language —
A Chinese caught fishing in the Sacred Lake — He is chased by
the Priests — 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 274
CHAPTER XIX
Experiments with Tea-seeds — Best Method of sending them to
distant Countries — How Oaks and Chestnuts might be trans-
ported — Arrive at Calcutta — Condition of the Collections —
Proceed onwards — The Sunderbunds — Arrive at Allahabad —
Reach Saharunpore — State of the Tea-plants — Chinese Manu-
facturers located — I bid them farewell — Remarks on Tea Cul-
tivation in India — Scenery about Nainee Tal — Victoria
Regia 287


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOL. II.
1. View in the Black-Tea District - - Frontispiece.
2. Engraved Title-page.
3. The Hemp Palm ------ payC 40
4. Funereal Cypress 43
5. Relic-Cage - 107
6. Buddha's Tooth 108
7. Crystal Vase 109
8. Mo-ze, the Chinese Sportsman 120
9. Roadside Altar 123
10. Mode of carrying the finest Tea across the Bohea moun-
tains - - - 165
11. Mode of carrying common Tea ----- 166
12. Chinese Tomb -------- 201
13. Chinese Bird's-eye View of the Stream of "Nine
Windings" and strange Rocks - 203
14. Ancient Inscription 280
15. Old Stone at Poo-too - 281
16. Chinese Funeral and Family Tomb - - at the end.





WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
SECOND JOUBNEY.
CHAPTER I.
Second Visit to China — Shanghae — New English Town — 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-yuen — 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 — Kan-du —A "Chop"—•
A Chinese Inn — Boat engaged for Hwuy-chow — Importance of
Hang-chow both for trading and " squeezing"
On one fine afternoon in the month of September, 1848,
I found myself once more in a China boat on the
Shanghae river, sailing onwards in the direction of that
ancient 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
VOL. II. B


2
Chap. I,
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
the shore presented than with the shipping. I had
heard that many English and American houses had heen
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
backwards into the country, with their families, effects,
and all that appertained unto 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 property near their
houses. Hence it was no uncommon thing to meet
several coffins being borne by coolies or friends to the
westward. In many instances when the coffins were
uncovered they were found totally decayed, and it was
impossible to remove them. When this was the
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 was most amusing to see the groups of Chinese
merchants who came from some distance inland on a
visit to Shanghae. They wandered about along the
river side with wonder depicted in their countenances.
The square-rigged vessels which crowded the river, the
houses of the foreigners, their horses and their dogs,
were all objects of wonder, even more so than the
foreigners themselves. Mr. Beale, who has one of the
finest houses here, had frequent applications from re-


Chap. I.
3
SHANGHAE.
spectable Chinese who were anxious to see the inside of
an English dwelling. These applications were always
complied with in the kindest manner, and the visitors
departed 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 "barbarian race " a step
or two higher in the eyes of the "enlightened" Chinese.
A pretty English church formed one of the ornaments
of the new town, and a small cemetery had 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 from the Chinese, 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 particular in their attention to the
graves of the dead.
My object in coming thus far north was to obtain seeds
and plants of the tea-shrub for the Hon. East India
Company's plantations in the north-west provinces of
India. It was a matter of great importance to procure
them from those districts in China where the best teas
were produced, and I now set about accomplishing 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 pre-
cisely the same variety from which the finer sorts were
made, and that the difference consisted only in climate,
B 2


4
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
in soil, or, more likely still, in a different mode of mani-
pulation. 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 circumstances I considered that it
would be a most unsatisfactory 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 archipelago,
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 mission-
aries, no one has ever entered within the sacred pre-
cincts 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
* Since this was written I have been informed that the Rev. Mr.
Medhurst passed through some part of this district.


Chap. I. DECEITFULNESS OF NATIVES.
5
were some very formidable objections to this course.
Suppose I had engaged Chinese agents for this purpose
—and plenty would have undertaken the mission—how
could I be at all certain 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 un-
charitable, but such is really the case; and if it suited
the purpose 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 collection
there. After staying away for a month or two they
would have returned to me with the collection, 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 produce the finest green teas of commerce,
hut also gain some information with regard to the
nature of the soil of the district and the best modes of
cultivation.
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


6 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. I.
I should discard my English costume and adopt the
dress of the country. I knew that this was indispen-
sable 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 having been severely
punished by the Chinese authorities for taking three or
four foreigners some distance inland to see the silk dis-
tricts. These gentlemen went in the English dress, and
complaints were consequently made by the officers in
the districts through which 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
persons were to accompany him. He agreed to this
plan, and soon returned with a "chop," or agreement,
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 there-
fore intrusted the management of our affairs to the
former, much to the disgust of the other, who was an
older man In an ordinary case I would have sent one


Chap. I.
7
START FOR THE INTERIOR.
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 I should have been placed in an awkward position
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 safe-
guard 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, however, I ob-
served 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 re-
plied, "if you will only add a trifle more to the fare."
To this I consented, 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 we
were some distance from Shanghae, and the boatman
suggested that it was now time to discard the English
dress, and adopt that of the country, according to our


S WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 1 Chap. I.
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 devolved upon the coolie. The latter was
a large-boned, clumsy fellow, whose only recommenda-
tion 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 charitable 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 run-
ning down my cheeks, and I cried out with pain. All
he said was, "Hai-yah—very bad, very bad," and con-
tinued 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 think-
ing 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 the best he could. The
shaving was finished at last; I then dressed myself in
the costume of the country, and the result was pro-
nounced by my servants and the boatmen to be very
satisfactory.
The whole country to the westward of Shanghae is


Chap. I.
9
KEA-HING-FOO.
intersected with rivers and canals, so that the traveller
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 des-
tination 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* from 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 fortified.
This city seems nearly as large as Shanghae, and
probably contains about the same number of inhabitants
—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 defences of their city substan-
tially repaired. Such was the boatmen's story when
accounting for the excellent order in which the fortifica-
* A le 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.
B 3


10
Chap. L
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
tions were. A number 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 Government officers as
dwelling-houses, or sold to the highest bidder.
We had now entered the great Hang-chow silk dis-
trict, 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 num-
ber of the tombstones were crumbling to pieces, and
mingling with the ashes of the dead. But this "place of
skulls" was no barren waste, like those churchyards
which we see in large towns at home. Here the dead
were interred amidst groves of the weeping willow, mul-
berry-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 westward,
we entered a broad sheet of water of considerable size,
which is probably part of, or at least joins, the celebrated


Chap. I.
11
LING—MULBERRIES.
Tai-ho lake. The water is very shallow, and a great
part of it is covered with the Trapa bicornis—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 fruit 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 propelled
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, 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 carefully
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


12
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
must be remembered, is only one of the silk districts
in China, but it is the principal and the best one. The
merchant and silk-manufacturer 'mil 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 fact speaks for itself.
Seh-mun-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 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 after-
noon. The morning had been cold and rainy, and the
boatmen, who were all wet to the skin, refused to pro-
ceed further that day. I was therefore obliged to make


14
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 appearance of the flat country
here was rich and beautiful. Still the mulberry was
seen extensively cultivated 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 (Eriobotrya japonica), yang-mai
(Myrica sp.), peaches, plums, 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 con-
veying 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 approached
the suburbs of Hang-chow-foo—one of the largest and
most flourishing cities in the richest district of the
Chinese empire. The Chinese authorities have always
been most jealous of foreigners approaching or enter-


CffAP; I.
15
SUBURBS OF HANG-CHOW-FOO.
ing 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 ex-
ported 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
under my observation marked it as a place of great im-
portance. The Grand Canal was deep and wide, and
bore on its waters many hundreds of boats of 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 country.
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 termi-
nates 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


16
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
consulting 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 pro-
ceed 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 naturally supposed
that we were at See-hoo, which is only a part of the
suburbs. This, however, was Dot 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 arrang-
ing 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 recommended us to
the inn at which we had now arrived. To my astonish-
ment 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 loDger. I now expected that


Chap. I.
17
HANG-CHOW-FOO.
some difficulties would be experienced in procuring a
chair, either through fear of the mandarins, or with a
view of extorting money. The old man, who made his
living by letting chairs and selling tea, took everything
very quietly, and did not seem to despise a good cus-
tomer, 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 given
them to engage another chair for the remainder of the
journey, to a place called Kan-du, 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 expect-
ing 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 ramparts 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 re-
main 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,


18
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
through which I passed, is narrow when compared 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
i 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 officers of Government, as well as of many of the
great merchants. It has been remarked not unfre-
quently, when comparing 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 advantages 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 below 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


Chap. I.
19
HANG-CHOW-FOO.
bandage removed from my eyes, I should have great
difficulty in saying where I was. There are doubtless
distinctions with which the "barbarian" eye is unac-
quainted, 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-looking
Buddhist temples; but although these buildings have a
certain degree of interest about them, and many of
them are 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 de"
scription. 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 and the poor. They did not seem to
lack customers, for they were all crowded with hundreds


20
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
of natives, who, for a few cash or "tseen," can obtain a
healthy and substantial meal.
Besides the officers of Government, merchants, shop-
keepers, and common labourers connected with any of
these professions, the city contains a large manufacturing
population. Silk is the staple article of manufacture.
Du Halde estimates the numbers engaged in this ope-
ration at sixty thousand. I observed a great number
employed in the reeling process, and others were busily
engaged with the beautiful embroidery for which this
part of China is so famous.
The people of Hang-chow dress gaily, and are re-
markable 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 contented
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 possesses in the world is on
his back."
When we were about half way 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 explanation, for I had under-
stood that the chairmen had been paid to take me the
whole way through. My servants, however, were no-


Chap. I.
21
A TRAVELLER'S MAXIM.
where 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 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 in-
trusted the first bearers with a sum of money sufficient
to hire another chair for the second stage of the journey.
Part 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 collected, and the
consequences might have been serious.
"Take thiiigs 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 probably make
matters worse. These were the principles on which I
generally acted; but in the present instance I was not
allowed to carry them out to their fullest extent.


22
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
I had taken my seat in the second chair, and was
patiently waiting until such time as the first men could
give the second satisfactory reasons for spending part of
their cash in tea and tobacco. The first notice, however,
which I received of the unsuccessful result of this at-
tempt, 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 language 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 inquire into the dispute, and
put an end to it by promising to pay the difference
when we arrived at the end of the stage. This was
evidently what the first rascals had been calculating
upon; but it had the effect of stopping all further
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 Kiver, 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


Chap. I.
23
A "CHOP.'
happen next. The only thing I could make out was,
that they were taking me to a Hong-le, but what a
Hong-le was, was beyond my comprehension.
To carry out my own principles and trust to circum-
stances 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 comfortable Chinese inn, which was fre-
quented by passengers 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 luggage. I had seen nothing of either that or my
servants since I left the former inn. It had arrivedj
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" boatmen
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 respect-
able householder, who for a certain sum becomes bound
for him in a written "chop" or agreement. This "chop"
is handed over to the master of the servant, or to the


24
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
hirer of the hoat, who retains it until his contract is
satisfactorily fulfilled. This system is practised univer-
sally 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 build-
ing, 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 apart-
ment 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 merchants smoking from long bamboo pipes
and discussing 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
a good laugh since. Preparations began to be made
for dinner, and the travellers who were seated around


Chap. I.
25
A CHINESE INN.
the 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 circumstances
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 chopsticks for three years, and I had no
confidence in my talents in the use of them. This
important circumstance had not struck me before, other-
wise 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 Chinamen upon me, for nothing would
astonish them so much as a person using the chopsticks
in an awkward manner. I was therefore obliged, re-
luctantly, 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 requested to
sit down. "Sing Wa, Sing Wa" (the name I bore
amongst the Chinese), "come and sit down to din-
ner." 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 circumstances, so that my refusal did
not seem to attract much notice.
A short time afterwards my servants returned, bring-
ing a boatman with them to have a chop made out, and
to have him "secured" by the innkeeper. As soon as
VOL. II. C


26
Chap. I.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 adven-
turous day, and I was not sorry when the darkness closed
around 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 west-
ward. One of its branches rises amongst the green-tea
hills of Hwuy-chow, another near to the town of Chang-
shan, 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 transshipped from the
river boats into those which ply upon the Grand Canal.
The importance 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
districts about Soo-chow, Sung-kiang, and Shanghae.
In the same manner all foreign imports, and the products
of the low countries, such as silk and cotton, in 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.


Chap. I. "SQUEEZING." 27
The power which this place gives the Chinese autho-
rities over our imports and exports through Shanghae is
very great, and hence complaints of stoppages and illegal
charges, or "squeezes," have been not unfrequent. 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 Government
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.
c 2


28 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. II.
CHAPTER II.
Leave Hang-chow-foo — A China Passage-boat — Scenery and na-
tural 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 Water-mills — A valuable Palm-tree — Birds —
Lime-kilns and green Granite— Tea-plant met with — The new
Funereal Cypress discovered — Its Beauty — How its Seeds
were procured—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-bot-
tomed, 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 passen-
gers 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.


Chap. II.
29
A CHINA PASSAGE-BOAT.
A Chinese bed is not a very luxurious one. It 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 outside in the stern,
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 conge' in the morning, rice at mid-day,
and rice-conge' 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 until 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 one comes in from a
walk hot and weary; it is far more refreshing than


30
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 stern of the boat. Each man was furnished with a
small basin and a pair of chopsticks; 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 chopsticks. I got on very well,
however, and found that I had not quite forgotten the
art of eating with these highly-civilised instruments. It
is, however, easier to eat rice and conge" with them
than any other kinds of food, for the basin is generally
brought quite close up to the mouth, and its contents
partly sucked and partly shovelled in.
The tide and wind were both fair, so that we glided up


Chap. II.
31
NATIVE PRODUCTIONS.
the river with great rapidity; it was a beautiful autum-
nal day, and the scene altogether was a most charming
one. We had left behind us the great 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 from 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 corn,
millet, and a small portion of rice, seemed to be the
staple productions of the plains; millet and Indian corn
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.
At night, 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.
My fellow-passengers, who were chiefly merchants and


32
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
servants, were quiet and inoffensive; indeed they did
little else but loll in bed and sleep, except when they
were eating and 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 most pitiable of them all;
he was evidently a man of some standing in society, and
had plenty of money. His bed was surrounded 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 acquaintance.
The curtains were down and drawn close round, par-
ticularly on that side from whence 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 burning by his
side, an opium-pipe was in his mouth, and he was
inhaling the intoxicating fumes. After smoking for a
few minutes he began to have the appearance which a
drunken man presents in the first stage of intoxication;
the fumes 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, from which he took a good draught of tea; he
then walked about the boat evidently a good deal ex-
cited, 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


Chap. II.
33
AN OPIUM-SMOKER.
teapot and lay down to sleep; but his slumbers were
not of long duration, and were evidently disturbed by
strange and frightful 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 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 sickening fumes 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 melancholy
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 numbered,
and yet, strange to tell, this man tried to convince
others, and himself also, that he was smoking medicin-
ally, and that the use of opium was indispensable 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 uncom-


34
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
fortable. I observed him once or twice in close con-
versation with one of the boatmen, and it turned out
afterwards that he told this man, as a great secret of
course, that I was a foreigner,—one of those Hong-mous
who were so numerous in Shanghae. By-and-by the
secret began to ooze out, and both boatmen and pas-
sengers were taking sly peeps at me when they thought
I did not see them. Suspecting 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 conduct,
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 ar-
rived 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 fully
four miles in circumference. It seems an ancient place,
but, judging from the small number of boats moored in


Chap. II.
35
TEN-CHOW-FOO.
the river opposite, I should not imagine it of much im-
portance as a place of trade. A considerable quantity
of rough lacquered 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 con-
siderable trade is carried on in all the common neces-
saries of life. Judging from its size, it may contain
about 200,000 inhabitants. They do not seem so rich,
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 hill,
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.
The hills about Yen-chow-foo are barren, but the
valleys and low lands are rich and fertile. This city is
considered half-way between Hang-chow 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


36
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
remainder of the journey, and also articles which would
sell at a profit farther up the country. I did not regret
this delay, as it gave me an opportunity 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
affirmed 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 indignant. "I gave


Chap. II.
37
WATER-MILLS.
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 V 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 bis cash, protesting, at the same time,
that he had been badly used, 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 be-
hind us. Our course was now in a north-westerly direc-
tion. 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 countrymen 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 description. A large barge or boat was
firmly moored by stem and stern near the side of the
river, in a part where the stream ran most rapidly. Two
wheels, not unlike 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 round,
pressed up a heavy mallet to a certain height, and then
allowed it to fall down upon the grain placed in a basin


38
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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
country appears more fertile; the hills are covered again
with low pines, and the lowlands abound in tallow-trees,
camphor-trees, and bamboos. Large quantities of Indian
corn 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, not-
withstanding 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 perse-
verance of the Chinese. When looking upon a river
such as this is, one would think it quite impossible to
navigate it, yet even this difficulty is overcome by hard
labour and perseverance.
The slow progress which we necessarily made suited my
purposes exactly, and enabled me to explore the botanical
riches of the country with convenience and ease. I used
to rise at break of day, and 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 generally went on shore again, accompanied by my
men, who carried the seeds, plants, or flowers we might


Chap. II.
39
A VALUABLE PALM.
discover during 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 con-
siderable distance with perfect safety; if, 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.
Amongst the trees the most common were the Dry-
andra cordata of Thunberg, the tung-eu of the Chinese,
which is valuable on account of the quantity of oil found
in its seeds, and the tallow-tree, which furnishes both
tallow and oil. 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
Ckairwerops. It is particularly valuable to the northern
Chinese, who use its large, brown, hairlike 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


40
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
which this useful 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 beautiful
palm-tree ornamenting the hill-sides in the south of

The Hemp Palm.
England, and in other mild European countries. With
this view I sent a few plants home to Sir William
Hooker, of the Royal Gardens at Kew, with a request
that he would forward one of them to the garden of His


Chap. II.
41
LIME-KILNS—SCENERY.
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 command of the "Reynard,"
were highly and justly appreciated by the foreign com-
munity.
Limestone rock is very plentiful in this district, and
there are a great number of kilns for burning it, con-
structed exactly like those we see at home. Large quan-
tities of water-fowl, such as geese, ducks, teal, and several
fine varieties of the kingfisher, were common about the
river. Inland, on the hill-sides, pheasants, 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 weather
was delightful, 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 beautiful 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 shallow, and running rapidly
over its rocky bed. At some places trees and bushes
hung over its sides, and dipped their branches into the
i
* In the 'Botanical Magazine' for March, 1850, Sir William
Hooker thus writes of it:—" A palm, Chamarops excelsa, (?) sent to
the Royal gardens hy Mr. Fortune, has braved unharmed, and un-
protected by any sort of covering, the severe winter now past."
(1849-50).


Chap. II.
43
THE FUNEREAL CYPRESS.

CuprcMus funcbrig.


44
Chap. II.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 branches grew at first
at right angles to the main stem, then described a
graceful curve upwards, and bent again at their points.
From these main branches others long and slender
hung down perpendicularly, 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 sur-
prise of my attendants, who evidently thought I had
gone crazy. When I reached the spot 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-
vitas, 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 belong-
ing to a country inn, and was the property of the inn-
keeper. A wall intervened between us and it, which I
confess I felt very much inclined to get over; but re-
membering that I was acting Chinaman, and that such


Chap. II.
45
STKANGE ECHO.
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 ourselves quietly down
at one of the tables, ordered some dinner to be brought
to us. When we had taken our meal we lighted our
Chinese pipes, and sauntered out, accompanied by our
polite host, into the garden where the real attraction
lay. "What a fine tree this of yours is! 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
feature 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.
Leaving the town of Shang-i-yuen, abreast of which
we had anchored during the night, we proceeded on our
journey on the morning of the 31st of October. After
going a short distance we came to a wild-looking 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 distinctly repeated again and again,
first by the nearest hills, and then by others more dis-
tant, until they gradually died away. The Chinese have


Chap. II.
47
BEGGARS.
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 full 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 was provided with a
basket suspended from the point of a bamboo pole,
which he held out to the boatmen and asked for alms.
These landsmen were quite as importunate as their bre-
thren in the boats, and were generally as successful 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 beggars—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 "cast-
ing their bread upon the waters."


48
Chap. III.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA
CHAPTER III.
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 — 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.
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 passengers 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


Chap. III.
49
THREATENED ATTACK.
during the journey, and nearly the whole of them bore
him a grudge. 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 observed my two men in close
conversation, but as this was a matter of frequent
occurrence I paid little attention to it. 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
not allow myself to believe that in the interior of this
VOL. II. D


50
Chap. III.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 remain 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 gate 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 I" said
my servant, "for here they come." I jumped up im-
mediately, 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 disappeared amongst the sur-
rounding boats, and left us unmolested. "Now, do
vou see that ?" said Wang; " you would not believe me
when I told you that they intended to seize and drown


Chap. III.
51
AN ALARM.
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 ap-
peared 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 concocting 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
lantern and do the same. This, however, my servants
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 from eight o'clock
in the evening until three next morning. Long before
this time the boatmen seemed to be sound asleep. The
D 2


52
Chap. III.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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, how-
ever, my men remonstrated against, and I was obliged
to keep them company for an hour longer. At the end
of that time, nothing ha,ving 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 everything 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 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,
i The sun was just rising, and its earliest rays were


Chap. III.
BORDER COUNTRY.
playing upon the old walls and watch-towers of Wae-
ping. How different the old place looked in daylight
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
beautiful 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 never 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 of inspecting its productions. Soon after
leaving Wae-ping one of my guides informed me that
we were now on the border of another province, and
that here I had better not go much out of 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 province 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


54
Chap. III.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 believe, 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 execution, 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 full
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 cultivated to their summits. Crops
of millet and Indian corn 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


Chap. III.
55
A CHINESE HOLIDAY.
which were growing pn 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 corn afforded a striking contrast 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. Everywhere it was beautiful, and produced
a striking effect in the appearance of the landscape.
In walking over the country I always, when possible,
avoided entering large 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 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


56
Chap. 111.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
high, standing on the dry bed of tfie 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 veran-
dahs 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 Nelum-
bium appeared floating on the water. Everything de-
noted that the place belonged to a person of high rank
and wealth.
At some little distance a theatre was erected, in front
of which stood several thousands of the natives, packed
as closely as possible, and evidently highly interested
in a play which was going on. Sometimes the piece
appeared so pathetic that the immense multitude were
perfectly still; at other times something seemed to tickle
their fancies, and to afford them the greatest amusement.
The actors on the stage were very gaily dressed in rich
silks and satins of many colours, and evidently did then-
best to afford amusement to this immense audience.
Such was the scene presented to us as we approached
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


Chap. III.
57
FERKT-BOAT AND LADIES.
will, volunteered 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 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. Respectably
dressed females always fly from foreigners as they would
do from a wild and ferocious animal. Had these pretty
damsels 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
d3


58
Chap. III.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
with them, but, being quite contented with the adven-
tures of the day, I declined the invitation. It was very
late before they all came back; but this did not prevent
us from getting under way at the usual time next morn-
ing and proceeding on our journey.
After we had gone some distance the head boatman
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 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 comfort, 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-foo, and had left their native;


Chap. III.
61
WANG'S ADVICE.
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 increased 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 very fine evergreen ber-
berry. Each leaflet was as large as the leaf of an Eng-
lish 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 apprehensions
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 pro-
posed 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
behind; that, if he attempted to leave the boat openly,
measures would be taken to stop him; and that, as the


62
Chap. III.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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
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 un-
paid. "This plan of yours will not do," said I; "if you
can leave the boat in an open manner, taking your com-
panion along with you and paying 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 pro-
pose." 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 passengers determined to walk onwards to
the town. We all began to pack up our luggage and
make preparations for the journey. The opium-smoker,
who, with all his civility, was a man I could not trust,


Chap. III.
63
IMPORTANCE OF TUN-CHE.
was now very anxious to know to what part of the country
we were bound. My Chinese servants, who had learned
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 fully paid up, our lug-
gage 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 afternoon. 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 situ-
ated in lat. 29° 48' N., and in long. 23 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 Shanghae, are shipped at this place. The
green teas destined 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


64
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. III.
is green tea. There are here a number of 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, however,
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 flourishing
condition, and this convinced me that soil had much
to do with the superiority of the Hwuy-chow green
teas.
After spending about an hour in the town we inquired
where we could hire a chair to take us onward about
thirty le further, and were directed to an inn or tea-
house, where chairs are let on hire. A circumstance
happened in this inn which gave me some amusement
at the time, and which I have often laughed at since.
When we entered this house we found a great number
of travellers of all ranks; some were drinking tea, others
smoking, and the remainder stretched upon chairs or


Chap. III.
65
A FRIEND IN NEED.
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 my 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
up and said with the utmost gravity, "It is of no use
your talking to this person, he understands the Kwan-hwa
(or Court dialect) 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.


66
Chap. IV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
CHAPTER IV.
Sung-lo-shan — Its Priests and Tea — Its Height above the Sea —
Eock Formation — Cultivation of the Tea-shrub — Mode of pre-
serving 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 in 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 manu-
factured. In a book called the 'Hieu-ning-hien chy,'
published A.D. 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."


Chap. IV.
67
SUNG-LO-SHAN.
Sung-lo-shan appears to be between two and tbree
thousand 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 concerned, and is only
gathered to supply the wants of the priests of Fo, who
have many temples amongst these rugged wilds. Never-
theless 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 dis-
tinction betwixt hill-tea and garden-tea, the latter
simply applying to those teas which are carefully cul-
tivated 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 considerable portion of
sand.
The rocks in this part of the country are chiefly com-
posed 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 re-
mains in these rocks, but my time and opportunities did
not permit me to investigate them very minutely.
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 un-


68
Chap. IV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
known. 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 represented by various
species of the same genera.
In the green-tea district of Hwuy-chow, and I believe
in all other parts where the shrub is cultivated, it is
multiplied by seeds. The seeds are ripe in the month
of October. When gathered 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
spring. 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 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


Chap. IV.
69
DYEING GREEN TEAS.
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.
As many persons in Europe and in America have a
peculiar taste for coloured green teas, I will now give
a "full and particular account" of the colouring pro-
cess 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 gyp-
sum was produced and burned in the charcoal fires which
were then roasting the teas. The object of this was to
soften it in order 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. These two substances, having been thus pre-
pared, were then mixed together in the proportion of
four parts of gypsum to three parts of Prussian blue,


70
Chap. IV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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, improved. 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 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 acknowledged 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 uni-
form and pretty, and as these ingredients were cheap


Chap. IV.
71
DYEING GREEN TEAS.
enough, the Chinese had no objection to supply them,
especially as such teas always fetched a higher price!
"I took some trouble to ascertain precisely the quan-
tity 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 14^ lbs. of tea were applied
8 mace 2$ candareens of colouring matter, or rather
more than an ounce. In every hundred pounds of
coloured green tea consumed 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, 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 em-
ployed 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 (1851), and a
portion of them submitted to Mr. Warrington, of Apothe-
caries' Hall, whose investigations in connexion with this


72
Chap. IV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
subject are well known. In a paper read by him before
the Chemical Society, and published in its 'Memoirs
and Proceedings/ he says,—
"Mr. Fortune has forwarded from the north of China,
for the Industrial Exhibition, specimens of these mate-
rials (tea dyes), which, from their appearance, 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 presence of which was then attributed
possibly to the employment of kaolin or agalmatolite."


Chap. V.
73
OLD MR. WANG.
CHAPTER V.
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-che — 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
VOL. rx E


74
Chap. V.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
time apologising for the poor reception they gave us, as
they were so poor. I tried not to be outdone in polite-
ness, 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 circum-
stances a Chinese cottage is a most uncomfortable 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 insup-
portable. 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 suffer 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 from his friends the boatmen. The coolie said
he had been so much alarmed that he had spent the
whole night in a temple, it being the only place


Chap. V.
75
TEA-SEEDS OBTAINED.
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 circumstances, and strongly recommended me
to follow their example.
Sung-lo mountain, which in ordinary weather I could
have seen from the windows, was now enveloped 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 regarding 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 pre-
pared, and much information of a useful kind, which
I have endeavoured in the last chaper to lay before the
reader.
In the mean time I had not lost sight of the beautiful
E 2


Chap. V.
77
THE NEW BERBERIS.
the plant; don't be afraid, I shall not touch it." For
some time they refused to do even this, but through
Wang's influence they were at last induced to consent,
and led the way down to a small cottage-garden, com-
pletely covered with weeds. There the beautiful shrub
was growing apparently neglected and left to "bloom un-
seen." 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 country, he could easily have
replaced it; it was not unlikely, therefore, that he
supposed I should offer 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 that he was
acquainted with another place where the same plant was
to be had, and that for a consideration 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 took back to Shanghae. These are now
safely in England.
I spent a week in the neighbourhood of Sung-lo, 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


78
Chap. V.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 refused 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 withholding his wages if I 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 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 hire of the boat. With regard to
the last item, 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.


(JpAP. V.
79
CHINESE SQUEEZING.
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, I could not pay such a
large sum, and must devise some other means of pro-
ceeding down the country. He pretended to be highly
indignant at my even suspecting his veracity, and wa3
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.


80
Chap. V.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 I 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 sufficient 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 agreed to on my part, and
the business was apparently arranged to Mr. Wang's
satisfaction; and no wonder; for, having kept the chop,
which I afterwards 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 interests to
do so; in fact I used often to think that they rather pre-
ferred lying unless it was against their interests.
All our arrangements being complete, the seeds put
up, and the plants packed, I hired a chair, and on the


82
Chap. V.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
he; "leave the chair where it is, and let us hurry on-
wards." 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 chairmen gave chase, and, coming up
with us, collared Wang and demanded their fare.
"What is the meaning of this proceeding?" said I:
"you 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 was
coming up behind my chair, he had observed another
chair, in which there was a great general, closely follow-
ing 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 think-
ing much more of getting indoors from the pelting
storm than of molesting us. Indeed I strongly sus-
pected 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 follow-


Chap. V.
83
MOUNTAIN SCENERY.
ing 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 morning.
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 suc-
cession the woods, towns, and villages which lined its
banks. Sometimes, as we looked onwards, our course
seemed to be stopped by mountain-barriers, but as we
approached them a way opened out, and we glided
rapidly through, between 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 mountains, and set where
she rose, and we were left in the shade; and so, as we
floated onwards, she rose and set many times, until
she was so high in the sky that the mountains could no
longer intercept her rays.
The river being rapid, and in many parts studded
with rocks and large stones most dangerous to naviga-
tion, 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 change of wea-


84 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. V.
ther took place, an event common amongst these moun-
tains. When we went to bed the evening was calm
and serene, and there was no appearance of any change
in the weather. Before midnight, 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 moorings, 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 in-shore. Some of them were lashing the roof
firmly down to 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 to
get her in-shore, 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 invited some of
their friends, who were detained by the same cause as
ourselves, to come on board to dine and play cards; and
in this way they amused themselves until the afternoon,


Chap. V.
85
RAPID TIDE.
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 Hwuy-chow and Ning-po. Large numbers of
river boats were at anchor abreast of the town, some
from Hwuy-chow, Yen-chow, 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 of water and a great noise
amongst the boats with which we were moored. "Jan-
shui! jan-shui!" (the flood-tide! the flood-tide !) ex-
claimed 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 after
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 scene to that presented by some
highland river, which, swelled after a storm by many
mountain-streams, comes rolling down to the lowlands,


86
Chap. V.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
flooding the country in its course, and bearing every-
thing 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, I suppose, to prevent smuggling. We
were therefore stopped about nine o'clock in the even-
ing, and informed that we must not proceed until day-
light. 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 us about twenty cash
(one penny), and then I might do as I pleased. This is
the way these thing are managed 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 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


88
Chap. V.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
green-tea country, from which I had just come. Rice
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 small
town named Pak-wan. This town stands on the banks of
a river which falls 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 of Ning-po, but I soon found that
this was not the case.
Pak-wan is a long straggling town, full of pack-houses,
eating-houses, and tea-shops, for the accommodation of
travellers and their goods. I found that several fo-
reigners had been here before, and consequently the
inhabitants were well acquainted with their features. I
was recognised as a foreigner immediately on my enter-
ing 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-lee, or boat-inn, and
procured a chop, by which the innkeeper bound him-
self to send me on to Ning-po for the sum of three
dollars.
During the night we passed over two embankments,
which, for small vessels, answer the same purposes 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 versa, is common in China, where locks,


Chap. V.
69
CHINESE RIVER-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 was 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 important tree to the
Chinese.
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 somewhat perilous, although
in many respects a pleasant journey.


90
Chap. VI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
CHAPTER VI.
Kintang or Silver Island — Its Inhabitants and Productions —
Bay of Chapoo — Advantages of an Inland Eoute — New Year at
Shanghae — Flower-shops and Flowers — Sacred Bamboo — The
Chrysanthemum— Sail for Hong-kong — A Game-ship — 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 Chusan 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 quarters 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 be allowed to go there, as it was full of


Chap. VI.
91
SILVER ISLAND.
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 generally 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 inoffensive. They were very civil to me,
and often treated me with great kindness. They had
little to offer 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 offer a draught of the national
beverage—tea. I do not know anything half so re-
freshing 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 off 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 I was par-
ticularly 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


92
Chap. VI,
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
which led over them into the interior 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
presented 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. Chinamen generally have
a great aversion to long walks, 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.


Chap. VI.
93
SILVER ISLAND.
I felt rather annoyed, as I expected to have secured a
considerable quantity of tea-seeds, but contented myself
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 off for the tea-farms situated
in the middle of the island. Captain Priestman accom-
panied 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
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


9i
Chap. VI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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. Although good tea, it
is not prepared in a manner to suit the English or
American markets. The tallow-tree (Stillingia sebifera)
and the "Tung-eau" (Bryandra 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 vamish-
tree.
Having procured a collection of the seeds of these
useful trees, as well as a large quantity of tea-seeds, I
had the whole of them carefully packed, and left
Silver Island for Shanghae, via Chapoo. This route,
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, merchants, 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 acknow-


Chap. VI.
95
BAY OF CHAPOO.
ledge 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. Eut had there been
no route via Chapoo, this would oftentimes have been
very difficult, 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 observed
neither by the Chinese nor by ourselves—it also shows
how much may be done by quietly and peaceably break-
ing 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 regretted. My
boat was well armed, and, having moreover 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.
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 beginning 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


96
Chap. VI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
make cheap purchases. These purchases must all he
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 full 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 pseony had
been brought into full bloom. Several varieties of this
plant were in full 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 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.
At this season of the year the "Kum-quat" {Citrus
japonica), 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 together they 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


Chap. VI.
97
FLOWERS.
any other of its tribe; it produces its flowers and fruit
in great abundance, and it would doubtless prove a plant
of easy cultivation. There is also a plant, with red
berries, which takes the place of our English holly. It
is the Nandina dornestica, and is called by the Chinese
the "Tein-chok," or Sacred Bamboo. Large quantities
of its branches are brought in at this time from 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 which, when con-
trasted with the dark, shining leaves, are singularly orna-
mental. 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.
But the chrysanthemum is the Chinese gardener's
favourite winter flower, although it is generally 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 chrysanthe-
mum, however, he stands unrivalled. The plants them-
selves seem, as it were, to meet him half way and grow
just as he pleases; sometimes I found them trained in
the form of animals, 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, full of fresh
green leaves, and never failed to bloom most profusely.
VOL. II. F


98
Chap. VI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 deco-
ration of court-yards, halls, and temples. It is every-
body's plant, and blooms alike in the garden of the
lowly Chinese cottager and in that of the red-buttoned
mandarin.
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 very beautiful, par-
ticularly 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 shows signs of becoming bad,
it should either be eaten or thrown overboard. Some


Chap. VI.
99
A GAME-SHIP.
masters of vessels, and passengers who are perhaps a
little sea-sick, cannot 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 character, and I
can honestly say that no plump woodcock, 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 accompanied
by Captain Champion, one of the best botanists I met
with in China, and the discoverer of the beautiful
Rhodeleia Championi, figured by Sir William Hooker
in the ' Botanical Magazine.'
Before taking my departure for the north I deter-
mined on paying another visit to Canton. I was curious
to obtain some information concerning the process of
preparing and packing those seeds which are usually
F2


100
Chap. VI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
sold to foreigners to be sent home to friends in Europe
and America. I had been accustomed 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 merchants, 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 under-
stand 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* supposed in England might be burnt bones,
abd some conjectured that it was mixed with the seeds
for the purpose of manure. "Burnt lice," said Aching.


Chap. VI.
101
PACKING CANTON SEEDS.
"Burnt what?" I asked, with a smile which I could
not conceal. He repeated the assertion with all the
gravity of a judge. The reader may probably be
ignorant of the Chinese language, and I must therefore
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 I 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
seed, worms makie chow-chow he." Although the
Chinese in 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 preserve 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.


102
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
CHAPTER VTI.
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-hunt —
Scenery about Tein-tung — Roadside Temples —A Priest and
Siphon — Lakes of Tung-hoo.
The vessel in which T 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 pro-
vince 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, aud 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 generally,
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


/IHAP. VII.
103
JEALOUSY OF THE MANDARINS.
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 questions 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 servants, and putting
questions to them in a most authoritative manner,
and in the Fokien dialect, which, as they were both
northern men, they did not understand. 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 sufficient 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 looked rather dis-
concerted, and walked out of the house.


10-i
Chap. VII. #
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 discovered 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 confused, 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 opera-
tions 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 Koo-shan, and is
situate amongst the mountains, a few miles to the east-
ward of the city. This temple seems to be the Jerusalem
of this part of China, to which all good Buddhists repair
at stated seasons to worship and pay their vows. Having
reached the foot of the mountain, I passed through a
spacious porch or gateway, and began the ascent. The


Chap. VII.
105
TEMPLE OF KOO-SHAN.
hill of Koo-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 iu width, has been made the whole way up to the
temple. As the traveller ascends by this winding cause-
way, 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 corner 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 va|ley of the Min, intersected 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 me through the various parts of this exten-
sive edifice and over the grounds.
This temple is built upon the same plan as that at
Te'in-tung, near Ning-po; indeed a description of one
would nearly do for the other. It consists of three
f3


Chap. VII.
107
TEMPLE OF KOO-SHAN.
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 pre-
cious relic, nothing less than one of Buddha's teeth, and
other things, which were sometimes shown to visitors
with a great deal of cere-
mony. Having requested
the priest to show me
these, he led me to a
small temple adjoining,
where he said they were
kept. ''•Have you any
money in your pocket?"
said he with great gra-
vity, "for before the pre-
cious box can be opened
I must burn incense on
this altar." I gave him a
small piece of money,
but told him that as I
did not worship 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 f he asked. I replied that we
did not. "Then whom do you worship?" I pointed
upwards, and said that we worshipped the great, God,


108
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. VII.
who made the heavens and the earth. "Oh, yes," said
he, "his name is Ye-au, is it not?" They had known
something of the Catholic religion, it appeared, 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." I stepped up to the altar; and the

Buddha's Tooth.
front of a large case being removed, the relics were
exposed to view, protected by a grating of iron bars.
On a flat bason in front lay the so-called tooth, a large
whitish substance 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


Chap. VII.
109
RELICS.
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 look-
ed from the side indicated,
and saw what appeared very
like a man's head with the
eyes staring at me. I was
informed, however, that this
was a something which had
grown on Buddha's fore-
head; and that, whenever 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 colours to
different individuals; but that which you have seen
is the best."*
* The grating prevented me from having a closer examination of
these curiosities, and I was obliged to be contented with the informa-
tion I had obtained respecting them from the priests. When I
returned to Foo-chow-foo, however, I requested Mr. Morrison (a son


110 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. VII.
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 begged 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.
After drinking the tea I wandered away along a
paved path that led me round the side of the mountain,
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
of the well-known Dr. Morrison, one of the earliest and heat 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-shan, and had seen the precious
relics. Upon questioning him, he gave us the same account as
I had already received from the priests.


Chap. VII.
Ill
PEAK OF KOO-SHAN.
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 gorgeous effect in our green-
houses 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 mingling their glowing colours with
other flowers, and gaining additional beauty by the
contrast.
My progress 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 grandeur, 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
brushwood, 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 town of
Foo-chow-foo stands. The river was winding through
it, 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


112
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 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. Compton,
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 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,


Chap. VII.
113
FOO-CHOW,
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 stiingent regulation. Here they
had a mode of getting in and out of the city which
was rather 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, 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 vicinity,
I was anxious to proceed onwards to Ning-po and
* The name given to foreigners here.


114
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 altogether. 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. Here we sculled the boat
in-shore, and rested for the night. On the following
morning at daybreak we got under way again, and pro-
ceeded 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.


116
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
were close to the water's edge. Many of them were
rugged and barren, while others appeared more fertile
and were cultivated a considerable 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 consisted chiefly of the common Chinese pine and
Cwrmingha/mia 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 con-
stantly 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 accommodation of the persons
who had charge 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 did
not appear to be very thickly populated. I saw no towns
of any size from Foo-chow to Suiy-kow; even vil-
lages and small farm-houses were few and far between.
"Whenever I landed—and I did so every day during the
ebb tide—I had a good opportunity 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 Government itself at defiance.


Chap. VII.
117
SUIY-KOW.
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 pro-
gress against the stream.
This place is most pleasantly situated on the left bank
of the river. It is but a small town, and I suppose does
not contain more than 5000 or 6000 inhabitants. 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 furnishing supplies for
the boatmen and their passengers, as they pass on then-
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 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 tra-
velling 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


118
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 dollars to pay the expenses
of their journey, and to make the purchases I had
directed, besides which I promised tbem a liberal reward
if they performed their mission to my satisfaction. I
then left them to prosecute their journey, and returned
alone to the mouth of the Min. Here I found a Portu-
guese lorcha ready to sail for Ning-po, in which I took a
passage, and reached that city in twelve days.
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 from 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
further 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 col-
lections 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 fol-


Chap. VII.
119
CHINESE SPORTSMEN.
lowing check upon him, which proved useful more than
once, and with others besides Wang :—It may be recol-
lected that, during my visit to the green-tea country in
the autumn before, I discovered a beautiful evergreen
shrub, 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 pro-
mised reward. He returned to Ning-po about five
weeks after the other servant, bringing me only a few
plants and a very long bill. However, he had really
been in Hwuy-chow, and what he brought me were
valuable.
Whilst waiting for these men at Ning-po I determined
to pay a visit to my old quarters, the temple of Tein-
tung, situated amongst the hills about twenty miles
from this town. On my way there I fell 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 witness the manoeuvres of the
natives in this character.
We started early the next morning for the appointed
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 imagined. 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


120
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
he is, with 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.

Mo-te, the Chinese Sportsman.
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


Chap. VII.
121
CHINESE DOGS.
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 working in
the woods or on the borders of the dense uncultivated
jungle, and to these our companions applied for informa-
tion regarding the haunts of the wild deer. They
succeeded at last in obtaining some specific information,
and determined on beating an adjoining hill covered
with coppice and jungle.
Those who had guns were now stationed at different
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, 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 com-
pared 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 our sportmen'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
VOL. II. G


122
Chap. VII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 again, 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 exceed-
ingly 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.
All around wild flowers grew in great profusion. The
yellow Azalea chinensis 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 racemosa,
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 unassuming
temple, erected, as the tablet states, to the "honoured
gods of the soil." The accompanying sketch by Captain
Cracroft gives a good idea of it.
Small temples, or "tablets," of this description are


Chap. VII.
123
KOADSIDE TEMPLES.
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."

Roadside Altar.
Having visited many places on my route to the temple,
it was past mid-day ere I reached its sacred precincts,
The large bronze bell in the belfry 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."
When I had reached my old rooms in the priest's
house, I found two of my Shanghae friends—Mr. Bow-
man and Dr. Kirk—domiciled there. The Doctor had
been trying to astonish and instruct the priests by show-
G 2


124
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. VII.
ing them a siphon, and by emptying one of their troughs
with it; but it is difficult to astonish a Chinaman, or
to convince him that there is anything he does not
understand! The man looked on in silence for a second
or two, and then, with a triumphant smile on his coun-
tenance, pointed to his bamboo tubes, which are here
used for conveying 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 com-
panions was a medical man, he had many applications
from "the sick, the maimed, and the blind," who fancied
he could heal all manner of diseases. During an inter-
view 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 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 termi-
nated.' I therefore returned to Ning-po, and made
preparations for another and perhaps still more import-
ant journey.


Chap. VIII.
125
A NEW JOURNEY RESOLVED ON.
CHAPTER VIII.
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.
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 expe-
dition was planned so that he could scarcely have pro-
cured 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 myself. I did not like the idea
of returning to Europe without 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,


126
Chap. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
and determined 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.
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 evening
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 dull 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
fully to be depended upon. But the die was cast, and,
committing myself to the care of Him who can preserve
us alike in all places, I resolved to encounter the diffi-
culties 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 "outward


Chap. VIII.
127
A BULLY.
man," and adopt the costume of the country. 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 found 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 summit many
Buddhist temples have been erected. The suburbs
stretch along the banks of the river, and form the prin-
cipal 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 passing many of the boats ahead
of him, and at last got as far as mine. As we had been


128 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. VIII.
•
waiting for some time, I did not like the idea of this man
getting past us, but, not wishing to have any disturbance,
I determined not to interfere between him and my boat-
men. 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 mandarins," 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 astonishment our blustering friend became
all at once as meek as a lamb, stammered out some
excuses for his 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 circum-
stance, had a good laugh at his expense.


130
CiUP. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 large
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
interest 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 been grafted on my own hair, and
which hung gracefully down nearly to my heels.
I have already described the scenery on this beautiful
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


Chap. VIII.
131
THE GREEN RIVER.
ravines, and forming hundreds of beautiful waterfalls.
This is a striking part of the country at all times, and it
is difficult 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-foo came in sight. The river
here flows through a fine and fertile valley, in which the
city is situated. "This beautiful vale abounds with cam-
phor 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 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 accumu-
lating as we went along. If we started with ever so
little, 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,


132
Chap. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 everything, 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 de-
cided 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 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 from 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 hurrying in. Each person seemed
perfectly indifferent as to what might befal his neigh-


Chap. VIII.
133
A STORM IN A CREEK.
bour, 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 proprietor
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 confu-
sion. The main stream being very rapid, the boats
coming down it shot into the creek with great velocity.
The night was very dark, and heavy drops of rain began
to fall. The thunder-storm, which had been threat-
ening for some time, came gradually up 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 unac-
quainted with the habits of these people would have
thought that something very dreadful was about to
happen. I had seen such scenes too often, however,
to feel any alarm, and, although the rain came through


134
Chap. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 fol-
lowed 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
seemed ill at ease. Her husband, who had gone on
shore before dark, had not returned, and she was evi-
dently 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 returned, 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 opportu-
nity of hearing a Chinese curtain lecture. Mrs. Amee
was not a whit behind her great prototype, for she soon
put her husband to sleep, and as she talked till a late
hour I followed his example.


136
Chap. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 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 determina-
tion 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 stem, where he was quietly smoking
his pipe. His wife, however, was not taking things so
tranquilly. She was stamping 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


Chap. VIII.
137
OUR BOAT SEIZED FOE DEBT.
and deliver the cargo, 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 use-
less, the old man was inexorable. 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 pro-
posed 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 ob-
served 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 purpose and to come inside. He
struggled with great violence until he shook them both
off, when he commenced deliberately to throw off his
clothes. The others looked on in silence, and as he was
still intoxicated 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,


138
Chap. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 servant arrived with a small boat
which he had brought to take me on to Nan-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. Accord-
ing to his ideas of justice the proprietors of the large
boat were bound either to take us on to Nan-che them-
selves, 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 lug-
gage 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 concerned, must have
been highly amusing. It would have been very incon-
venient 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 luggage 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.


Chap. VIII.
139
NAN-CHE.
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 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 aloDg 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 purchases
in this town. He told me that everything was good
which came out of Nan-che, and advised me to lay in a
large stock of provisions for the remainder 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,


140
Chap. VIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
and also to inspect some gardens in which plants are
kept for sale. I had been informed that Nan-che
boasted of three or four nurseries; and as it is a central
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), cleroden-
drons, roses, azaleas, camellias, and nelumbiums, but
nothing that was new to me, or that I had not found in
abundance nearer the coast. The gardeners were ex-
tremely 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


Chap. VIII.
141
VALE OF NAN-CHE.
which is not in Soo-chow." My visit being fruitless, I
returned to my boat, when we got under way, and pro-
ceeded 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 tallow-tree is culti-
vated in great abundance; in many places, indeed, the
lowland is nearly covered with it. At the time of my
visit its fresh green leaves contrasted finely with the
dark and sombre cypress and pine. The whole valley
seems, as it were, one vast and beautiful garden, sur-
rounded and apparently hemmed in 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 the boat-people. I also observed large


142
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. VIII.
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 ex-
tensively, but for what purpose I could not learn,—pro-
bably 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 re-
minded me of the country rivers in England. We
passed a great number of small villages, 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 pagodas
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 is not considered first-rate.
Earth-nuts (Arachis hypogcea) and soy are plentiful, both
of these crops delighting in a light sandy soiL A great
number of low hills are seen in the midst of the plain.
The soil of these hills or hillocks is generally perfectly
barren, and of a brick-red—the colour of the calcareous
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,
through which we passed. This bridge is taken away
when the river is likely to become much swollen by


Chap. VIII.
143
MOSCHETOES.
heavy rains. Although this city ranks in the second
class, it is not a very important one, at least in a mer-
cantile point of view. It is not large, its walls are
scarcely more than two miles in circumference, 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 neces-
saries, and then 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 troublesome. 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 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


144 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. VIII.
incense in the temples, only somewhat longer and
coarser in appearance. He informed me that they cost
only two cash each—certainly cheap enough if they
answered the purpose.
Two of these sticks were now lighted and suspended
from the roof of the boat . They had not been burning
five minutes when every moscheto in the boat sought
other quarters. We were quite delighted, 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 wherever we could procure
the moscheto tobacco.
Various substances are employed by the Chinese to
drive away moschetoes. This which we had just pur-
chased was made with the sawings of resinous woods
—I believe procured from juniper-trees—and mixed with
some combustible matter to make it burn. 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 somewhat fragrant smell is given
out during combustion, which, at a distance, is not dis-
agreeable. Sometimes 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
•


Chap. VIII.
145
MOSCHETO TOBACCO.
the same purpose. The stems and leaves of these plants
are twisted and dried, and probably dipped in some pre-
paration to make them burn.
The moscheto has a mortal aversion to all these sub-
stances, and wherever they are burning there the little
tormentors will not come. I procured the sticks in ques-
tion, and burnt them daily after this; and although the
insects were often swarming when I entered the boat or
an inn, the moment their "tobacco" 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 names 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.
The river being no longer navigable, it was necessary
for me to prosecute my journey by land. I deter-
mined therefore to remain at Chang-shan for the night,
in order to make arrangements for the change of con-
veyance.
VOL. II.
H


146
Chap. IX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
CHAPTER IX.
City of Chang-shan and its Trade — Land-journey — My Chair and
Chair-bearers — Description of the Eoad — 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 Respectability — Description of the Country and its Pro-
ductions — 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-foo. Judging from the popula-
tion of other towns in China, I estimated the population
of this place at from 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 appear-
ance 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 considerable importance. Hence the town is full
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.


Chap. IX.
147
TRAVELLING-CHAIRS.
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 pur-
pose. This chair is a most simple contrivance, and con-
sists of two long poles of bamboo, with an open seat in
the middle and a small cross-bar 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 was no use, however,
now to indulge in vain regrets; so with a Chinese
H 2


148
Chap. IX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
umbrella over my head I jogged along, consoling myself
with the thought that, at least, I enjoyed a better view
of town and country in this chair than if I had been shut
up in a more 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 we
met with few people by the way. I was indulging in
the hope that my day's journey would be through a
quiet country district like what one sees on some of the


Chap. IX.
149
TEA COOLIES—INNS.
country roads at home; but, in so far as a quiet country
road was concerned, I was soon undeceived. Long trains
of coolies were now met, loaded with tea which was des-
tined 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 coun-
tries 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 generally 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 desired 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 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
offer 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


150
Chap. IX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
road in front 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 boil-
ing 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 repre-
sented and duly guarded. These stations were in a
ruinous condition, and I observed only women and
children about the houses. In peaceful times the sol-
diers 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 refreshment
extended, at short intervals, along the whole line of
road, we rarely passed any town even of moderate size.
About midday, however, we came to a place consider-
ably 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.


Chap. IX.
151
OFFICIOUS CHAIR-BEARERS.
The moment I got out of my chair the innkeeper
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 dinner 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 Shanghae 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.
Siag-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 bring-
ing a customer to the house.
The inn was a large and commodious building extend-
ing backwards from the main street of the town. Its
front 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 furthest
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


152
Cuap. IX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 observed 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 sur-
vey of the strange scene round me. At the opposite
table sat two merchants, 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 per-
son looked as if he wished me to recognise him, but in
this he was disappointed, for I returned his 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 Chinese 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 satisfactory
answers. For example, when asked where I had come


Chap. IX. DINNER AT A CHINESE INN. 153
from, I replied, "From Chang-shan ;" and to the ques-
tion 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 innkeeper to ask a few more
questions.
• These gentlemen wanted to know the starting-point
of my journey, the particular part of Fokiento which I
was bound, and the objects I had in view. As I could
not see that answers to these question concerned 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 chop-
sticks, I could handle them now nearly as well as the
Chinese themselves; and as I had been often accus-
tomed 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 as 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 civilization 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
h 3


154
Chap. IX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
the various dishes, prepared in this manner, were brought
to table, the chopsticks—those ancient and useful articles
—answered every purpose. Talk of knives and forks
indeed! One cannot eat rice with them, and how very
awkward 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 frequently 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. Excepting the fingers, nature's
own invention, nothing is so convenient as the chop-
sticks.
When I had finished dinner, a wooden basin contain-
ing warm water, and a wet cloth, were placed before me,
in order that I might wash my hands and face. Wring-
ing 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 instiga-
tion, had been taking sly peeps at me, had gone away


Chap. IX.
155
APPROACH TO YUK-SHAN.
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 strengthened, namely
that after all I was only one of themselves.
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 ac-
count he had completely mystified 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 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 pro-
ceeded 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 country appeared to open up, and
we were evidently approaching some river of consider-
able 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.


156
Chap. IX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
Yuk-shan is a walled town of considerable size, and
I should imagine contains from thirty to forty thousand
inhabitants. It appears to be a larger place than Chang-
shan ; and, like that town, it stands at the head of a navi-
gable river. All the merchandise of the Bohea moun-
tains, and of the countries east of the Poyang lake, which
is destined for Hang-chow-foo, Shanghae, and other
town 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 coun-
tries of China. One of them is connected with the great
black-tea country, and the other with the green-tea dis-
tricts, and also with those rich silk and cotton lands near
the coast; and the importance of these two towns and
rivers will be further appreciated when I state that
through their agency large 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 gates, we pro-
ceeded along one of the principal streets. It was
crowded with people, all hurrying to and fro, and appa-
rently 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,


ClIAP. IX.
157
QUAN-SIN-FOO.
or inn, recommended by our chairmen, and with which
they were connected.
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 there is a
pretty bridge of boats across the river; but I was only
a short time here, and had no time for minute exami-
nation.
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 pro-
voking: here was the old accumulating propensity at


Chap. IX.
159
ARRIVAL AT HOKOW.
vegetation of any kind upon them. They stood in the
midst of the plain like rude monuments, and had a
curious and strange appearance.
The country through which I passed is an extensive
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, 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-look-
ing rocks were objects of striking interest in themselves.
In the afternoon of the day on which I left Quau-sin-
foo we arrived at the town of Hokow. I had now got
as far to the west as was necessary, and intended from
this point to journey southwards to one of the passes in
the Bohea mountains, across which I had to go oo my
way to Woo-e-shan. This part of my journey had to be
done in chairs.


J 60
Chap. X.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
CHAPTER X.
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 inhabitants. It is the
great emporium of the black-tea trade. Merchants from
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, large passage-boats for the public, and
mandarins' boats gaily decorated with flags. Besides
these there are large cargo-boats, for conveying tea and


Chap. X.
HOKOW.
other merchandise either eastward to Yuk-shan, or
westward to the Poyang lake. 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 chafr 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 making1 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 frequently 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 consideration I had reason to believe that the inn-
keeper 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


162
Chap. X.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
journey, but it would be rather inconvenient to travel in
one for 300 or 400 le, exposed to a fierce sun, and often-
times 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 Hokow, 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 importunate 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 importunate. Whether he gave them
anything or not I cannot tell, but they left him and


Chap. X.
163
BEGGARS.
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 generally filthy beyond
description. Starting up, I nearly capsized the chair,
greatly to the annoyance of my 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
mountain 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 somehow or other all
managed to get close to my chair.
We now came to an archway erected over the road
near the base of the hill. As I was passing through this
* A term applied to a mandarin, or government officer.


164
Chap. X.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA..
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 some-
thing for his trouble, and Sing-Hoo, who pretended to be
a good Buddhist, gave him a few cash as we passed
under the arch.
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
nourishing 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 thoroughfare,
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 re-
turning 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 con-
structed so as to enable them to do so comfortably.
Coolies were now met in great numbers, loaded with
tea-chests. Many of them carried only one chest.
These I was told were the finer teas; the chest was
never allowed to touch the ground during the journey,


CHAr. X.
165
MODES OF CARRYING TEA.
and hence these teas generally arrive at their destination
in much better order than the coarser kinds. The single
chests were carried in the following manner. Two bam-
boos, 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 bamboos upon


166
Chap. X.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.

the ground, and raised them to the perpendicular. The
whole weight now rested upon the ground, and could be
kept in this position without any exertion. This was
very convenient in coming 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 com-
mon 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


Chap. X.
167
TEA-GROWING COUNTRY.
road or at the inn, the chests are set down upon the
ground, and consequently get soiled, 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 high-
land road. At one time we were passing through a beau-
tiful valley, at another our road wound round the moun-
tain 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 wind-
ing their way through the valleys. These were views
of "China and the Chinese" as they are seen in every-
day 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. Sometimes 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 plantations 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


168
Chap. X.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
quicker and more 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 wanderings in China I had never
yet slept in a Chinese inn, and could not help indulging
in various speculations 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 too 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, with a
cloth in his hand, hastily wiped a table and chair, and,


Chap. X.
169
INN AT CHU-CHU.
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 accommodation 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 chairbearers and coolie were already
seated at one of those tables, evidently enjoying their
evening meal after the fatigues 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 atten-
tion 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 admission 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 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.
VOL. IL I


170
Chap. X.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 strewed with luxuries;
I knew the people were not very remarkable for cleanli-
ness 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 circumstances 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 bamboo,
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.


Chap. XI. FIRST VIEW OF THE BOHEA MOUNTAINS.
171
CHAPTER XI.
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 Eoad and another Pass — A Gale
amongst the Mountains — An amusing old Chinawoman —
Sugar and Tea-spoons — A kind Landlord — The Tern-sin —
Arrive at the City of Tsong-gan-hien — Its Situation, Size, and
Trade — Tea-farms.
Nothing occurred during the night to disturb our slum-
bers, 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 proceeded 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 themselves 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 fonn an estimate of their height, but, com-
paring '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.
I 2


172
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 mountains, 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 any other part of the range, and con-
sequently has the mountains rising high on each side of


Chap. XI.
173
MOUNTAIN-PASS.
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
occasions. 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. Travellers 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 observed 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 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


174
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
inspect the natural productions of the mountains. My
chair-bearers were delighted 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 doorways 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 near it. Its
solitary position near the pass, and its great height and
beautiful symmetry, made it appear a most striking
object. "What could it be? was it new, or did we
already possess it in England?" I must confess that
for a few seconds I had eyes for nothing else. Chairs,


Chap. XI.
175
THE JAPAN CEDAR.
coolies, and mountains were all forgotten, and I believe,
had the guard of Celestials 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 (Gryptomeria japonica),
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, although I would rather it had been something
new, I yet felt proud of having been the means of intro-
ducing 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 lower 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.
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 species of oak were met
with, and a thistle, not unlike the common English
thistle, was abundant. Very few trees were to be seen


176
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
near the top of the highest mountains, which were
covered with low-growing shrubs, grasses, and other
herbaceous plants.
I met with one or two new plants, which deserve par-
ticular notice. One of them was a very beautiful species
of Hydrangea; another was a species of Spiraea, with
red flowers, not unlike the S. bella in colour, but having
a different 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. unifiora. 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 from Peking to Canton.
I dug up, from time to time, living plants of all these
species, and took them on with me. Many a time I
thought I should be obliged to leave them behind me,
for the Chinamen could not see the propriety of being
burdened with what they considered weeds, and of no
value; however, by dint of determination and perse-
verance, by sometimes using promises 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 Shanghae. They are now in Europe,


Chap. XI.
177
CHING-HU.
and are, perhaps, 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, we 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 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 with the Chinese, particularly 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,
i3


178
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 aad 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 {Cimninghamia lanceolata),
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 considered 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.
When we crossed this pass it was blowing a gale of
wind, and I was obliged to have the cover taken off 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 little
to our amusement. "Hai-yah," said the chair-bearers,


180
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
tea-house, and remained there for some hours. It con-
tinued 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 I 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.
I 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
itself. 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 poured over them.
To the question usually put to Sing-Hoo, of " who his
master was," he invariably returned 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
his interrogator. In the present 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 re-
doubled, 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


Chap. XI.
181
THE TEIN-SIN.
the house and fare, and tried not to be outdone in
politeness by my kind-hearted landlord.
In the course of the evening a little boy, the landlord'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 dis-
agreeable, 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. 1 I think he called it the Tein-
sin. I believe this is not an unusual proceeding 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 did not feel inclined to eat
anything more that night. Sing-Hoo, however, said it
was a most unusual proceeding 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 been a.t all hungry I


182
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
might have made an excellent meal, but in the present
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 nightmare 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 surprise,
however, a few minutes afterwards my breakfast 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 treatment 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 affair, I desired him to take care and dis-


Chap. XI.
183
TSONG-GAN-HIEN.
courage 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 iu the
gardens of the villagers. About ten o'clock in the
forenoon we arrived at Tsong-gan-hien, a large 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, surrounded 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 circum-
ference. Both these and the ramparts are in many
parts ruinous and overgrown with weeds. They seem
hoary with age, and were doubtless built in more
warlike times than the present. The population may
amount to one hundred thousand inhabitants, but I
have no means of forming a correct estimate. The
suburbs, which I include in this calculation, 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


184
Chap. XI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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. Hills 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, however, 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 further


Chap. XI.
185
START FOR WOO-E-SHAN.
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.


186
Chap. XII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
CHAPTER XII.
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 in-
teresting Conversation — 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 Pea-
santry.
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 singular appearance.
Their faces are nearly all perpendicular rock. It ap-
pears 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, breaking 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


188
Chap. XII.
WANDERINGS IN* CHINA.
my view, but my chairbearers, wbo 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 tem-
ple 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 perpendicular rocks. When we reached the spot
I expected to get a glimpse of the temple we were in
search of somewhere on the hillside 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 farther. 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 fear-
fully hot . As I climbed up the rugged steep, the per-
spiration streaming from every pore, I began to think of
fever and ague, and all those ills which the traveller is


Chap. XII.
191
RECEPTION AT A TEMPLE.
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 unadulterated, on its native
hills. It had never been half so grateful 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 re-
vived 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 language
to make myself understood in several districts of the
country, I judged it prudent not to enter into a length-
ened conversation with the priests at this temple. I left
the talking part of the business to be done by my ser-
vant, who was quite competent to speak for us both.
They were therefore told that I could not speak the lan-
guage of the district, and that I came from a far coun-
try "beyond the great wall."
The little boy whom I have already noticed now pre-
sented 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 course 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 tab-e. One of


192
Chap. XII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
them had a most unprepossessing appearance; his fore-
head 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 small
basins, each containing a different article of food. I was
surprised to see in one of them some small fish, for I
had always understood that the Buddhist priesthood were
prohibited from eating any kind 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 vege-
tables. All the dishes, however, were of this descrip-


Chap. XII.
193
DINNER AND ITS CEREMONIES.
tion, 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 continually
pressed me to eat. They praised the different dishes,
and as they pointed them out, said, "Eat fish, eat cab-
bage," or " eat rice," as the case might be. Not unfre-
quently their politeness, in my humble opinion, was
carried rather too far; for they not only pointed out the
dishes which they recommended, but plunged their own
chopsticks into them, and drew to the surface such deli-
cate 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 pro-
vinces both in the north and in the south, of which
they knew little or nothing themselves. He told them
of his visit to Pekin, described the Emperor, and
proudly pointed to the livery he wore. This immediately
stamped him, in their opinions, as a person of great im7
portance. They expressed their opinions freely upon the
natives of different provinces, and spoke of them as if
they belonged to different nations, just as we would do of
the natives of France, Holland, or Denmark. The Canton
men they did not like; the Tartars were good—the
Emperor was a Tartar. All the outside nations were
bad, particularly the Kwei-tszes, a name signifying
VOL. II. K


194.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. XII.
Devil's children, which they charitably apply to the na-
tions 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 sub-
stance 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 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 manipulation 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 per-
pendicular rocks. In the distance we could see no


Chap. XII.
195
ROCKS—SOIL.
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 pathway by its side-
It seemed, indeed, as if the stream had gradually worn
down the rock and formed this passage for itself, which
was not more than six or eight feet in width. ,
'These 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.
Resting on this clay slate are sandstone conglomerates,
formed principally of angular masses of quartz held
together by a calcareous basis; and alternating with
these conglomerates there is a fine calcareous 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 conclusions. Specimens of these rocks
were brought away by me and submitted both to Dr.
Falconer, of Calcutta, and Dr. Jameson, of Saharunpore,
who are well known as excellent geologists.
The soil of these tea-lands consists of a brownish-
yellow adhesive clay. This clay, when minutely exa-
mined, is found to consist of particles of the rocks and of
vegetable matter. It has always a very considerable
portion of the latter in its composition in those lands
which are very productive and where the tea-shrub
thrives best.
K 2


196
Chap. XII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
Threading our way onward through the chasm, with
the rocks standing high on each side and dripping 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 val-
leys in which the towns of Tsong-gan-hien and Tsin-tsun
stand. Far away to the northward the chain of the
Bohea mountains were 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 mate-
rial Thus entombed amongst their favourite hills, these
bodies will remain until "the rock shall be rent," at that


Chap. XII.
197
A MOONLIGHT SCENE.
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 there
was no longer any danger of my losing my way, I was in
no hurry to go in-doors. The shades of evening gra-
dually 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 possible, 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


Chap. XII.
199
EMPLOYMENT OF MONKEYS.
witnessed. Anything said in praise of these hills seemed
to please the good priests greatly, and rendered them
very communicative. They informed 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 belong
to the priests of the two sects already mentioned, but by
far the largest portion belongs to the Buddhists. There
are also some farms established for the supply of the
court of Peking. They are called the imperial enclo-
sures; but I suspect that they too are, to a certain
extent, under the management and control of the
priests. The tea-shrub is cultivated everywhere, and
often in the most inaccessible 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 animals,
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 growing, 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 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 quantity pro-
* Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea.


200 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. XII.
cured 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 extent, by the vege-
table 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 hills, and such ground is very plentiful on
Woo-e-sban.
Having been all day toning amongst the hills, I re-
tired to rest at an early hour. Sing-Hoo told me after-
wards that he never closed his eyes during the night. It
seems he did not like the appearance of the 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 dis-
turbed 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 priest. These men took up their quarters
in the temples, or rather in the priests' houses adjoin-
ing, 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 deter-
mined to change my quarters. , As soon as breakfast was


Chap. XII.
201
LEAVE THE TEMPLE.
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 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 em-
ployed 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 i hrant-Tomb.



A Chinese Bird's-eye View of the Stream of " Nine Winding* " nnd strange Rocks.





Chap. XIII.
205
THE "NINE WINDINGS."
way resting place for people on the road from Tsin-tsun
to the hills; and when we arrived several travellers and
coolies were sitting in the porch drinking 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 whe-
ther 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 drip-
ping on the roof of the house gave the impression 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


206
Chap. XIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
tea-manufactory near their summits. Sometimes they
seemed so steep that the buildings could only be ap-
proached 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 between, 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 won-
derful.
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 be-
lieve that many of them have been formed by the water
oozing out and trickling down the surface. 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 visiting these hills, have had


Chap. XIII.
207
A PRIEST'S RESIDENCE.
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 at-
tract 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 procuring 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 plantations 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 sure to awake me. Some-
where about midnight I awoke, and for a second or two


210
Chap. XIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 imper-
tinent questions. Early in the morning, our arrange-
ments 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 con-
nected by a bridge. Here are great numbers of inns,
eating-houses, and tea-shops for the accommodation 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 mountains to Hokow.
When I arrived at Tsin-tsun I felt strongly inclined
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, 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 east-


Chap. XIII.
211
TSIN-TSUN.
ward 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 dis-
tance 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 imagina-
tion, 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 gaze.
The direct road from Woo-e-shan to Pouching-hien
led through the city of Tsong-gan; 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


212
Chap. XIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 Shemun, 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
{Cunningha/mia 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, doubtless, many varieties of this
tree amongst these hills. 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 moun-
tain sides and fell over rocky precipices, when they were


Chap. XIII.
213
A LONELY ROAD.
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 walk. 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 procured some tea, which was most accept-
able 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.
The most beautiful bird seen during our progress 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


216
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. XIII.
tion 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.


Chap. XIV.
217
SOIL OF WOO-E-SHAN.
CHAPTER XIV.
Soil of Woo-e-Shan — Sites of Tea-farms — Culti vation and Man-
agement 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's
Directions for making Tea — His Opinion on its Properties
and Uses.
The soil of the tearlands about Woo-e-shan seemed to
vary considerably. The most common kind was a
brownish yellow adhesive clay. This clay, when mi-
nutely examined, is found to contain a considerable por-
tion 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 ex-
ample, 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 pro-
duces the finest teas about Tsong-gan-hien. The earth
VOL. II. L


Chap. XIV.
221
CHOP-NAMES.
purchased are taken to his house, they axe then mixed
together, of course keeping the different qualities as
much apart as possible. 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 ma-
naged 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
writteD 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 command 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 pre-
pares 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.
My principal object in collecting the information that
follows was to ascertain, if possible, the precise amount
* Sometimes a chop or parcel is divided into two packings, con-
sisting generally of 300 chests each. — Ball's 'Cultivation and
Manufacture of Tea'


222
Chap. XIV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
of charges upon each 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 cheers hut 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 mountains, 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 shoulders on his favourite bamboo. These
chests are often much knocked about during the journey
over the steep and rugged mountains, as it is frequently


224
Chap. XIV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 pur-
chases 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 direc-
tion towards the Poyang lake. Ball says that they are
"conducted to the towns of Nan-chang-foo and Kan-
chew-foo, and then suffer 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-tung. 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-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 118° 28' east, and distant from
* Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea.
i


Chap. XIV.
225
TRANSPORT OF TEAS.
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 engagement
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 distance 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 trans-
shipped 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.
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 occupied
will stand thus:—
l 3


226 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. XIV.
Le. Dayi.
Tsong-gan-hien to Hokow 280 6
Hokow to Yuk-shan 180 4
Yuk-shan to Chang-shan 100 3
Chang-shan to Hang-chow-foo 800 6
Hang-chow-fbo to Shanghae 500 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, however, to
think that there are more than three le to a mile, per-
haps 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 calcu-
lating the time it will be necessary to allow about four
days for time consumed in changing boats, for bad wea-
ther, &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 confidence of accu-
racy as I have done on the previous items. Having
myself travelled up and down their rivers, and over their
mountains, I was in no necessity of depending at all
upon Chinese statements having reference to distance or
time. Their statements upon all subjects, and especi-
ally upon those 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


Chap. XIV.
227
COST AND EXPENSES.
merchant a knowledge of the Chinese language, which
enabled him to give me valuable aid in the item of
expense.
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 8d. 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: —
Oak.
Tsong-gan-hien to Hokow (by land) . . .
800 per ch
Hokow to Yuk-ghan (by water) ....
150
Yuk-shan to Chang-shan (by land) . . .
400 ,,
Chang-shan to Hang-chow-foo (by water) .
200
Expenses for coolies at Hang-chow-foo . .
10
Hang-chow-foo to Shanghae (by water)
180
Total for carriage ....
1740 ,,
1740 cash per chest would amount to 2718 cash per
picul, which, converted into silver, would be about 1
dollar 80 cents, or 1359 taels. To this sum must be
added the cost of tea in the tea-country, the expenses of
the wholesale dealers for inspection, charcoal, 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-


228
Chap. XIV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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
Hang-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 com-
mon 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 ex-
penses 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, December, 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 from Is. to Is. 4ci. 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
catty, a sum probably higher than that which is actually
* Long price [1. p.] means that the export-duty is included.


Chap. XIV.
229
PROFITS OF THE CHINESE.
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 hefore, 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 state-
ments. Again, it is to be remarked that in 1848, when
the prices were from 14 to 22 taels, the Chinese com-
plained that they were ruinously low. But the average
of even these prices would be 18 taels, thus showing an
average 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 Chinese
dealers and brokers could not be amply remunerated by
. a lower price than any yet quoted.


230
Chap. XIV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
The above statements would seem to show that it
is greatly to the interest of the Chinese merchant to
encourage 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 different
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 sufficient remuneration for the
Chinese tea-dealer or broker ;* but if the above calcu-
lations 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 countrywomen, who never look so charming as
at the breakfast-table, by a quotation or two from 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 Tung-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.
"When making an infusion, do not boil the water
too hastily, as first it begins to sparkle like crabs' eyes,
* I do not think the small farmer and manipulator is overpaid j
the great profits are received by the middlemen.


Chap. XIV.
231
PROPERTIES OF TEA.
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 lassitude ; country
people before drinking it add ginger and salt to coun-
teract this cooling property. It is an exceedingly useful
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."


232
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. XV.
CHAPTER XV.
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 succeed! — Difference between Black and Green Tea de-
pends upon manipulation — Method of making Green Tea — Of
making Black — Difference in the manipulation of the two kinds
— Mr. Warrington's Remarks on this Subject — A familiar Illus-
tration — The Tea-plant — Inferior Teas made from Thea bohea
— Best Teas made from Thea viridis — The Woo-e-shan Variety
— The Tea-plant affected by Climate 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 large 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 ex-
ported to Europe and America, lie between the 25th
and 31st degrees of north latitude, and the best districts
are those between 27° and 31°.


Chap. XV. BLACK AND GREEN TEAS FROM SAME PLANT. 233
The plant in cultivation about Canton, from which
the Canton 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
viridis 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 bohea, and
green tea only from Thea viridis.
In the edition of my' Wanderings in China' published
in 1846 I made some observations upon the plants from
which tea is made in different parts of China . While I
acknowledged that the Canton plant, known to botanists
as Thea bohea, appeared distinct from the more northern
one called Thea viridis, 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, depended 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 per-
fectly true. The same objection can hardly be urged
now, however, as I have visited both the green-tea


Chap. XV. TEA MADE FROM PONGAMIA GLABRA. 235
ments 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 Hima-
layas. "How can we make tea without tea-leaves?"
said the astonished Chinamen. I now explained 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 wen^
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 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 re-
fired several times, and portions of some of them were


Chap. XV.
237
MAKING GREEN TEA.
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 remain-
ing portions have undergone the same process. In no
case are they allowed to lie long in this state, and some-
times 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. Some-
times they are thrown upon the rattan table 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
fioced, that is, there is no longer any danger of their be-
coming black. They are of a dullish green colour, but
become brighter afterwards.*
The most particular part of the operation has now
* I am not now alluding to teas which are coloured artificially.


238
Chap. XV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 immediately
after 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 large bamboo mats
or trays, and are allowed to lie in this state for a con-
siderable 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 hands
for a considerable space of time. At length, when they
become soft and flaccid, they are thrown in heaps and
allowed to He in this state for about an hour or per-
haps 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


Chap. XV.
239
MAKING BLACK TEA.
the manipulation of grten tea. The leaves are thrown
into an iron pan, where they are roasted for about five
minutes and then rolled upon the rattan table.
After being rolled, the leaves are shaken out, thinly,
on sieves, and exposed to the air out of doors. A frame-
work for this purpose, made of bamboo, is generally
seen in front of all the cottages 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 pre-
ferred 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 factory. 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 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 opera-
tion, namely, heating and rolling, is repeated a fourth
time: the leaves have now assumed their dark colour.


Chap. XV.
241
MR. WARRINGTON'S REMARKS.
is shown m some observations made by Mr. Warrington,
of Apothecaries' Hall, in his paper which I have already
quoted.
"The question presents itself, then," says Mr. War-
rington, 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 observations 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 conclusions on this subject. I
allude to the exsiccation of medicinal herbs; these are
for the most part nitrogenous plants, as the Atropa
belladonna, the Hyoscyamus niger, the Conium
rnaculatum, and others. The plants are brought to
us by the growers or collectors 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 fermenta-
tion, 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
blackish-brown result is obtained. I had also noticed
that a clear infusion of such leaves evaporated carefully
to dryness was not all undissolved by water, but left a
quantity of brown oxidised extractive matter, to which
the denomination Apothem has been applied by some
chemists; a similar result is obtained by the evaporation
VOL. IL M


2-12
Chap. XV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
of an infusion of black tea. The same action takes place
by the exposure of the infusions of many vegetable sub-
stances 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 fermentation,
accompanied with oxidation by exposure to the air, and
not to its being submitted to a higher temperature in
the process of drying, as had been generally 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 ex-
plained; and, in truth, what Mr. Warrington observed
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 examined some time afterwards,
when they have been exposed to air and moisture in
their detached state, they will be found quite as. black
as our blackest teas.


Chap. XV.
243
THE TEA-PLANT.
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 viridis.
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 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,
M 2


2*4
Chap. XV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
far less a species, and in many of the plants these
differences were not even visible. The differences 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 impossible
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 climates, 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 pro-
duced 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 repro-
duction 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 commercial
value of those plants found cultivated in the great tea-


Chap. XV.
245
TEA-CULTIVATION.
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 transmission to other parts of the
world where it is desirable to grow tea
.
Of late years some attempts have been made to culti-
vate the tea-shrub in the United States of America, 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 countriea But if it is introduced to be culti-
vated 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 labourers 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 manu-
facturers 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
* I shall have to speak of tea-cultivation in India in a future
chapter.


246
Chap. XV.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
axe 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
their 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.
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 suc-
ceed 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 England 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.


Chap. XVI.
247
INN AT P0UCHING-H1EN.
CHAPTER XVI.
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 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 aD other 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 jour-
ney, according to agreement, and intended returning
home again next day. They generally took care to be
paid the proportion of their fare at the end of each day's
journey, and I now desired Sing-Hoo to pay them the


218
Chap. XVI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
remainder and get rid of them as soon as possible. He
informed me he had done so, but that they 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 received their wages,
were now seated at a side-table in another room absorbed
in the mysteries of gambling, 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 im-
pression on me. They were evidently opium-smokers,
from the sallow colour of their cheeks, probably gam-
blers, 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 uninviting,
I retired early to rest. Tired with the exertions 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 intention of robbing us, and per-


Chap. XVI.
251
OPIUM-SMOKERS.
This had the effect of restoring something like quiet-
ness to the house. I now ordered Sing-Hoo into my room
and shut the door. The business, however, had gone too
far, for the other men were highly incensed at his con-
duct, 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 conver-
sation, 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 disagreeable. 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 affair 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 madmen 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. 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.
Rousing Sing-Hoo, I desired him to go and look after
another chair and coolies to take me onwards across the


Chap. XVI.
253
A MISFORTUNE.
chase 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 hours, and it
was now pouring in torrents. The streets were com-
pletely 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 reproaches;
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 coun-
try for the accommodation of travellers, and determined


254
Chap. XVI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
to make for it, as we could at least obtain shelter there
from the rain. Shouldering part of the luggage, and
desiring Sing-Hoo to take the remainder, I hurried on-
wards towards this place of shelter. These sheds are
generally tenanted at night by beggars, who have no-
where else to lay their heads. When we entered we
found a number of them fast asleep, and one preparing
breakfast . Our arrival did Dot 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 pre-
parations.
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 desired him on no account
to go near that part of the city where they were. I
believe he was fully alive to the importance of taking
these precautions.
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 numerous 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


Chap. XVI. MOUNTAIN-PASSES AND TEMPLES. 257
down at the time, and which I now forget. We stopped
here about two hours for refreshment, and, pushing on-
wards, arrived the same evening at a small place amongst
the Bohea mountains, named Tsong-so. Determined
not to run the risk of meeting disreputable company, I
ordered Sing-Hoo to go to the principal inn of the town.
The landlord received 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 depo-
sited my luggage in it, I returned to the hall and par-
took of the usual beverage—tea. In due time an excel-
led, dinner was set before me, and so ended in a peace-
ful and agreeable manner a most exciting and disagree-
able 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 fatiguing.
"We crossed over three passes during the day. These
mountains, like the Woo-e hills, seem to be the strong-
holds 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 us, 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.


Chap. XVI.
259
A DOWNFALL.
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 happened, 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-Hoo
to look after the luggage and broken chair, I went on
towards the pass, examining the botany of this remark-
able 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 val-
leys, 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 evidently
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.


2G0
Chap. XVI.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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, beautifully situated
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.


262
Chap. XVII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
namen told us we should pass a celebrated temple on
the northern side, which we had now to descend. This
temple, they said, was called Shan-te-Maou, and was
situated amongst the most beautiful 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, determining to dine
and spend the remaining portion of the day there. We
had not gone very far when our road led through some
beautiful 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 refectory 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 objections to this


264
Chap. XVII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
in height. Its roof was supported by numerous massive
wooden pillars. Three large idols—the Past, 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. Eanged on each side of this spacious
hall were numerous idols of a smaller size; said to
be the representatives of deified kings and other great
men who had been remarkable for piety during their
lifetime.
Entering with the priests, I observed a man lighting
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 manner,—
scarcely lifting their eyes from the ground, and arranged
themselves on the right and left sides of the altar, kneel-
ing on the hassocks, and bending down lowly several
times to the idols. Again the large bell tolled,—slowly
and solemnly at first, then gradually quicker; and then
everything was perfectly 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 stage of the ceremonies a


Chap. XVII.
267
FOOD OF THE PRIESTS.
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 impressed with the services in which
they had been engaged. Nearly all the priests ad-
journed to the refectory, where dinner was served imme-
diately. The Buddhists eat no animal food; but they
manage to consume a very large quantity of rice and
vegetables. I have been perfectly astonished at the
quantity of rice eaten by one of these priests at a meal.
And yet, generally, they look poor and emaciated
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 refreshing
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 steep-
ness 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
N 2


WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
Chap. XVII.
While these thoughts were passing through my mind
my people arrived, and, getting into my chair, I pro-
ceeded across the valley. About a mile below the temple
I observed a manufactory for making paper out of the
bamboo. Large water-tanks were constructed 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 soft, 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 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 1 believe I enjoyed it as much
as the Chinese themselves did. During the evening the
landlord informed us that he expected a mandarin of
high rank to stay in his house next night. This per-
sonage, he said, was on his way from the court of Peking


Chap. XVII.
271
CHING-HOO.
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 after-
noon. It is 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, &c., 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 regarding a boat. In this instance I took
care to pay the chairbearers and coolie myself, not wish-
ing to have another scene like that at Pouching-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 happened to the chair; I also gave


CHAP. XVIII. TEA-PLANTS ARRIVE IN INDIA.'' 275
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 dis-
tricts about Ning-po, but also from the far-famed coun-
tries of Sung-lo-shan and the Woo-e hills. A number
of Ward's glazed cases were now got ready for the
reception of 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 differ-
ent 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.
During the summer of 1850 I had the satisfaction of
hearing that my collections of tea-plants had arrived
safely at Calcutta. Owing to the excellent arrangements
made there by Dr. Falconer, and at Allahabad by Dr.
Jameson, they reached their destination in the Hima-
layas 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 dis-
tricts. Had I wanted men from any of the towns on
the coast, they might have been procured with the
greatest ease. A shipload of emigrants had been in-


276
Cnxp. XVIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
duced to embaxk 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
far inland, who were well acquainted with the process
of preparing the teas.
In order that I might accomplish this in a satisfac-
tory 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
negotiations. In the mean time I left Shanghae for the
tea-districts about Ning-po, in order to make arrange-
ments 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 deter-
mined, 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 English lived when the island was
in possession of the Queen's troops.
The large hospital, built by the English, was still


Chap. XVIII.
277
OPIUM-SMOKING.
standing, and, being now converted into a kind of
custom-house and used for public purposes, I went there
to look for quarters duriDg 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 dis-
agreeable noise in his sleep." I found this was too
true.
About nine o'clock in the evening the old man lay
down in his bed, lighted his little lamp, and began 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 neigh-
bour. At last I remembered 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.
At daybreak I rose and passed through his room, on
my way out of the building. He was now sleeping
soundly and quietly. The opium-pipe was placed on a


284
Chap. XVIII.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
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 beautiful 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 harmonised well together. 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 picturesque.
On all sides of the lake were well-wooded hills, whose
summits were about fifteen hundred feet above the
level of the sea . The ancient pile of temples, which
covered many acres of land, was situated on the northern
side of the lake, while others of a less pretending cha-
racter 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.
The Nelumbium, or Lien-wha, is cultivated very
extensively in China for the sake of its roots, which
are esteemed an excellent vegetable, and are much


Chap. XVIII.
285
THE NELUMBIUM.
used by all classes of the community. The roots
attain their largest size at the period when the leaves
die off; and are dug up and brought to market during
the winter months in the north of China. The stalls
of the greengrocers aje 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 foreigners.
An excellent description of arrowroot is made from them,
which is considered equal in quality to that which we
import from the West Indies. The seeds are also held
in high estimation; they are commonly roasted before
being served up to table.
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. Kesponsible
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 cam-
paigns I was greatly indebted to the British consuls
here for much kindness and hospitality—in the first
instance to the late Mr. Sullivan, and latterly to Mr.
Brooke Robertson. There is an excellent garden at the
Ning-po Consulate, and I often took advantage of it for
the protection of my plants.


Chap. XIX. TRANSPORTING SEEDS AND PLANTS.
289
therefore sown in all the cases between the rows of
young plants.
Fourteen cases having been packed and prepared in
this manner, I had still a large quantity of seeds—about
a bushel—remaining on hand. These I determined 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 imple-
ments, 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 Cal-
VOL, II. O


290
Chap. XIX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
cutta on the 15th of March. Here we took up our
abode with Dr. Falconer, the superintendent of the
H.C. Botanic Garden, and it was at this time that the
counterfeit tea was made from the leaves of Pcmgamia
qlabra, the account 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 germi-
nating 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 Hima-
layan 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 generally end in


292 WANDERINGS IN CHINA. Chap. XIX.
charms which axe 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 Sunder-
bunds, 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 pro-
curing, and in obtaining which he had lost six of his crew,
who had been all carried off by tigers. "How is that f
said the officer; "had you no priest with you to charm
the tigers?" "Alas! that was of no use," replied the
woodman, "for the priest was the first man the tigers
took away."
As we steamed along through these narrow passages,
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 accounts of
India . I may, therefore, simply state that we passed in
succession the large towns of Patna, Dinapoor, Ghaze-
poor, 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


Chap. XIX. JOURNEY TO SAHARUNPORE.
293
the fortress of Allahabad; we had therefore to continue
our journey to Saharunpore by land. All the tea-plants
were brought on shore and put in an open shed until
arrangements could be made for sending them onward.
Mr. Lowther, the Commissioner, who had received in-
structions from the Government concerning 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. Wad-
dington, 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 bullocks for more than three
waggons a day, it was determined to send three on the
16th, three on the 17th, and the remainder 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 different 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 Su-
perintendent 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 germina-
ting. 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.
03


Chap. XIX.
295
REMARKS ON TEA-CULTURE.
order, and promise to be abundantly successful. Land
suitable for the cultivation of tea is plentiful in all
directions, and at present of very little value either to
the natives or to the Government.
In these days, when tea has become almost a neces-
sary 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 paharie, 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 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 fof his bed
at night, while his dwelling-house is a mere mud hut,
capable of affording but little shelter from the inclemency
of the weather. If part of these lands produced 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


298
Cbap. XIX.
WANDERINGS IN CHINA.
spreading plains of India . Heavy masses of clouds were
hanging 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 awaiting 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 homeward
journey. I visited the well-known cities of Delhi and
Agra on my route, and arrived at Calcutta on the 29th
of August, when I took up my quarters with Dr. Fal-
coner, in the botanic garden, until the mail-steamer was
ready to receive her passengers 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.





Alrkstaels Street, London.
January, 1859.
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THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
DATE DUE
JUN 0 6 2003