YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

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jftT/E UNIVERSITYA GLANCE

INTERIOR OF CHINA,

A JOURNEY

CJje lilk anil (®mn <&ta Cmnife.

¥. H. MEDIIURST, D.D.

LONDON:

JOHN S N O WT, PATERNOSTER ROW.

1850.Note. The Editor has to apologize for the inferiority of
the paper, on which some part of the first number of the
Miscellany is printed, owing to the non-arrival of supplies
from Canton ; in future he expects to be better provided.

He also regrets, that he has’ not been able to furnish a bet-
ter map of the journey. A more complete one has been pre-
pared, but it was found difficult to get it engraved properly
in Shanghae at present.A GLANCE

AT

THE INTERIOR OF CHINA,

OBTAINED

DURING A JOURNEY THROUGH

THE SILK AND GREEN TEA DISTRICTS.

DRESS REQUISITE FOR THE JOURNEY.

In order to accomplish a journey into the interior of China,
it is necessary, if the individual undertaking it be a for-
eigner, to assume the Chinese dress, to shave the front part of
the head and temples, and to wear what is commonly called
a tail. The traveller should also be able to converse readily
in the Chinese language; and conform himself, as much as
possible, to the habits and manners of the natives. The
Chinese dress varies much according to the season of the
year, and the circumstances of the wearer. In the sum-
mer months, of course, the dress is light and airy ; but during
the winter season, it is doubled and wadded, to the extent
required to keep out the cold. The rich wear finer and more
eiegant garments, while the poor are obliged to content them-
selves with coarser apparel. It is perhaps well known, that
the Chinese articles of dress are all roomy, and impose little
restraint upon the limbs; though the large sleeves are
sometimes in the way ; and the long robes, wrapping about
the feet, occasionally impede rapid motion ; otherwise the
Chinese dress is tolerably comfortable, and in many respects
more agreeable to the wearer than our own.

A2

Th* first thing put on by a Chinese gentleman is the
'IT” ^ han san’ at,d fH|f han k’horS, or perspiration
jack' i and Irowsers; corresponding to our shirt and drawers.
The up|)er garment is fastened close round the neck by a
button, which fits into a loophole; from this, the right flap
hangs loosely dependent in a straigt line, while the left
folds considerably over, so as to admit of its being buttoned
under ihe right arm, and so downwards along the right side.
The trowsers are very loose, extending from the waist to the
ankles, and shaped with such a wide stride, as to allow of the
legs being separated far asunder, without the least strain
upon the cloth. This part of a Chinaman’s dress is not pro-
vided with buttons, but is fastened round the waist by a
girdle, made of a* strip of cloth, doubled and hemmed
along its whole length. These under garments are generally
made of native cloth, mostly of a white or nankeen colour ;
but, in the case of very poor people, of a dark blue or
black colour. Some have lately substituted European cali-
coes for cloth of native manufacture, as being whiter and
softer ; but the Chinese generally prefer the country-made
cloths as more durable. A foreigner, assuming the Chinese
dress, had better use nankeen, though it may feel rough and
unpleasant to the skin, as less likely to excite remark. Im-
mediately above the inner garments, the Chinese wear, if the
weather be anywise cold, a wadded garment, called a ^
me6n gaou, made generally of coarse silk, and stuffed with
cotton; having a short body but long sleeves, and fastened
round the neck, and down the right side, in the same way
as the perspiration jacket; this article of dress is, however
omitted in warm weather. Over this wadded garment comes
the ^ p’haou, or robe, fastened as the two preceding, but
extending from the neck to the ankles. This robe is loose,
and would be very much in the way of one’s working or
walking, but that it is bound round the waist by a gauze or
silken girdle, the ends of which hang down or are tucked3

in, according as the wearer is disposed to be shewy
in dress or otherwise. The writer, who placed himself
in this respect implicitly under the direction of his
guide, was advised to fold in the ends of his girdle,
and not allow them to hang loose either before or behind.
The robe is generally made of a kind of |JE[ ))]
Sze-chuen silk, of coarse but strong texture, and lined
with white sarcenet; being stuffed or not with cotton,
according as the weather approaches to cold or heat. In the
extreme of summer, the double silk robe is exchanged for a
single one of light crape or gauze; and in the dead of winter,
for a robe of broad-cloth lined with fur. Of whatever mate-
rial these robes are made, they are all provided with little
loops and buttons behind ; so that the wearer can button up
the hind lappet of hi9 garment, to prevent its being soiled by
the mud in walking during wet weather. The hinder part
of a robe, thus buttoned up, has a most singular appearance,
and looks like a little curtain drawn up by the wearer to
shew his heels. Over this robe comes the collar, which is
generally made of light blue satin or velvet, made to fit exactly
round the neck, and sewed on to a sort of tippet, with four tails,
two hanging down from before and two from behind ; these
being fastened under the armpits, and the tippet being also
buttoned in front, together fix this article of dress in its po-
sition ; but the appearance of such four-tailed tippet or shoul-
der piece, when the outer garment is not worn, is very peculi-
ar, and to a foreigner ridiculous. Over the robe, tippet*
&c. comes the	kwa, or outer jacket. This is

provided with wide but short sleeves, reaching halfway
down the lower arm, while the body of the jacket extends
only to the waist; this garment, unlike any of those previous-
ly described, is fastened by a row of buttons down the front,
and fits round the neck, so as to come under the collar, but
over the tippet; leaving the collar to fold over the neck part;
thus completing the upper part of a Chinaman’s dress. This4

outer jacket is sometimes made of broad cloth lined with
fur, if the weather be cold ; or of camlet or silk, if worn in the
summer season. Instead of this outer jacket, a longer one
of the same shape is sometimes substituted, which is called
the	wae t’haou, or outer coat. This is, however,

only worn when in full dress, or by respectable persons.

Descending to the lower parts of the body, we find the Chi-
nese feet cased in strong stockings, which are made of nan-
keen cloth, and sewed together according to an approved model,
with double or triple folds about the soles of the feet; these
folds are stitched through and through in various direc-
tions, so as to make the lower part of the stocking hard and
strong, and capable of enduring much wear and tear. The
whole stocking is however lined throughout; and in cold
weather stuffed with cotton, so that it can be easily made
to stand upright like a boot. Chinese stockings have all this
one peculiarity, that the leg is of the same size throughout;
and the hose, not being woven for the purpose, do not stretch
as the foot passes through them, or contract to suit ihs
shape of the leg; the legs of the Chinese, thus caparisoned,
appear like pillars:	When the stockings are drawn on,

the Chinese pull them up over the trowsers, and tie them
with green, blue, or yellow garters under the knee. The trow-
sers, which are very wide about the knee, being thus brought
suddenly into a narrow compass at the top of the stockings,
exhibit the appearance of a limb about four times the size
above, to what it seems to be below. This ridiculous
appearance is sometimes attempted to be remedied by a
pair of	k’hoo t’haou, or tight overalls, which are fas-

tened at the instep, and drawn over the stockings and trowsers,
up to the waist. These being made of silk of various colours,
would somewhat remedy the awkward appearance of a China-
man’s lower extremities, were not these overalls destitute of a
seat; so that, while the wearer presents a tolerably neat
appearance in front, he seems when viewed in the other direc-5

don, as if the hinder part of his pantaloons had been torn away.

The shoes are made of cloth or satin, with soles composed of
many folds of cloth, cased by a single piece of leather under-
neath ; these are sewed together by many stitches passing
through the whole mass, and appearing in rows at the bot-
tom of the shoe ; by much walking the ends of these stitches
get worn off, and there is danger of 1 he bottom leather, with the
many folds of cloth, coming away ; but after a time, the
various layers get matted together, so as to retain their con-
nection with each other, although the stitches should be un-
done. There is this inconvenience, however, attending such
cloth shoes that, immediately the wearer begins to tread on
wet ground, the dampness works its way up through the sole,
by means of capillary attraction, so that the stocking and foot
become speedily wet, and the wearer is in danger of taking
eold. When once wet, these cloth shoes require a long time
to render them perfectly dry ; and unless a man have a
change in reserve, he must be content to go with wet feet during
the continuance of rainy weather. The Chinese, however,
provide themselves with a sort of leather shoes, full of iron
spikes, about half an inch long, and an inch in circumference
at the base, fitted into the sole of the shoe. These horrible
hob-nailed clogs make a great clatter on a stone pavement in
a rainy dayr where the wearer is in danger of slipping about;
but on soft clayey ground, and particularly in ascending
hills, they afford the wearer the advantage of a firm footing,
which he otherwise might not enjoy. They do not, however ?
keep out the wet; for, the leather being porous, if you tread in
a slop but an inch deep, the water is attracted upwards to
the top of the shoe, and even beyond it. Besides this in con.
venience, they are necessarily very hard and unyielding to the
foot, so that a day’s march in such brogues is enough to
make one lame ; as the writer knows by painful experience.
To a person unaccustomed to them, all Chinese shoes are
awkward in the extreme ; for not only are the soles made so6

thick, that they never give to the feet in walking ; but they are
curled upwards towards the toe, so that the front part of a
person’s foot is much higher than the hinder part, and he is
in danger of falling backwards. This is according to a
Chinese rule, of almost universal application, viz. that of
doing every thing the contrary way to other nations; for
while we raise the heel of a shoe, and depress the toe, they do
exactly the opposite. The writer found it necessary to have
a pair of shoes made on purpose for himself, with the soles
level throughout, and sufficiently large, to admit of the toes
moving freely, and enable the wearer to spring forward in
walking. It would be advisable, also, for any one intending
to adopt the native shoes, to try them on first with Chinese
stockings, as these latter are considerably thicker than Qtff’s,
and fill out a shoe more than a person would be aware of.

The Chinese almost always wear some kind of cap, both
in and out of doors ; indeed they do not consider themselves
as dressed without a covering for the head, as well as the
feet. This is an advantageous circumstance for any one
wishing to assume the Chinese garb temporarily, as the co-
lour of his hair, and the joining on of his cue will thereby
escape notice. The caps worn by the Chinese are of vari-
ous kinds, as the circumstances of the wearer or the nature
of the weather differ. For respectable persons, on common
occasions, the round-crowned hat, with the brim turned up
in a slanting direction all round, but projecting rather more
before and behind, is the most common. This is generally
made of broad-cloth, or satin, stiffened with paste-board,
and lined with red cloth ; while^the top is surmounted with a
knob of twisted silk ; or, if the wearer be a literary graduate,
or a government officer, this knob or button is made of brass,
crystal, or lapis lazuli, according to the rank of the indivi-
dual ; from the bottom of this knob hangs a congeries of red
silk threads or dyed hairs, which fall over and around the
outside of the crown, thus covering the top part of the cap7

from the view. For this cap is substituted, in the summer,
a conical cap made of straw, having a round band inside, to
suit the head of the wearer ; and fitted up with the same kind
of kDob and fringe as the hat just alluded to. These caps or
hats, however, are not very well adapted for foreigners, as
they do not conceal enough of the forehead, unless made
large on purpose, when .they are likely to attiact notice from
their singularity. A much more convenient hat for persons
adopting the Chinese dress temporarily i9 the one made of
felt, which is like a hollow bag, about one foot in diameter
and two fee t long, closed at both ends ; one end of which is
inverted and pushed into the hollow of the other, when it
assumes the conical appearance of an English felt hat, before
it be blocked and worked into the proper shape. In this form
it may be worn as a night cap, to protect the head from the
cold winds, which blow through the crevices of boats or
houses, during sleeping hours ; or, with the edges turned up
all round, it forms a tolerably good hat for everyday wear ;
with this advantage, that the rim and crown may be made
respectively large or small to suit the convenience of the
wearer, either in screening his head from observation or his
eyes from glare. The writer wore one of these during the
cold weather, night and day, and found the article to answer
his purpose remarkably well. When the hot weather sets
in, the Chinese exchange these felt hats for the scull
cap; aDd, as it would excite notice to appear singular, the
foreign traveller in China must do the same. The^e scull
caps are shaped liked a basin ; and are either wadded or
single, as the weather might require a warm coveiing or
otherwise. Though smaller and lighter than the hats, they
may still be made to cover a large part of the head, as far
down as the tips of the ears, and nearly to the roots of the
hairs in front and behind ; so that Lhey conceal a great part
of the head, and may be worn day and night, both at home
and abroad.8

Should theeyes of the traveller be of a light colour, it would
be better to conceal them by spectacles, plain or coloured ;
both of which may be obtained, made of rock crystal, affor-
din g sufficient protection to the eye from glare ; and, as they
are very large, screening it when passing through large cities,
from the curious gaze of spectators. The best kind to be
worn are glasses made of ^ nrih tsi'ng, or tea stone, a-
bout two inches in diameter, with black varnished rims, and
made to fit with strings passing behind the ears. When tra-
velling through mountainous districts or secluded villages,
however, spectacles made of plain crystal would answer the
purpose, as the country people are not so much accustomed
to see persons walking about with coloured glasses, as those
are who live in towns. The foreign traveller had better be
particular in this matter, as the eyes are the first things that at-
tract notice, and may be the most likely to lead to the discovery
of his origin. The Chinese think that spectacles sit better
upon elderly people ; and to produce uniformity of appearance,
the wearer might at the same time allow his mustaches to
grow, which the natives commonly do at forty ; and then the
spectators will consider his face and its appendages to be
in due proportion.

The last, but by no means the least, change which the
foreigner must undergo, in order to pass unobserved through
China, is, the shaving of the head, all but the crown : and
the appending of a long cue to the hair which is attached
thereto. Any common Chinese barber, will perform both of
these operations for a trifle, and will do them according to
the accustomed mode ; care must, however, be taken to
secure his secrecy, or to get the business accomplished in
such time and place, as that if he does become garrulous on
the subject, it will be impossible for him, or his neighbours,
to discover the object or the destination of the traveller.
Proper arrangements having been made, the barber 6ets to
work, and removes all the hair from the lower part of the9

head, leaving that only which covera the hinder part of the
crown ; he then takes a long cue of loose hairs, fastened in
three divisions to a piece of silk cord, and gathering up the
hinder locks of the foreigner’s hair, he binds the cue on as
tightly as possible, so that it may appear to be a continuation
of the individual’s own locks. After this he gradually plaits
the three divisions of additional hairs into a tail; towards
the end of which he introduces a quantity of silk thread; and,
the whole being properly fastened, the cue is complete.
The traveller should, however, not allow the barber to add
too much supplementary hair ; as, if the cue be too weighty, it
will cause too great a strain upon the slight tie by which it is
fastened, and endanger the coming away of the whole ; as was
the case once with the writer, the details of which will be
met with on a subsequent page.

With a cue thus fastened, the wearer must be careful to
keep on his cap at all times. Another thing likely to lead to
the discovery of the traveller’s origin, if his own hair be light;
is the jutting out of a few straggling locks from underneath
his cap ; so that the foreigner must every now and then, when
not observed, put them up carefully, and not allow the odd
hairs to hang about. The cue will be found to be very -
much in the way 6f those not accustomed to puch an
appendage ; particularly when stooping to do any work, it,
generally falls forward and hinders the performance of the
operation ; or it catcihes in something from which he is going
awayv and suddenly arrests the individual in his progress ;
if the violence Of the pull dees not actually detach the cue.
At night also, a man can scarcely turn round in his bed,
without being forcibly reminded that he has got an unusual
appendage, and without being in danger of dislodging it
from its position.

The way to avoid much of this inconvenience is, to bind the
cue round the head, or twist it about the neck. This, however,
cannot be done in company, or in the presence of superiors ;

Bict

as it is considered & mark of disrespect to wear the tail
otherwise than hanging down gracefully behind. After all
that can be done, the additional hair is immediately dis-
coverable when the head is shaved, and therefore it would
be advisable for a foreign traveller not to place himself in &
barber’s hands during the course of his journey. The writer
did this On one occasion, when far in the interior; but
the village operator, being too stupid to make observations,
and being altogether ignorant of the existence of foreigners,
failed to remark upon the singular appearance of the head
presented to him. Not so, however, the mistress of the
house, who asked her husband, why the person’s hair was
so short, as to need a supplementary cue ? Perhaps, said
her husband, his wife has cut short his hair, which
may account for its stunted appearance. In order to
obviate the inconvenience arising from such enquiries,
in future, the writer shaved his own head and beard.
This had to be done generally in the dark, without
a glass, soap, or brush, and with only a towel dipped in
cold water to moisten the chin, and a common Chinese razor
to remove the stunted hairs, At the first effort of this kind,
the razor employed was blunt and full of notches, having
been previously used for cutting a black-lead pencil; in
this way a beard of ten days’ growth was removed in
about half an hour, but not without much torture, which
forced tears from the eyes. With a good instrument, how-
ever, the affair went on smoothly afterwards, and the writer
rejoiced in being able to render himself independent of
Chinese barbers. Though, were his example to be followed
by all the inhabitants of China, it would throw about a
million of plodding operators out of employ.

The dress and cue having been assumed, it must not be
supposed that the traveller has done every thing to screen
himself from observation : he must sustain the character of
a Chinese, and this cannot be done, without putting on andu

wearing the different articles enumerated, precisely in the
same way as is done by the natives. Every thing is stereo-
typed in China ; there is a certain order in the putting on of
apparel, which must not be departed from. Certain articles
must be put on first, and certain ones afterwards ; they
must be buttoned and tied in a certain way, and one over
the other, according to established form ; or it will appear
strange ; and the least departure from common usage cannot
fail to attract observation and lead to discovery. The man-
ner of sitting, standing, or walking ; the way of carrying the
arms, and moving the legs, must all be strictly attended to,
or some notice will be taken of the stranger. The individual
must especially avoid walking fast, or taking long strides, or
pushing past others in the street; but must move along
quietly and placidly, as if uninterested in passing events.
There is time enough for every thing, seems to be the esta-
blished maxim in China, and the man who is in a hurry
shews that he is no true son of Han.

ON THE FOOD OF THE CHINESE, AND THEIR MANNER OF
EATING IT.

In partaking of food, also, great care must be taken to eat
as others do ; not only is it necessary to eat with cbopBticks,
but to handle them in such a way, that the instrument may
appear to be in the hand of an adept. When not used, the
chopsticks must be laid on the table, side by side, exactly
pointing away from the individual, who has been employing
them* When taken up, the fingers of the right hand must
be laid slantwise over the chopsticks, by which means they
may be drawn nearer, until they project a little over the edge
of the table; when the thumb of the right hand being placed
underneath, they may easily be taken up. As soon as they
are thus taken up, the ends of them are rendered even by
being placed perpendicularly on the table ; when at the same
time, by a slight turn of the hand, one of the chopstieks is12

immoveably fixed, by being pressed against the root of the
fore-finger and the tip of the middle finger, by the middle of
the thumb pressing over it. The other chopstick is
grasped by the points of the thumb and the tw o fore-fingers ;
by the bending or straightening of the joints of which, this
stick can be moved to and fro, and made to approach to or re-
cede from its fellow ; thus forming a sort of nippers, open-
ing and shutting at the will of the holder, and adapted for
taking up or letting go the smallest article. But all this ar-
rangement must be made while the chopsticks are held erect,
with their points on the table, by the fingers of the right hand,
without being touched by those of the left. The instrument
being thus fairly grasped, the guests at table proceed to take
piece by piece of the meat or vegetables, from one or more
basins placed in the centre of the table. The stranger
must take care to hold firmly the piece he wishes to secure
for himself, and convey it safely to his mouth, without let-
ting it slip or fall on the table, or the ground ; a thing which
seldom happens to the Chinese themselves, and which, oc-
curring in his case, would not fail to stamp him as a novice
in the use of the instrument. It would not be worth while
for the stranger to feel fastidious about'eating out of the
same basin With his Chinese friends ; as it is not uncommon
for them (particularly when they profess to entertain the
least respect or affection for their guests) to use their own
chopsticks, and take out one of the nicest pieces of meat or
fish they can find, and place it in the stranger’s own basin •
lest he should complain, however, of the chopsticks not being
sufficiently clean, the host previously draws them very careful-
ly through his own lips, and gives them a good suck before
performing the operation. Of course, ideas of politeness differ
in various parts of the world ; and the intelligent traveller, ac-
cepting the will for the deed, will receive a compliment in
the spirit in which it is intended.

At the commencement of a Chinese meal, the centre dishes,13

whether of meat or vegetables, are arranged upon the
table ; from which the guests help themselves in common-
A small cup is placed in front of each individual, int0
which the host pours occasionally a little hot wine from
a pewter tankard ; the guests take a sip of this beverage,
and then a portion of the eatables, until they express a wish
for rice, when the basins of rice are brought forward, and the
wine cups are set aside. It is not considered according to
etiquette to take wine after this. When the rice bowl is
placed before the guests, it must be taken up in the left hand,
and held by the thumb being placed over the rim of the
basin, the fore-finger on one side, the little finger on the
other, and the two middle ones at the bottom. The
Chinese, however, frequently leave the rice basin on the
table, and put down their mouths to it; when, by the help
of the chopsticks, they poke the rice into their mouths very
dextrously. This is an operation not easily performed by a
stranger ; in order to imitate the Chinese, he must place
his mouth at the edge of the basin, not moving it about
from side to side, where the rice may happen to be ; but
conveying the rice to his mouth, by means of the chopsticks,
and then poking it down. The more slobber and noise
made during this operation, and the more rice a man can
get into his mouth at one time, even at the risk of choking
himself, is, in the Chinese estimation, the better ; but he must
be careful not to spill any of it on the table or ground, nor
to leave any in the basin when he has done ; as this would
be a mark of waste, from which the Chinese ideas of econo-
my revolt; and would shew the individual to have been
brought up in some outlandish extravagant school.

When one basin is finished, and the guest wishes
another, he must ask for a whole or half a basin full, as he
feels his appetite inclines him ; or if he has too much, he
may shove a portion of it into his neighbour’s basin, which
would be taken kindly ; but he must not leave anything.14

As for the dogs, they must content themselves with the
bones which are thrown down or put up with such coarse
food, aB may be prepared on purpose for them and the pigs.

It is known to most persons, acquainted with China, that
the Chinese use no table-cloths; but when the meal is done, a
dirty cloth is brought forward, with which the table is wiped;
each person is then presented with a cup of tea, and pointed
to a basin of hot water, on the side of which is a rag, with
which he may wash his hands and face ; and then, with a
pipe, the meal is concluded. It is surprising to see, how
dextrous the Chinese are with the chopsticks, by means of
which they can eat peas, separate the flesh from the bones
of fish, and take off the shell of a hard-boiled egg, without
using anything but these two skewers. The material of
which they are made is sometimes ebony, and amongst the
rich of ivory ; but the common people content themselves
with bamboo chopsticks ; more than a million of which may
be sometimes seen at one time, in the places where they are
manufactured or sold, and a plentiful supply of which is to be
met with in every eating house or tavern, throughout the
country. These are kept in a hollow bamboo, placed on the
table, or hung up near the door, whence every customer takes
his pair as he may need them, without enquiring into whose
mouth they may have last been inserted, or what may be
their condition, as to cleanliness or odour.

The viands to be met with on a Journey into the interior
of China, and particularly, in mountainous and unfrequent-
ed parts, are not of the most exquisite and delicate description ;
so that a person at all particular about his food had better
not venture on the experiment. Of beef and beer, he must
take his leave, immediately he quits the vicinity of Europe-
ans ; but of pork and samshoo, he will have abundance,
if he has got money to pay for them. The staple article on
a Chinese table is rice, sometimes white and sometimes red ;
but always in sufficient quantity to satisfy the cravings of the15

appetite. In order to tempt the rice down, the Chinese employ
various condiments, the most common of which is pulse
jelly, whitened and rendered solid by a mixture of gypsum.
The writer remembers, attending in London on a geological
lecture, when, hearing the lecturer descant upon the proper-
ties of gypsum, he ventured to observe, that the substance
referred to was used as an article of food by the Chinese.
Whereupon the learned lecturer lifted up his hands, with pity
and astonishment, lamenting that the necessaries of life
should be so dear and scarce in that country, that ths inha-
bitants are reduced to the necessity of eating 6tones ;
in which sentiment all present cordially sympathized. Sub-
sequently, however, the writer visited a gypsum quarry, in
the north of England, and, on asking the owner of it, what
they did with so much gypsum ? received for answer, that a
large quantity of it, was sent to the Durham mustard-makers,
and not a little to the London pastry-cooks ; so that the
ladies and gentlemen, who pity the Chinese for eating stones,
have probably, on more occasions than one, had to eat of the
like. The pulse jelly so prepared is very heavy, and when
placed in water sinks to the bottom ; so that it must sit
rather uncomfortably on the stomach ; but, being warm and
soft, it glides down without difficulty, taking some of the
rice with it. The Chinese also make frequent use of bean-
sprouts , which are tolerable.

The next most common thing on a Chinese table is the
mustard vegetable, partly salted and dried, and partly decom-
posed and rotten. The taste of the mustard plant in this
state is most disgusting, and the odour abominable ; but with
the Chinese it is a standing dish, and so fond are they of it,
that they frequently take it off from the hedges and railings
where it is hung out to dry, and eat it with relish, as they
walk along the roads. The fresh mustard plant is sometimes
boiled and served up, but this is so insipid that it can be re-
lished by no one. In addition to these preparations of pulse16

and mustard plant, we meet occasionally with broad beans ;
and very often with the young shoots of bamboo, which, being
sliced and served up with a little pork, form the only relish-
able dish to be met with in Chinese taverns ; but even these
are to be expressly ordered or purchased by the customers
themselves, or else they do not appear.

Should the guests desire it, they may obtain a preparation
of bean or wheaten paste, rolled up into very thin slices, and
then cut into fine shreds, like vermicelli; this is boiled till it
becomes soft, and is served up exceedingly hot; the natives
take it with their chopsticks, and having got one end into
their mouths, keep on gobbling and drawing it up, till they
either choke or scald themselves ; and then they stop a mo-
ment to fetch breath and make another effort. Eaten moder-
ately, with a little bacon, it affords a tolerable relish, and tends
as much as rice and vegetables to satisfy the appetite. Pork
is only to be met with in towns or villiages, containing several
hundred inhabitants ; and those who wish to have meat at
every meal must carry it with them, or purchase it when
passing through the towns, so as to be ready for use when
putting up for the night at small hamlets. The guide with
whom the writer travelled, knowing what he had to trust to,
generally bought a quantity of fresh pork or bacon before-
hand, and having dressed it, wrapped it up in oil paper, to
take along with him. Without this precaution the party
would frequently have been at a loss.

In some of the sequestered spots, where nothing else was to
be procured , we were furnished with a kind of double pan-cake,
made of wheaten flour, with a quantity of scallions and other
aromatic vegetables inserted between the layers of paste;
These had certainly a taste, but it was far from being a plea-
sant one, which was felt more after, than at the time of eat-
ing. A very small portion of these, therefore, sufficed, after
they had been once tried. No matter what was brought on
table, however, the guide urged the impolicy of asking ques-17

tions about it; because the simple circumstance of making
enquiry would show that the traveller was not familiar with
what he saw ; and, to be unacquainted with what came upon
the table every day, would be a display of ignorance, that
Would be unpardonable even in a child, and could not fail to
tnark out the individual as a stranger or a foreigner.

The same care, to avoid seeming surprised at anything,
was especially enjoined on the writer on all occasions by his
companion; as being likely, if neglected, to involve all parties
in difficulty. Those who travel in China, therefore, must
abide strictly by the advice given children at home, viz. to
hear, and see, and say nothing. In consequence of disregard-
ing this maxim, the writer had frequently to experience
the disappointment of getting no answers to hi9 questions;
and finally discovered, that the best way to obtain informa-
tion, was to appear indifferent about it ; and gather it^ as
best he could, from the desultory conversation of those by
whom he was surrounded.

The wine brought on the table, during the writer’s
journey, was generally a distilled spirit, colourless, but not
Very strong, nor altogether unpleasant to the taste. When
this spirituous liquor was introduced, however,.it was always,
served up in very small cups, holding only a few tea-spoons
full, two or three of which was the modicum usually con-
sumed by each guest; after which, the rice was served up,
and the wine put by. This kind is called [j|j kaou
leang, or Barbadoes millet, because distilled from that grain.
Another sort, is called	shaou tsew, because it comes

from the prefecture of ^ Jfft shaou hing; this is a little
weaker than the former, and possesses an unpleasant taste.
A third kind, called JjH shwuy tsew, or water wine, is
very common, and from its mildness, sweetness, and flavour,
forms a very good beverage ; this latter is served up in larger
cups than the two former; still the drinking of it is not con-
tinued after the rice is brought in. As a general thing, we

C18

may venture to say, that there is not much drunkenness to
be seen at Chinese dinners ; their wine-shops are not provided
with accommodations, for customers to sit down and fuddle
themselves at, but each one must take his portion standing,
outside the counter, and then depart; there is little or no urg-
ing one another to excessive drinking. In the tea-shops
friends meet, and pass their evening hours together ; but the
beverage they there consume exhilirates without intoxicating)
so that the customers return home as steady and sober as
when they came. On the whole then, the Chinese would be
a sober people were it not for opium ; but the use of this is
confined very much to the sea-girt provinces and large cities ;
and the people in the villages and open country are tolera-
ble free from the vice of opium smoking.

CHINESE INNS AND TEA-SHOPS.

The houses of entertainment throughout the country need
to be described. On all the great roads, where there is much
traffic, these houses are found at the distance of every five
or ten miles. They are known by the sign, generally hung
out in front of the door,	^ ||jSj chung ho peen farf ;

intimating that they afford middling accommodations and
convenient meals. The feadef, however, must not suppose
that he will find therein anything like what is to be met with
in the commonest inns in Europe. In country places, these
rice-shops, or eating-houses, are generally cottages, of one
story, with clay floor, and planked sides ; having a small
shop in front, and accommodations for strangers behind.
After passing through the shop, you cross a small yard, and
enter an open room, called a hall, wherein a table and a few
benches are placed ; on each side the trail you find what is
denominated a sleeping-room, and sometimes behind this
range there is a kitchen and two other bedrooms. Should
the house be two stories high, the upper rooms or lofts are
appropriated to the coolees and chair-bearers who accompany19

the guests. The strangers must not expect to find bed and
table linen, as such things are unknown even in respectable
houses in China. The tables are sometimes wiped on the
entrance of a guest, and after a meal ; but this is done with a
bit of rag a few inches long, which merely serves to remove
a little of the extraneous dust, while an inch thick of dirt is
frequently left adhering to the table. It is a very rare thing
to see a broom pass over the floor, which being made of
earth easily imbibes the slops, and conceals them from
view. The mud brought in by passengers only adds to
the material of which the floor is composed, and all bones,
rice, and other eatables, are carefully cleaned away by
the dogs.

The first question, on entering such a house of entertain-
ment is, whether they have, got any rice and vegetables ;
which is generally answered in the affirmative, coupled with
a polite confession of the poverty of their preparations. A
confession, the truth of which the writer has seldom felt him-
self at liberty to dispute ; the accompaniments to the rice
provided on such occasions being the poorest and most in-
siped imaginable ; should any customer wish anything
further, he is at liberty to send out for some pork, should such
be procurable. The sleeping rooms are seldom provided
with windows, and the only avenue for light is through the
door, which, opening into another apartment, admits but a
feeble ray of light. It is perhaps as well that such is the
case, as were the room better illumined, its dirt and deformi-
ty would be more conspicuous, and fastidious strangers
might be deterred from entering. The bed-room is some-
time? provided with separate bed-places for each individual,
consisting of & frame-work about six feet long, three broad,
and two high, upon which is spread a layer of straw, covered
with a mat; but more frequently one end of the room is
occupied by a larger frame-work, about six feet wide and ten
long, upon which three or four guests may sleep together,20

Should the strangers not be provided with coverlets, the
establishment undertskes to furnish a cotton wadded quilt to
each customer; but as the coolees and chair-bearers, with all
sorts of dirty fellows, have been in the habit of using these
quilts for months or years ; adding to the stock of filth and
vermin which they contain, every successive time ; it follows,
that such coverlets are anything but agreeable, and of course
only the lowest class of customers avail themselves of the
benefit. Each traveller must therefore take with him his
own mat, quilt, and pillow ; and, with every precaution, will
find it difficult to escape coming in contact with the dirt and
noxious insects already present in such dormitories. One
of the most disgusting articles of furniture, in such bed-rooms
is the pail, which sends forth an odour, that is too powerful
for any but Chinese olfactories. The floor is sometimes board-
ed, but washing is entirely out of the question ; and the cob-
webs in the corners, indicate the entire absence of brooms*
ever since the erection of the building. In short the whole es-
tablishment partakes of the united qualities of stable and pig-
stye, falling far short of what those respectable receptacles are
in most civilized countries. The only agreeable thing is the
basin of hot water, which is invariably presented on entering,
for the purpose of washing the face, hands, or feet of travel-
lers ; and the cup of warm tea which immediately follows.

The lowness of the charges in some measure reconciles the
helpless traveller to his fate, in putting up at such hovels ; be-
ing sometimes 80 cash or three pence for supper and bed, with
breakfast before starting next morning ; or, if the traveller
chooses to pay separately for each article, he may get a bowl
of rice for twelve cash, one of vegetables for the same, and a
a cup of tea for half as much, which will serve him for supper;
his breakfast next morning will be the same, leaving 20 cash
for fire-wood, waiter, parlour, and bed-room ; but the lump-
ing system is generally considered the best ; as, when the
passengers trust to the honour of the host, they stand a21

chance of obtaining a bit of pork to their meal, should such
be procurable.

The keepers of these lodging-houses are tolerably civil:
a stranger on entering makes a slight bow to the people in
the shop, and passes on the reception-hall in the centre of
the building; whither he is followed by the host, whose
first business is to wipe the table, (an operation by no means
unnecessary), after which he pours out a few cups of tea.
If he be polite, he will ask the surnames of the guests, and
whether they desire any thing particular to be provided for
them. The guests may also take this opportunity of asking
about the nature and distance of the next day’s march;
though, if he be a foreigner, the fewer questions he puts the
better, lest he should excite suspicion. The host also sel-
dom troubles his guests with his conversation, after the first
interview, which under certain circumstances is to be pre-
fered. On leaving, the people of the bouse always wish the
travellers a pleasant journey, while the travellers on their
part use some complimentary expressions towards those
who remain.

Foreigners should be careful to avoid, while putting up at
taverns, the persons who may happen to be lodging there,
at the same time. There is a certain inquisitiveness about
the Chinese, and they have an unpleasant hrabit of asking a
variety of questions, about the name, surname, age, circum-
stances, origin, birth-place, objects, and destinations of tra-
vellers, which queries it is not always convenient to answer.
All this is done, not so much with a view of prying into
other people’s business, and obstructing their proceedings, as
out of mere custom, and in consequence of a habit which they
have formed ; believing, at the same time, that such queries
are pleasing to the parties to whom they are proposed.
There are individuals to be met with in such taverns
whose object it is to annoy travellers, with the view of getting
them into a difficulty, and then making a market of them.22

A number of vagabonds are frequently to be met with, warn
dering about the country, who, under pretence of searching
for smuggled opium, requiie travellers to open their baggage ;
and, having ascertained what their boxes contain, lay plans
to rob them, or endeavour to extort money from unwary
stangers,by the threat of bringing them before the mandarins ;
As a stranger is sure to lose, and never gain, by coming
into contact with officials, many persons would rather pay
a small sum than be brought into court, however innocent
they may be. A foreigner should, of course, avoid such
fei t’hoo, rascals, who live by making a disturbance, and
whose interest it is to bring others into trouble ; and, as they
are not easily distinguishable from honest people, except by
then: debauched appearance, and villainous looks, the greater
necessity is there for circumspection,

The writer will here detail a circumstance, which occurred
on his march ; the party with which be was travelling fell
in with an individual, who was going the same way, and
was even a fellow-townsman witfy one of our number; the man
who came from the same district, however, took little notice
of his neighbour, while another of the company, became
very friendly vfith him, The other reproved him when
alone, saying^ “ Though the man is my townsman, T do not
lay myself open to him, and why should you be so free and
familiar ? do you not know, that road-side acquaintances
should be carefully avoided V} Should a stranger, however,
need information or assistance from a traveller who might fall
in his way, it is easy to put him into a good humour, by
asking how old he is, and then complimenting him on his
looks ; or oue may enquire, how many brothers he has got,
whether his parents be yet alive ; and, whether any of the
brothers be yet at home, to wait upon the old people. The
next step is, to offer a piece of tobacco ; which, if the party
accept, a good understanding is immediately established.

In addition to the eating-houses, there are tea-shops to be23

met with, in much-frequented roads, at the distance of a
mile, or even half a mile, from each other. These tea-shops
are a grade lower in point of comfort and accommodation
than the eating-houses, and do not pretend to furnish more
than tea or cakes to the weary and hungry traveller. Each
shop is provided with a number of tables and benches,
arranged in rows under a shed, which projects out in
front of the shop, and generally covers the road. Immedi-
ately on a stranger stopping at one of these, and taking his
seat, a basin is brought out, and placed before him. The
hot water is in most instances ready, and a pinch of tea
being thrown into the basin, the boiling water is poured over
it. This, being left to draw, in about two or three minutes,
is ready for use, and the stranger sips it, of course with-
out milk or sugar, from the original basin ; taking care nei-
ther to scald his mouth, nor choke himself with the tea^
leaves. When he has swallowed about half of this beverage,
the shopman stands ready with a fresh supply of hot water,
to fill up the basin ; and so on, if the customer require it, for
the third or fourth time. By this time, the strength of
the little tea put in being entirely exhausted, he pays his six
cash, or one half penny, and departs. At these tea-shops,
there are generally half a dozen or more travellers, whose
observation it would be advisable for a foreigner to avoid, by
sitting on one side, or in the more shaded and obscure part
of the shop ; not mixing in conversation with those a-
round him,

ON THE MODES OF CONVEYANCE.

The modes of conveyance in the interior of China, depend
very much pu the region., through which one may have to
travel. In the neighbourhood of the sea coast, or in the
vicinity of the great rivers, the mode of procedure' is by
water ; and so much more convenient is w ater than land
carriage, that the Chinese have managed to connect most24

of their great rivers and lakes with each other, by means of
the canals, which have been dug in all directions, and which
spread like veins and arteries, to almost every part of the
empire. As far as the experience of the writer has gone,
and a glance at the map will confirm the observation, the
Chinese have no walled cities or large towns, except in
places which are accessible by water. In the hilly districts
there are no navigable rivers, and therefore no large towns ;
but immediately you arrive at a stream, large enough to
admit even of rafts, you may expect soon to meet with a
mart of business. In the level country, if a river or
lake is not sufficiently accommodating to extend its arms to
human dwellings, busy and restless man excavates a
canal to connect his abode with the grand thoroughfare
of nations. Most of the canals which the writer has seen
are straight, about fifty feet broad and ten deep ; sometimes
they extend but a short distance across a strip of land, that
divides one lake from another, and sometimes they stretch
over a space of fifty or a hundred miles, in order to facili-
tate the communication between distant cities. They are
spanned, at intervals of a few miles, by bridges of one arch,
which in the route travelled by the grain junks, must be at
least twenty feet high, to admit of those bulky vessels pass*
ing under them, even when the masts are lowered* Where*
ver a bridge is seen spanning a canal, the traveller may be
sure of finding a number of houses and shops, on each side
of the water ; if there be not a considerable village in the
vicinity, or a road leading to one. These arches are gene*
rally well turned, but when the buttresses give way, as is not
unfrequently the case, the arch then exhibits a flattened ap*
pearance on one side or the other ; and the writer has met
with several instances of their having fallen in, or greatly
needing repair. The Chinese generally use for their bridges
long blocks of stone, five feet in length, alternating with
shorter ones of one foot, all purposely chiselled into a curved25

form, to suit the bend of the arch, with the sides somewhat
wedge-shaped, at the point of junction with the other
stones ; on the top of the arch, where we should fix the
key-stone, the Chinese place one of these long slabs, and
arrange the smaller stones on either side, so that they have
knany key-stones instead of one. When they construct
bridges of several archesv they make the intervening buttres-
ses so small, that the arch is thereby considerably weakened,
and not unfrequently falls in. The middle arch is gene-
rally very large, in proportion to the side ones, so that the
passengers have to ascend to a great height, by steep steps
on either side of the bridge, in order to cross it. This
of course would render them unavailable for the passage of
heavy-wheeled carriages ; which in other respects could not
pass over their bridges, on account of the slight construction
and narrow width of the same. Chinese bridges being des-
titute of a parapet wall, and the road for passengers being
immediately over the stone slab which forms the tops of the
bridges, they look from a distance, as if they were made of
paste-board, and the passengers appear to be walking in the
air. Some bridges have, however, been met with of a very
substantial kind, with strong buttresses, equal arches, para-
pet walls, and level roads along the lop, across which car-
riages might easily pass. These will be described in the
following journal, as they occur on the route passed over
by the writer. Wooden bridges are frequently met with,
spanning mountain torrents, but these are invariably provi-
ded with iron chains passing from one side to the other,
through the various compartments of the bridge, in order to
prevent the whole being washed away when the freshets
come down. One such chain was observed, precisely like
the chain cables used for European vessels, large enough
to hold a brig of 200 tons, and in a position several hundred
miles from the sea, whither it is not likely that chain cabled
of European manufacture could be conveyed ; it is to be pre-

D26

sumed, therefore, that the natives made it themselves, near the
spot where it is found.

ON CHINESE BOATS.

In travelling along the canals and small rivers of China,
covered boats are used, which are divided into several apart-
ments, with windows and doors, suited for the convenience
of passengers. The boats usually employed are about 25
feet, long, by six broad ; the whole of which space, (with the
exception of four or five feet forward, and six or eight astern,
left open for the purpose of enabling the people to work,) is
inclosed and partitioned off, in the following manner. First
comes the outer cabin, about six feet square, with an en-
trance in front, and a door behind leading into the central
cabin ; a window on each side admits light and air, while a
few stools placed round render it a very neat vestibule for
the reception of visitors. The central cabin, is higher, long-
er, and broader than the first, with several windows on each
side, a bed-place at the further end, seats all round, and a
table in the midst: here the passengers may eat, drink, sleep,
and work, with ease and comfort, while the boat is under
weigh. Astern of the central cabin is a small berth, a-
thwart the vessel, a few feet wide, where the boat people
sleep ; and abaft this is an open space, covered in by a mat,
where the men stand to scull the boat. Their sculls or stern
oars are powerful instrumemts, working on a pivot, fixed
into the stern of the boat; and being slightly bent, the boat-
men are enabled to give the scull a curved or spiral motion
in the water, by means of which the boat is propelled ; a rope
is fastened from the end of the scull to the deck, by working
which the scull is turned half round ; while one or two other
men, grasping the scull in the hand, move it backwards and
forwards or guide its motions. Large boats are provided
with two stern oars, and those which are still larger, have
a couple of additional sculls forward ; these sculls appear27

better adapted for canal boats than oars, as these vessels
have to be moved along very narrow water communi-
cations, and may be seen passing under bridges or between
close walls, only just wide enough to admit the boats them-
selves ; the scull however sends them forward, where there
would not be room to row or paddle them. The boats now
alluded to are provided with a curiously-shaped mast, fitted
on a cross piece of limber passing over the top of the central
cabin, by means of two hinges, which admit of the mast
being easily lowered abaft, whenever the boat has to pass un-
der bridges : the mast itself is double, rising up from either
end of the cross beam just alluded to, and meeting in a point
at the top, in the form of a Greek Lamma; the mast is thus
prevented from going over the side, by the width of its base,
and is steadied longitudinally by means of a rope, which
passes from either end of the boat to the mast head. It is
thus easily lowered, and as easily raised. A second and
smaller mast, of the same kind, works in the larger one, and
is raised occasionally for the purpose of towing the boat,
Masts of such a construction are convenient in small canals,
with numerous bridges, where both mast and sail have to be
lowered every half hour ; but, on account of their weakness,
are ill adapted for large rivers, while by their broad base they
they do not admit of the sail being drawn much aft; and
hence such boats can only sail with the wind a-beam, and
cannot, like single-masted and sharp-bottomed boatc, beat
against a head or a strong wind. Vessels navigating the
Yang-tsze-keang, and other large rivers, are of a different
build, and thus better adapted for withstanding heavy and
adverse winds.

ON CHINESE ROADS.

The roads of central China are better than a stranger
would expect to find them ; considering that they are not
made for the passage of two-wheeled carriages, and only for
foot passengers, with occasionally a wheelbarrow, and a28

few animals, the path-ways are on the whole exceedingly
good. In some places they were found fifteen feet wide
paved with flag stones in the middle, and with well-laid peb-
bles on each side. For hundreds of miles, the traveller
may be assured of meeting with good stone roads, at least
three feet wide, formed of slabs of granite, mica sJate, sand-
stone, or lias, according to the nature of the adjacent rocks,
and the supply of stone in the neighbourhood. Over moun-
tain passes, one or two thousand feet in height, roads are to
be seen, cut into steps, six or eight feet wide, and laid with
great care and exactness, for the convenience of passengers.
The ascending of hills, and the passage over plains, is thus
much facilitated, by the sure standing which the foot meets
with. At the distance of a mile from each other, sheds are
to be seen, built over the road, and provided with seats,
where the weary traveller may refresh himself by a little
rest, and prepare for further exertions. These roads and
sheds, together with the bridges and canals, are, as far as can
be ascertained, all the product of voluntary and benevolent
effort. Sometimes an individual makes a vow to repair a cer-
tain line of road, or mountain pass, or build a bridge ; and
sometimes a subscription is put round, headed by some rich
and liberal person, for the purpose of setting some such use-
ful measure on foot; the money seems readily collected on
such occasions, and is perhaps faithfully laid out; at any rate,
a stone tablet recording the date and circumstance of the
erection or repair, and the amount contributed by each indi-
vidual, is usually stuck up at the head of the road or bridge ;
and sometimes when successive repairs have been made, a row
of such tablets may be seen, giving everlasting publicity
(as they express it) to the benevolent donors, who have
earned such imperishable fame by their exertions.

Another gratifying circumstance we have to record is, that
we do not remember to have met with a single turnpike gate,
toll-bridge, or canal-charge throughout the country; all is29

free, as the light of heaven, or the air we breathe. Fer-
ries are to be met with, where travellers may get rowed gra-
tuitously across rivers, the boat and its ferry-man being pro-
vided by a public subscription, so that there is not a half-
penny to'pav. More than all this, there are societies in the
interior of China, for providing tea and soup for weary tra-
vellers ; and the writer hass frequently felt himself indebted
to some unknown benefactor for a pleasant and refreshing
beverage, when faint by the way. Sometimes the gratui-
tous tea is provided in such a shed as has been above de-
scribed, where some old woman is constantly in attendance,
to keep the water boiling, and to supply fresh tea leaves, all
day long ; and sometimes it is made ready in a temple, where
the priest does these offices of kindness, as a part of his duty.
The expense of keeping up one such tea-shop, is perhaps
a dollar a day, and in the green tea district there are hundreds
of them.

Another benevclent provision, made by the Chinese for the
use of travellers, is the lighting of lamps along frequented
roads, and near to dangerous bridges ; these are made of
thin layers^of oyster-shells, fitted into a wooden frame-work,
and either suspended from a lamp-post, or fixed in a recess
in a stone pillar ; the light they afford is of course dim,
but it serves to shew where the bridge or road is, and dis-
plays the good intentions of the persons setting them up.
There is no charge either for paving or lighting as in England.

MODES OF LAND TRAVELLING.

The mode of travelling along the roads of central China,
is on foot, or by means of sedan chairs; while some avail them-
selves of wheel-barrows, or asses. Coolees are easily pro-
curable for the conveyance of goods, and at rates not very
exorbitant. The sedan chairs met with in the interior are
of the simplest construction imaginable. They consist
merely of four upright posts, about five feet high, made of30

small hollow bamboos, about an inch in diameter. These,
together with transverse and horizontal pieces of the same
kind, above, below, and on either side, are fastened together
by means of fine rattans ; a bottom and seat made of boards,
a top of wicker-work, and a cloth to go round the back and
sides, complete the machine, which, independent of the poles,
cannot weigh more than ten pounds. The poles are made
of very elastic wood, about three inches in diameter in the
centre, tapering off towards the ends. They are about 16
feet long, in consequence of which they possess an elasticity,
very convenient and pleasant to the rider. When the se-
dans are not engaged, the bearers take out the poles, and
turn the chair upside down ; one man placing the top on the
bottom, and letting the seat rest on his shoulders, walks
away with the sedan ; while the other follows with the poles.
When carrying a passenger they take long steps, and in as-
cending a hill, keep their legs wide apart, and put one very
slowly before the other, by means of which a swing is given
to the chair, like the pitching of a vessel in a head sea ;
when this operation is gently performed it is not unpleasant,
but with some persons it would produce a sensation not
much unlike sea-sickness. The distance which the chair-
bearers will travel varies from 20 to 25 miles a day, and the
expense from one dollar to a dollar and a half. The agree-
ment is generally made for the former sum, but the tea,
cakes, rice, and vegetables consumed by the bearers on the
way, for which they manage to indent on the kindness of
the person they carry, amounts to the odd half dollar. They
are a troublesome and noisy generation, making great pro-
fessions on starting, and always receding from their pro-
mise before the journey is half over. Opium is the main
cause of their apparent elevation at one time, and the want
of it occasions their breaking down subsequently ; while
gaming, drinking, and other vices to which they are addicted,
both annoy their employers and impoverish themselves.31

The coolees who are engaged in carrying burdens, are
very similar in character to the chair-bearers ; like them
they get their money with much difficulty, and spend it with
the greatest ease. Every coolee is provided with a pole,
about six feet long and two inches wide, made of elastic wood ;
it is somewhat flattened on one side and rounded off on the
other, being about an inch thick in the centre and broadest
part; and half an inch at either end. The pole is sometimes a
little curved, and when in a horizontal position, the bow part
is kept downwards, and the two ends elevated; near the
ends are some short pegs to prevent the strings by which
the goods are suspended, slipping backwards or forwards.
The pole thus prepared, is placed across the shoulder of
the bearer, and the goods suspended from either end, some-
thing in the way that pails hang from either end of the yoke,
borne by milk-maids in England ; with this exception, that
the yoke of the Chinese coolee is straight, and rests only on
one shoulder at a time ; when the bearer is tired, he rests
his burthen, or shifts it to the other shoulder, at his conveni-
ence. In order to facilitate this operation, the coolee is pro-
vided with a staff, tipped with iron at one end, and grooved
at the other; it is about as long as his own shoulder is high ;
this staff is placed with the ferule downwards and the groove
upwards, underneath the bearing pole; the burthen at one
end resting on the ground, while the coolee removes one
shoulder, or applies the other to the load, as he thinks fit.
Having taken up his burthen again, he uses the staff as a
sort of lever, resting on the vacant shoulder as a fulcrum ;
with the short end, which is a little flattened, underneath the
bearing pole, to help to sustain the weight, and his own
hand, applied to the long end where the iron ferule is, as the
power. When they arrive at a stopping-place, they place
the staff again under the pole, allowing one side of the bur-
then to rest on the ground, and the other to recline against a
wall or tree, where it remains till the bearer wants to pro-32

ceed ; the object gained by this manoeuvre is, the keeping
of the cords stretched, the goods in their proper places, and
the burthen in such a position, that it can be taken up
without much effort on the part of the labourer.

For the same reason, the chair-bearers prefer taking up
the chair when empty, and leave the passenger to get into
it as best he may. while it i3 on their shoulders ; that they
may not have to put forth additional effort, in raising the
weight, when their bodies and knees are in a bent position.
There is an art in getting into the chair, while on the
bearers’ shoulders, which a novice is not acquainted with ;
and the bearers can tell by the way of a man’s mounting
the sedan, whether he be accustomed to such a mode of
travelling or not. This of course must be attended to by a
foreigner, or he will soon be known to be such. While
the bearers are standing with the chair, ready to start, he
must insert his head between the poles, with his face in the
direction in which he is going, and not towards the chair, as
Europeans are apt to do ; then he must place his hands on
the poles, on either side, and raising one heel to the foot-
board, he must gradually elevate himself to the proper posi-
tion, and seat himself gently in the chair ; taking care not
to bounce into it with violence ; as it would not only
make the bearers exclaim against his weight, but lead them
to conclude, that he has never been in a Chinese sedan
before.

Before quitting the subject of the coolees and their bearing
poles ; we may allude to an invention seen amongst them,
which they call a third hand ; it consists of a small bamboo
tube fitted into the middle of the bearing pole, for the pur-
pose of holding an umbrella, so that in rainy weather, they
can prosecute their journey without being wet, and without
the trouble of holding a screen over their heads. Coolees
and chair-bearers are also generally furnished with a quan-
tity of oiled-paper, with which they cover over their goods,33

and preserve them from being injured by damp, in a rainy day.

The weight generally borne by a coolee, is about 110
catties, or 146 lbs. with this they will easily travel thirteen
miles a day, and cross mountain passes with their load. If
it be an object to get the bearers to go quickly, one half of the
above weight only must be laid upon them, and then they
will go double the distance ; but what is thus gained in velo-
city, it is evident, will be lost in power.

ON THE BEST MODE OF TRAVELLING.

The best way to travel overland in China, if a person
can afford it, is, to take a sedan chair, and, packing up one’s
luggage into small loads of thirty or forty pounds each, to let
the coolees bear the baggage after the traveller, at the same
rate at which the chair-bearers travel, viz. twenty-five miles a
day. Should the loads be heavier, the coolees will certainly
fall behind, and the traveller be obliged to wait for them. But
for a mere traveller much luggage is not necessary ; a mat-
tress, coverlet, and pillow, with two or three changes of under
garments, will be quite enough; what he wants more, he
can buy at every town, and throw away when unnecessary.
A good pedestrian would make his way with ease through
the provinces of China, with only one faithful servant, to
carry a light pack, and act as guide ; for, the fewer persons
a stranger has about him, the fewer will he come into close
contact with, and the less chance will there be of molesta-
tion or discovery. Wherever water communication is available,
the most convenient mode of travelling is by boat; as a
stranger may then shut himself up from observation, when
approaching densely-peopled and suspicious places ; while
he can throw off restraint, and go freely abroad, where there
are few likely to observe, or harrass him. In many
parts of the country, indeed, the people seem never to have
dreamt, that there are such things as foreigners, and would
as soon think of seeing a ghost, as meeting with a barbarian.

E34

Sometimes persons are met with travelling on horseback,
or making use of asses and mules ; but this plan can by no
means be recommended to one from abroad ; as the eleva-
tion renders him more conspicuous and exposed, and, there
being no relays of horses on the road, he would be unable
to change his beast, at the end of a stage, or when tired down<
Travelling by means of wheel-barrows, is one of the
methods used by the Chinese, but rarely; and, as there are
many parts of the road where wheel-barrows could not pass
this mode is not to be recommended to one who has to tra-
vel far.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LANGUAGE REQUISITE.

A traveller in China ought to be well acquainted with
the language ; it is generally known, that the provincial
dialects, in various parts of the empire, differ much from each
other; but strangers are not aware of the amazing extent
of this difference. The dialects vary so much in the several
provinces, that the natives of one are incapable of making
themselves intelligible to those of another : even in the
several parts of the same province, or prefecture, the dialects
differ. This of course is a great bar to travelling, and were
it not for the Mandarin dialect, would be an insuperable ob-
stacle to convenient locomotion. The keepers of rice and tea-
shops, however, and all those with whom travellers are likely
to come into contact, are generally acquainted with the court
dialect; so that a person, knowing this, can make his way
through the eighteen provinces ; but then he ought to know
it thoroughly, and be able to converse in it without mistakes;
It is veiy possible for a man to have studied Mandarin for
years, and to have read in it all the books of Confucius, in
addition to various ancient and modern authors; and even
be able to compose essays, and write books in the language
himself; and yet be ignorant of the commonest terms, and
the most familiar phrases. The language necessary in an35

eating-house, is very different from that used in a study ;
and yet were a person, putting up at the former, unable to
express himself about eating, drinking, and sleeping ; and
were he puzzled, when addressed on subjects of every day
occurrence, the by-standers would not fail to set him down
as a very extraordinary individual, if not a barbarian. The
writer, after many years, of patient study, has often found
himself at a loss for words, where the commonest coolee
would not be deficient. Such acquirements are not to be
obtained from books, but from life; and it is only by frequent
intercourse with the Chinese, that a man could expect to attain
such a knowledge of every-day conversation, as would carry
him unobserved through the country.

COMPLEXION TO BE ATTENDED TO.

The complexion of the foreign traveller is another thing
that must be attended to, in older to avoid the observation of
the Chinese. The skin of the inhabitants of China varies
from a dull pale white, to a copper or an olive colour, and
sometimes assumes a hue approaching to black. The nor-
therners, are much fairer than those from the south, and
have frequently a ruddiness which the latter do not possess
There are very few who exhibit the fair or florid complexion
of Englishmen. Should such travel in summer, their faces
would soon be tanned by the sun; what the sun could not
do, however, would soon be effected, in the same way that
the Chinese themselves get their complexions tinged ; viz. by
never using soap in washing. The Chinese wash their
hands and face several times a day, but without soap.
A basin of hot water, almost scalding, is brought in to the
guests, at taverns and on board of boats, into which a dirty,
looking cloth is dipped ; this, when squeezed out, is rubbed
over the countenance once or twice, and the moisture occa-
sioned thereby i9 then left to dry on. A stranger travelling
incog, through China, must of course do as the Chinese do,36

and the least fastidiousness on this point, or the determina-
tion to resort to the use of soap, would lead to observation.
It is evident, however, that this process can never thoroughly
cleanse the face, and, when used repeatedly and constantly,
must obscure the natural fairness of the skin, while the
scalding hot water tends to give that sallowness and pale-
ness to the complexion, which is observable among the
Chinese. Added to which, the living in close rooms, satura-
ted with the smoke of tobacco, and lamp oil, will soon bring
countenances, originally differing much in colour, to pretty
nearly the same hue.

THE GUIDE.

In the course of the preceding pages, much allusion has
been made to a guide, a most indispensable personage in such
expeditions, as the one herein detailed. The writer was for-
tunate in meeting with a man, who combined the qualities of
daring and caution in an eminent degree. He was adven-
turous enough to undertake the business, and yet sagacious
enough to perceive every slight appearance of danger, and
avoid it. He would venture through crowded places, with
his charge, and yet scrutinize the countenances of individuals
at every stopping-place. He was fully alive to the danger
he ran, and yet, for the sake of the object he had in view,
willing to encounter it. The way in which he came to un-
dertake the business was as follows. Having heard, at the
city of ^ *H'| Hang-chow, of the arrival of foreign teachers
at the newly-opened ports, and seen some of their publican
tions, he determined to seek their acquaintance : and on his
arrival at Jlfi Shang hafc, called upon the writer. There
was something peculiar in his manner, which could not fail
to strike, at a first interview ; a solidity, an earnestness, an
apparent sincerity, which excited an unwonted interest in
him. Subsequent opportunities of conversing with him lan-
ded to increase that impression, and a peculiar friendship37

soon sprang up between the writer and his future fellow-tra-
veller. Listening to the doctrines of Christianity, he fancied
he could trace some resemblance between them, and the
dogmas of his spiritual guide, to whom he paid great defer-
ence. On enquiry, it was found, that the instructor to whom
he referred was a very enlightened Chinese, who had extract-
ed all that was good from the Confucian, and other systems
within his reach, with reference to a Supreme Being, and
purification of the heart. The old gentleman alluded to:
bad compiled a number of essays, which contained many
good things ; and, what with one system and another, a
scheme was got up, which far surpassed any that had hither-
to been culled from native sources. Our new acquaintance
had conceived the idea, that if he could effect an interview
between the compiler of these essays, and the preacher of
foreign doctrines, he should get them to agree; and. while the
one brought an element, which China did not possess, of spiri-
tual and experimental godliness, the other would assist in cloth-
ing such ideas in the best possible language ; and thus the
present and future ages be benefited. His teacher, however,
was old, and could not travel ; what then was to be done ?
The writer proposed a solution of the difficulty, and offered
to go and see the Chinese reformer. This, after some deli-
beration, was acceded to, and the parties agreed to start on a
given day, as friends, and without any self-interested object.
Having seen something of the habits and manner of life of
Christians, the Chinese guide had conceived a favourable
idea of the Gospel ; he believed that there was^ only one
Supreme God, that Moses was his lawgiver, and that Jesus
was a true sage, who had suffered much for the benefit of
mankind; but, his ideas were ctill very confused on many
important topics, and he needed to learn which be the first
principles of the oracles of God. He belonged, however, to a
school of superior men, and had been accustomed to exer-
cise his mind in deep reflection. It was thought, therefore,38

that, by a visit to his usual abode and fellow disciples, some-
thing might be done towards benefiting the individual, and
paving the way for the introduction of the Gospel into central
China. On these principles, the journey was undertaken ;
and though in itself an infraction of existing political regula-
tions, exposing the individuals undertaking it to much incon-
venience and risk, yet, in dependence on the Divine guidance,
it was hoped, that it would be accomplished without loss.

Such a guide was far better than a hireling, who would en-
gage in the enterprize only from a prospect of gain; but the
travelling in such company was attended with some unplea-
santness ; as the writer was obliged to put himself entirely
under the control of his Mentor, to confide every thing to
his care, and to recede from his own will and way, when-
ever it crossed that of his director. And it was but just so
to do ; for if a man from disinterested motives exposes him-
self to some risk on account of another ; the least the other
can do, is t,o study his safety and convenience ; sacrificing
everything of private feeling and advantage to secure his
friend from harm. It was certainly an exercise of patience,
to allow one’s-self to be directed in every movement, and
checked at every turn; submitting to the judgment of another,
where the propriety of an arrangement could not bo exactly
seen, in order to ensure the success of an enterprise, and the
exemption of its conductor from responsibility and blame.
But so terrible would have been the visitation, had the poor
fellow been discovered, in leading a foreigner into the coun-
try, that the writer was willing to do anything to screen
him, and would have deprecated above all things having
been the cause of involving the guide and his family in the ruin,
which, under an arbitrary government, would have followed
detection. By the good Providence of God, however, such
consequences did not ensue, and the man was not made
to suffer for his kindness to another.39

COMMENCEMENT OF THE JOURNEY.

1845. March 27th. Having dropped down to Woo-sung,
the preceding evening, I sent for a Chinese barber from the
town, to attend me on board one of the ships lying there.
1 told him, that T wanted-my head shaved, and a Chinese
cue appended to ray hair. He did not seem at all surprised
at the request, and, without remonstrance or delay, proceeded
to deprive me of my locks, without the least ceremony.
He had brought a quantity of hair with him, but finding me
already provided, he made use of what wa9 nearest at hand,
and fitted on the new tail in a very dextrous manner.
He told me, however, that though the junction was tight for
the time, yet after a few days, it would be necessary to
splice it anew. A dollar satisfied him for his trouble, and
he promised to keep the secret. Th« cue being wound round
my head, and covered with a large cap, I proceeded, still in
European clothes, on board a ship, then passing up the river,
without the generality of those on board suspecting the
change which my head had undergone. Arrived at
Shang-hae. I remained below until the evening ; when I retired
into one of the cabins, and changed my dress, having care-
fully provided every requisite beforehand. In a quarter of
an hour, 1 appeared completely changed, and astonished the
ship’s company not a little, who could not understand how
such an individual had come on board. The captain kindly
volunteered to put me on shore in his own boat, and I set
out on my new expedition. Just at that moment, however,
a most fearful thunder-storm came on ; the heavens were as
black as death; not an object was to be seen at more than a foot
distance, except when the lightning glared, which, dazzling
the eyes, rendered the subsequent gloom still more impenetra-
ble. The thunder roared in a terrific manner, and the rain
descended in torrents. As it happened, the captain was a40

complete stranger to the place, and did not know, even if he
could have seen, where to put me on shore ; thus, when we
reached the river side, we knew not where to land, and had
to poke about in the dark for a landing place, but in vain ;
at length we Baw a light on shore, and sent one of the sailors
to borrow a bit of candle, which, by holding it in his hat, he
managed to keep lighted, notwithstanding the high wind,
and guided the bewildered traveller, over some slicks of tim-
ber, on to firm ground. On gaining my feet, and looking round,
I soon found that the place where they had landed me, and
from whence they had borrowed the light, was the native cus-
tom-house, to the officers of which I was well known. Those
on duty at the time, however, were too lazy and too much
frightened at the storm, to look out at the door, and I was
too glad to escape their observation. Assaying to pro-
ceed on my way, I soon found the darkness so great, that
not a step could be taken without danger of falling, or getting
into one of the many pits, which I knew to abound on the
road side, or at least getting off the pathway which was
very crooked. At length, I stopped at a blacksmith’s shop,
to ask for a light. They enquired, whence I came, and
whither I was going ; I reiterated my request for a lan-
tern. They said, they had none. I then asked for a bit of
candle; an inch of which, after much hesitation, and many
marks of suspicion, they at length gave me. With this I
went on a little way, but the wind soon blew it out, and I
was as badly off as before. By degrees, however, I got my eyes
more accustomed to the darkness, and preferred stumbling
occasionally, to exposing my face to the gaze of the passengers,
who, assisted by the glare of a candle, would the more easily
recognize me. Not adverting to an inequality in the road,
I fell near the banks of the river, but immediately getting on
my feet, I pursued my course, sometimes ankle deep in wa-
ter, and perpetually drenched with the pelting shower. Now
and then I availed myself of a friendly lantern, that might41

be carried past at that time ; but these being borne sometimes
down side streets, or into houses, frequently left m© in dark-
tiess. Being well acquainted with the streets, however, I
managed to reach the neighbourhood of the spot where 1 had
fegtoed with my guide to meet me, near the south side of the
town. Here, turning the angle of a lane, I spied a glimmer-
ing light at the farther end, and approaching it, found my
faithful friend, true to his promise, standing in the plaoe of
rendezvous, dripping with rain. Not a soul else was near,
and our mutual recognition was not observed. Having
joined company we proceeded to the river side, where the
boat he had provided was in readiness; we embarked forth-
with, and creeping into the hole allotted for my residence,
1 divested myself of my wet garments, and covering myself
with the bed-clothes, soon fell asleep.

March 28th. On waking this morning, I was rejoiced to
find that the boat was already under weigh ; but, being
shut up on all sides, I could not ascertain in what direction
it Was going \ when, after a quarter of an hour's rowing, it
came to an anchor. I thought this might be in order to Wait
for the opening of the bridge-gate at ^j] Sin-cha, Or to
stop until the tide would admit of our passing ; but what
Was my vexation to find, by listening to the conversation of
the boatmen, that they had only got to the entrance of the
^ ^ Yang-king-pang, which, owing to the lowness of
the water, they could not enter till the afternoon. Thus I
had to liev with scarcely room enough to allow of ray sitting
Upright in the boat, and hardly light enough to enable me
{0 read ; being only just able to see, through the matting that
covered me, to about one foot distance from the boat. As we
were here surrounded by other boats and vessels, and exactly
in front of an English merchant’s counting-house, I did not
wish to make any further effort to see, for fear of being seen.
I had now time to survey the inside of the boat and to as-
certain its dimensions. My own berth was nearly at the

F42

head of the boat, forward of which was an open space, about
two feetlongby three wide, whereaboatman stood occasionally
to pole the boat; in the bulk-head, which separated my berth
from this space, there was a little door, through which a person
might just creep, but which was rarely opened. Immediate-
ly astern of my berth was the central part of the boat, eight
feet long by five wide, which was occupied by my guide and
his partner in business, who waB aware of my foreign origin :
this space was merely high enough to allow of their
sitting upright by day, and lying at full length, side by side,
at night, with one of the boatmen stretched across at their
feet; a bulk-head with a door-way separated this centre cabin
from the hinder part of the vessel, which was not more
than six feet long, by five broad ; in this place the other
boatman slept, and here they both stood up by day to pro-
pel the boat. Thus her whole length was not above 22 feet
long, by six broad in the widest part, narrowing towards the
end ; while the roof of the cabins was only three feet high.
The covering of the boat was of matting, spread over a frame-
work, high in the centre, and lower towards the sides and
ends; so that the boat on the outside assumed the appearance
of a lengthened egg-shell. Underneath the deck was a
sort of hold, which contained the half a dozen boxes of
my fellow passengers ; and below the platform, on which
the boatmen stood astern, was the fire-place and apparatus
for cooking. Thus cooped up and confined, in silence
and darkness, I was compelled to spend the whole of the
forenoon, surrounded by bustle and activity, and yet un-
able to show myself, lest, by an untimely discovery, the
whole expedition should be defeated at the outset. After
mid-day the tide answered, and we entered the small creek
above-named, which, though only a few yardB wide, is one of
the mediums of communication with ^ ^31 Sung-keang,

^ Soo-chow, and the rich districts to the westward. This
narrow canal, on account of its security from danger by storms )43

and freedom from annoyance by Mandarins, is chosen by
small boats, in preference to the ^ ^ Woo-sung creek,
which runs paralled with it; and the	Hwang-poo,

which, after a few miles of southing, is navigable for vessels
of a large size, proceeding to the westward. The entrance of
the ^ ^ ^ Yang-king-pang, is very unprepossessing ;
long lines of beggar-craft, and manure-boats skirt the sides
of the creek ; these, originally very offensive to both nose
and eyes, send forth a doubly disagreeable odour after a
heavy shower, which the close proximity iu which we pass-
ed gave us the full benefit of. At length, after clearing the
shallows of the creek, we came to an anchor in the broader
part of the canal, within an hour’s walk of the town. Our
evening repast finished, the boatmen were induced, as the
tide was favourable, to go a little further, and by night we
reached the village of	Hung-keaou, or red bridge,

about eight miles from Shang-hae. At .this place theic*
are about a hundred houses ; but the red bridge, which for-
merly gave a name to the place, has been replaced by a
wooden one.

March 29th. We proceeded early on our way, and after
rowing three or four miles, reached -{j |§=f TseTh-paou, or
the Seven Precious Ones. This is a considerable town,
with about ten thousand inhabitants. A large stone bridge,
of one arch, spans the canal, somewhere near the centre of
the town; and a smaller one crosses it, at either extremity of
the settlement. The streets are occupied by shops, the
keepers of which carry on a small trade ; while there are a
number of large mercantile establishments, which do consi-
derable business in cotton and grain. Besides a subordinate
civil officer, a sub-lieutenant, (Q |j|j[ pa tsung,) with eight
soldiers, are stationed here. There were formerly two tem-
ples, one at the north, and the other at the south side of the
town, which were dedicated to the seven precious stars of
Ursa Major, hence the name of the town it is fifty-four le,44

or sixteen miles, from ^ Tsing^poo, and twelve from
Shang-hae. After passing Tseih-paou, we left the principal
canal, and proceeded along a narrower channel, until we
came to jjf£ )lj Pih-kan-shan ; this is a small round-
topped hill, about two hundred feet high, on the summit of
which there formerly Btood a temple, dedicated to some brave
general, who is said to have tried the metal of his sword, by
cutting k rOck in twain. The natives shew a rock, at the
back of the hill, which consists of two parts, with sides
resembling each other in shape, as if it had been cut in two ;
this they call the jgl) ^ try-swOrd stone. They also
shew an indentation in another rock, which, they say, Was
caused by the heel of the general’s boot, when he stamped on
it in his rage, The temple, however, is now destroyed, and
only the foundations of it remain. At the foot of the hill,
is a small village, where a little trade is carried On ; and
ffunrtho top of the hill are visible, to the southward, a low
range of hills, in the neighbourhood sf	Sung- kSang,

from between which the pagodas of that city appear. To the
north, is seen the pagoda of jjjlf Tsing-lung, near which
the remains of the ancient city Of	Tafng-poo may be

seen ; While to the westward, is visible the modern TsiDg-poo,
with its high pagoda.

Quitting this interesting spot, we passed on to
Tsing-poo, Which we reached in the even ing. This city
was founded in the Ming dynasty, about 250 years ago, but
already shews some signs of decay. The walls are about
two miles in circumference, twenty-three feet high, with
1,725 embrasures, and seven bastions ; there are five gates,
and four wateT-gates ; three of the former are provided With
half-mOon bastions, and double entrances ; the ditch round
the walls, is thiTty feet wide by ten deep. The embrasures
have been some of them in ruins, as also a part of
the wall, but have lately been repaired. A large bridge i«
the northern part of the town, has been broken down forGROUND FLAN OF T SING-POO.

„_ ^	:.~r.: "gr*bird’s EYE VfEW op the pagoda at tsin g-poo.





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ivTvsV.v,*VIEW OF PIH-KAN HILL, NEAR TSING-POO.45

some time, and the people do not seem to have wealth or
energy enough to repair it. Much money, however, has
been, from time to time, expended on the city, which has
paved, though narrow streets, numerous bridges, temples,
public offices, and triumphal arches, in abundance ; most
of these outlays are the result of private effort, and
have been expended by. the inhabitants, with the view
of rendering their residence more comfortable and secure.
Outside the city walls, at the south-east corner, is a pagoda,
seven stories high, built about a hundred years ago, from the
top of which, there is a beautiful view of the adjacent hills
and lakes ; but the steps being now out of repair, it is difficult
for strangers to enjoy the prospect. A sketch of this pagoda,
taken by the Chinese, is annexed. In the neighbourhood
of this city, is a temple, and a tomb, supposed to contain
some of the clothes and ornaments, formerly possessed by
Confucius, which were said to have been dug up by a
oountryman in his field ; since which time, the natives have
honoured the relics, as though they had actually belonged
to the sage; and it is reported, that one man having slept a
single night on the spot, had a dream, by means of which
he got a clearer insight into the true meaning of Confucius’
writings, than he could have obtained, through the medium
of all the commentaries. Confucius, however, never was in
Tsing-poo, during his life-time ; and, when he died, he was
buried in Shang-tung, about 1,000 le to the northward.

March 30th. Sunday. Our boat proceeded onwards this
morning, and being embarked with others, I was obliged to
move with them. I availed myself, however, of the quiet
retirement of the boat, to read the Scriptures, and was
pleased to see my fellow-travellers do the same ; while I
earnestly prayed, that the perusal of the Sacred Writings,
might be blessed to their spiritual good. We quitted Tsing-
poo by the ditch, that winds round the south side of the
city, near the foot of the pagoda ; after leaving which,46

we proceeded along a canal, called the ^ ^ Tsaou-kang,
for about four miles, when we arrived at a place called
IfC PH! Choo-kea-ko ; on approaching this town, the
canal gradually widens, into a large sheet of water ; at the
further end of which, is a high bridge, of five arches,
with a pavilion, three stories high, on the south side ; to the
southward of this pavilion lies the town, above alluded to.
It contains fom ten to twenty thousand inhabitants, and#
being situated near the borders of the ^ Maou lake3
and just midway between Soo-chow and Sung-keang foo,
is a place of considerable trade. It dates its rise from
the Ming dynasty, and was founded by a man, sur-
named Luh, since whose time it has grown to its present
size. The bridge is the most prominent object on approach-
ing the town, as the central arch is very high, the two on
each side gradually decreasing in size, so that the bridge
has the appearance of a small hill, and those who pass
over it have a fine view of the surrounding country.

About noon, we passed a village, the name of which I
could not learn, and crossed at intervals several lakes, or ra-
ther several arms of the same lake, connected by narrow ca-
nals. These sheets of water, were about two miles wide, and
the range of lakes thus formed is called the |j|L ^ Leen-hod,
or connected ponds ; northward it extends to the
Seth-teen-hoo, and southward to the $$ Maou-hoo, in
the centre of which latter is an island, with a pagoda on
it, visible from a considerable distance. It appears, by
reference to Chinese historical records, that at one part
of this lake, called ^ Chang-maou, in the district of
|1| Kwan.shan, there was formerlv a citv. called jij
^ Yew-keuen, which in the time'of	jjl Tstn-che-

hwang, the Emperor who burnt the books, (b. c. 246), was
in a flourishing condition; but about the clo^e of the j||| Han
dynasty, (a. d. 190) the city was swallowed up by an earth-
quake, and became a lake. The people say, that even now,47

when the weather is fine, and the sky clear, the streets and
houses of the old city are to be seen, at the bottom of the
lake ; it is also said, that in the reign of ^ Wan-leih,
of the Ming dynasty, (a. d. 1,573), when the modern city of
Tsing-poo was built, the old people of the place informed
the magistrate of the district, of the existence of this subaque-
ous domain, and that he ordered them to dive down into
the water, by which means a quantity of materials were
obtained, for the erection of the present city. In the middle
of the lake, there is an island, with a pagoda on it, called
SB ^ Hi Chaou-yin-ko, which is said, to have been the
centre of the ancient city of ffcj ^ Yew-keuen.

At about 3 p. m. this day, we passed the small village

called ^	San-pih-lang, the 300 waves ; after cros-

sing which, we anchored for the night in a small canal,
opposite the cottage of the boatman. His children and ne-
phews spied the boat from a distance, and hailed his approach
with delight, crowding round him on landing, and jumping
about with the greatest glee, while he received them with
much fondness. The appearance of the children indicated
the health and happiness of the family, but their little chub-
by faces were so begrimed with dirt, that it was difficult
to tell of what colour they originally were. I was surprised,
and, under other circumstances, should have been somewhat
chagrined, to see the little notice which the women and
children took of me, whenever I met them ; scarcely looking
round as I passed, and if they did, not deigning a second
gaze. This appeared the more strange to me, as I had
been accustomed, as other foreigners are, when walking about
in the garb of my country in Shang-hae, to be stared at and
followed from place to place ; but being clad in Chinese
costume, the people did not seem to imagine that there was
any thing peculiar about me, and passed me as they would
another Chinaman, a class by no means rare in these regions.

evening arrived at a lake,48

We had travelled this day about fifty le, or fifteen miles
and I was glad in the evening to get out of the boat, and
take a short walk in the adjacent fields.

March 31st. This morning we again got under weigh, and
after crossing two or three more lakes, we came to a place
called ^ Ping-wang, containing several thousand inha-
bitants.* In this town, we observed a temple, with
Shih-keae, the ten commandments) written over it this,
does not refer, however, to the Ten Commandments deliver-
ed by God to Moses, but to the ten prohibitions of Buddha ;
which are directed against 1. The killing of animals. 2. Theft,
3. Adultery. 4. Falsehood, 5. Discord. 6. Railing. 7. Idle
talk. 8. Covetousness. 9. Envy, and 10. Heresy the town
of Plng-wang lies about W. S. W. from Tsing-poo, at a
distance of eighty le, or twenty-two miles. The water-com-
munication, which we had hitherto sailed along, here crosses
the imperial canal, the course of which is north-west and
south-east; it is defended by a strongly built causeway,
leaving only a small opening about thirty feet wide,
through which the water rushes to the north-eastward,
with considerable velocity ; this opening is spanned by
a flat bridge formed of immense blocks of granite, reaching
from one buttress to the other, f We bad some difficulty in

* Ping-wang is a most important place for trade, being situated
near a confluence of the lakes, and on the Grand Canal, joining Soo-
chow to Hang-chow; it therefore attracts traders from all parts,
who open their shops, and spread out their wares and provisions for
sale. There is a small civil officer resident at the place, called a
Seun keen sze, or inspector, and a military officer, of the
rank of lieutenant.

f This bridge i6 called	^ T’hung-gnan-keaou, “ perva*

ding tranquillity bridge,” and	jfljj 3f^ hwa-mei-keaou, u painted

eye-brows bridge it was built in the Sung dynasty, repaired during
the reign of the Ming sovereigns, and under the Emperor Kang-be
was rebuilt, entirely through the exertions of a priest named
Kwo-yuen, who obtained the money by begging.MAP OP

KEANG-NAN PROVINCE.

19 ^	-/x

INCLUDING THE ROUTE FROM
SHANGHAE TO WOO-YUEN.

	__
.m*-	4*

14.1*1_141H 111441 .__an-ju |49

getting through this bridge; but when we effected our purpoee,
we were gratified with the prospect which presented itself j
bn the eastern side was the causeway, with the bridge in the
middle, and the temple just alluded to at the northern extre*
inity ; along the north side of the lake, was a long range of
wharves, with a busy population ; to the south, in the centre
bf the lake, was an island, upon which was erected an
elegant pavilion, called the ^ fi£!Miir*Ho6-8in-ting, or temple
in the heart of the lake ; and on the west, an open country,
across which we were about to travel. The whole of the
fields, along which we had passed since leaving Teing-poo,
had been mostly occupied with the mustard-plant; this the
Chinese cultivate for the sake of the seed, from which they
manufacture oil, used in lamps, and for cooking. Thd
soil generally appeared low and damp, not above two feei
above the level of the water, and the mustard-plant being
just then in flower, the whole country exhibited a beautifully
yellow appearance, as if cpvered with gold. So low was
the ground, and so little elevated above the water-level, that
if an inundation were to occur, thousands of acres must be
overwhelmed, and multitudes of people deprived of a home,
and of the means of subsistence*

Along the canals, and throughout the lakes, which were
not above eight feet deep, the people were employed in rais-
ing mud for the purpose of manuring their fields. We also
observed several boats provided with fishing cormorants,
about twenty in each boat, which, at d given signal, werp
made to plunge into the water, and dive after fish. The
boatmen all the while beating the surface of the water with
long bamboos, in order to make the birds dive the more
frequently ; when a single cormorant obtained a prize, he
was assisted by means of the bambpo to get into the boat
again ; and having a ring or string round his neck, which
prevented him from swallowing his prey, he was obliged to
disgorge the fish, and dash into the water after more j

G50

In this way the flailing was carried on, until the fishermen
were satisfied ; when the cormorants, with the ring taken off>
were allowed to fish for their own advantage. It is said, that
a good]cormorant will sometimes take fish larger and heavier
than himself, which the others will assist him in bringing up
into the boat; after which, they will sit quietly on the edge of
the boat, without presuming to touch any more than what is
given them.

In the course of conversation this day, the guide related
an old story, which when told with spirit appears amusing,
at least to the Chinese. Formerly, he said, Confucius, Laou-
keun, and Buddha, the founders of the three sects of religion
professed in China, were talking together, in fairy land, of the
want of success which attended their doctrines in the world ;
and proposed a descent into these sublunary regions, to see
if there were any right-minded persons, who might be com-
missioned to awaken the age. After travelling for some days,
through town and country, with little success, they came at
length to a desert place, where the smoke of human habita-
tions was not visible. The three sages, being wearied with
their journey, looked about for some place where they might
quench their thirst; when suddenly they espied a fountain)
and an old man sitting by, to guard it. They concluded that
they had better ask him for a little drink, and consulted to-
gether upon whom the task should fall of soliciting the fa-
vour. Come, .said the other two to Buddha, you priests are
in the habit of begging, you had better go forward and obtain
permission to drink of this fountain. Buddha accordingly
advanced, and put in his petition. The old man asked, who
are you 1 I am, replied he, Shikyamuni, who formerly ap-
peared in the west. Oh ! you are the celebrated Buddha,
then, of whom I have heard so much; you have the reputa-
tion of being a good man, and I cannot refuse you a draught of
water; but you must first answer me a question, which if you
can do, you may have as much water as you please ; but if51

oot, you must go empty away. What is it ? said Buddha.
Why, said the old man, you Buddhists constantly affirm, that
men are equal, and admit neither of high nor low; how is it
then that in your monasteries, you have different degrees, viz>
abbots, priests, and noviciates? Buddha could not answer, and
was obliged to retire. The sages then deputed Laou-keun to go
and ask for water, who, on coming up to the old man, was asked
his name? I am Laou-jen, was the reply, Oh! the founder of
the Taou sect, said the old man; I have heard a good account of
you; but you must answer me a question, or you can get no
water. What is it ? Pray annnounce it. Why, you Taouists
talk about the elixir of immortality, have you such a thing?
Yes, said Laou-keun, it is the partaking of this that has ren-
dered me immortal. Well then, said the old man, why did
you not give a little to your own father, and prevent his de-
cease. Laou-keun could not reply, and wa3 obliged to retire ;
saying to Confucius, Come, brother, you must try your skill,
for I can make nothing of the old man. Confucius, therefore,
advanced with the same request. And who are you ? said the
ancient. I amK’hung-ehung-ne, of the Lob country, said he.
Oh 1 the celebrated Confucius, the sage of China ; I have
heard much of your discourses on filial piety, but how is it
that you do not act up to them ? you say, “when parents are
alive, do not wander far; and if you do, have some settled place
of abodewhy then have you strayed, away to this unin-
habited region ? Confucius was unable to reply, and retired.
Upon this the three worthies consulted together about this
old man, and came to the conclusion, that as he was such an
intelligent man, they could not light upon a better individual
to revive their doctrines, and spread them through the world.
They therefore came to him with the above-named proposi-
tion. But the old man replied, with a smile, Gentlemen, you
do not seem to know who or what I am. It is the upper part
of me only that is flesh and blood, the lower part is stone ; I
can talk about virtue, but not follow it out. This the sages52

found was the character all mankind, and in despair of re*;
forming the world, returned to the agrial regiohs.

After passing Ping-wang, we sailed along a branch of the
imperial canal that flows east and west, when we saw the
first mulberry-trees on the banks of the river ; but they were
Only small plants, about three feet high, just budding fort!}
their leaves. These were planted between the rice-fields,
and on the borders of streams, while the whole face of the
country was taken up with other kinds of cultivation.

In the afternoon, we observed two hills about ten miles off,
to the north-west, which were the eastern and western,
Tung-ttng hills, situated in the ^ T’hae-hod, Of
great lake. The westernmost of these hills appears about
Y00 feet high ; it is very steep, and perforated with caverns;
Bence the name, which means “cavernous hill.” It is al*q
called jQ |_tj paou-shan, tl embraced hillbecause it is sut*
rounded and embraced by the waters of the lake. On ac-
count of its deep caves, which pass under the lake, and
are supposed to penetrate into the bowels of the earth, it
is farther denominated ijlffDj^te mth, the earth’s artery. It
is covered with Wood, and surmounted with temples, from
which the tinkling bell and solemn chant are often heard*
It has several peaks, on ascending the highest of which you
have a beautiful view of the surrounding lake, and its various
islets, with the distant hills to the south-east and south-west*
Many pagodas, terraces, knolls, precipices, and dells, are
pointed out in this vicinity by the lovers of the picturesque ;
the whole land ii said to be free from wild and noxious ani-
mals, while orange and citron groves cover its verdant slopes.
The easternmost hill is called ]|gC @ m6-ie, from the
circumstance of a general, of that name, having once fixed
his residence there ; it is smaller than the western hill, but
in many points resembles it. A cattlp is formed upon it, over
which is a military commandant of the rank of Major, who
jcontrols all the troops in the vicinity of the lake The com?MAP OF

CHE-KEANG PROVINCE.

through the northern part

OF 'WHICH THE ROUTE LAY.

. 'v l\

[0/ \\

j____\_____/fZtvn a.

_!/ 6* ^ j53

mon saying is, that he, who was not travelled to the jjj^J Jj|:
Tdng-ting hills, knows ’not what mountain scenery and
lake beauties mean.

We passed on the canal a great number of rafts of wood
and bamboo ; one of these rafts was estimated to contain a
hundred thousand bamboos, and was about a third of a
mile in'length ; its conductors seemed to be on their way to
Soo-chow, Hang-chow, and other populous places, where there
is a great demand for building materials.

During the afternoon, we passed a village, called
mei-yen, li the plum dike it has a small military guard
stationed at the place.

Towards evening, we were pleasingly struck with the view
which presented itself before us. A beautiful pavilion, three
stories high, with a granite foundation, and a scolloped
roof, met the eye, rising up from the midst of the broad canal,
and'throwing its lengthened shadow across the still waters.
It was about fifty feet wide at the base, which was four-
square ; on a terrace, formed of large blocks of stone, rose the
pavilion, about 50 feet high, with its neatly-pain ted windows
and doors, its fantastic gables and concave ridges, each of its
many corners terminating in a bell, and each of its row of
tiles being turned up with variegated porcelain. The name of
this handsome structure, was	Tsze-yun-ehen-

sze, “ the hall for contemplation covered by favouring clouds;”
it wa9 built in the Sung dynasty, and, after having been re-
paired under the Ming sovereigns, was rebuilt, in the 20th
year of Kang-he. Beyond the pavilion appeared a pagoda, six
stories high, surmounted with a crown, very elegant and in
good repair. At the foot of the pagoda, was a town called
yf	Chin-tsih-chin, containing about 10,000 inhabi-

tant* The name of the place, signifying “ well-watered
town,” was given in consequence of its vicinity to the
T’hae-hoo, or great lake, from which it is not above five
miles distant; there is a civil officer stationed here, called54

a 3^	Seftn-keen-sze, or inspector ; and there are

four military stations at the four quarters of the town. Se-
veral large stores were observed, at which rice and oil were
sold, but the houses in general seemed in a dilapidated con.
dition ; one building was observed three stories high, but
that also was out of the perpendicular, and would certainly
have fallen, had it not been for the adjoining houses. We pass-
ed the night in the centre of this town, in our boat, but were
much disturbed by the watchmen’s rattles. We travelled
this day about 80 le, or 24 miles.

April 1st. This morning we started at daylight, and after
a course of fifteen or twenty le, about five miles, we crossed
the borders of Keang-soo province, and entered Che-keang,
approaching the town of	Nan-tsin ; this town is

seventy-two le, or twenty-two miles, to the west of Ho6-chow;
it is a place of considerable size, being nearly two miles in
length, and containing two large stone bridges, the arches of
which were about twenty-five feet high, and fifteen broad,
very strongly built of red sand-stone, mixed with lias. At
this place we observed, a number of boats, laden with young
mulberry-trees, which were bound in bundles, roots and all,
and brought thither for sale, with the view of extending
the cultivation of the plant. On the sides of the canal, were
numerous timber-yards, the materials contained in which
were however short, and rather adapted for small Chinese
houses, than large mansions. The market of this town, is
supplied with all kinds of commodities, and the trade is
flourishing. In the time of the Yuen dynasty, the town
was surrounded by walls, which, in the following dynasty,
were broken down, to repair those of Soo.chow. The re-
mains of the ancient Nan-tsin city, are still traceable;
and a map of it, as it formerly stood, is preserved in an ad-
joining temple. After passing this town, about two or three
miles, we observed the mulberry-trees more thickly studding
the banks of the river, and covering the adjacent country ;55

these trees were more advanced than those which I had previ*
ously seen, being about ten feet high, and the stems a foot in
circumference. Wherever the land was a little elevated, at
least six feet above the water-level, the mulberry was diligent-
ly cultivated, and every preparation made to meet the wants
of the forth-coming silk-worms.

This morning we observed a boat proceeding in the same
direction with ourselves, bearing a dag with this inscription,
“ The Superintendent of the grain department of Che-keang,”
and a little further on we fell in with two boats, having in-
scribed on their flag, “ The chief magistrate of the district of
TFj Meen-yang, in the province of Hoo-kwang j” on see-
ing these, I supposed, that of course the officers whose flags
were thus borne aloft were on board, and began to puzzle
myself, in order to find out, in what way the gentlemen
could get to Hoo-kwang or Che-keang, according to the
course which they were then steering. I afterwards disco-
vered, however, that it is not an unusual thing for boatmen
to beg the flag of any mandarin they may happen to carry,
in order to hoist it afterwards. In the same way, many poor
fellows may be seen in towns, carrying about lanterns, with
the titles of high officers painted on them, in order to screen
themselves from the annoyances of petty policemen, and make
people believe, that they are respectably connected.

About noon, we passed a considerable branch of the canal,
bearing to the southward, which probably leads to ‘JJ'j
Hang-chow, and forms the chief medium of communication
between that and ^ Hod-cho\y. Going on a little
further, we passed under a bridge, which was in a very ruinous
condition, and almost threatened to fall on us as we went un-
der the arch. As we advanced, we beheld four small hills
in front, two on each side of the canal, as though guarding
the approach to the city of Hoo-chow ; their names are the
If* Shing-shan, ^ Shuh-shan, JjL Jj Pe-shan, and
llj Joo-shan ; the larger and smaller f}g\ll Luy-shan,56

in the ^ T’hae-ho6, or great lake, likewise appeared, at
some distance to the north-west. On the south-west, also,
a high hill was visible, with two tall pagodas, ot stone pil-
lars on the top of it, respecting which the boatmen observed,
that when we were so far advanced, as to shut in this
hill behind some of the others, we should see Hoo-chow ;
this saying proved true, for we had no sooner shut in the pa-
goda hill, than the masts of the junks lying off Hoo-chow
appeared. I have been the more particular in mentioning
these hills, as since our leaving Shang-hab with the excep-
tion of the few hillocks about Tsing-poo, and those in the
Tung-tlng and T’hae-hd6 lakes, we had scarcely seen a
hill; but now we appeared td be getting into the midst of
them, and were about soon to be surrounded by lefty moun-
tains, which would delight and bewilder us by their beauty
and magnificence. Few rocks also, had been seen, and the
whole country had hitherto appeared one continuous mud-flat
without a stone j but now we were approaching a region,
interesting to the geologist, and replete with nature’s
wonders.

During our journey through the lowlands, we had fre-
quently observed the people busily eiuployed in getting up
mud from the bottoms of the lakes and canals, for the pur-
pose of manuring the rice-fields ; and before quitting this
region, it may be as well to describe the process. They
used for this purpose, two slightly concave baskets, about
two feet in diameter, which fitted on to each otber, like the
two valves of a cardium shell; these were each fastened to
the ends of long bamboo poles, which poles crossed each other
at a pivot, about a foot distant from the baskets, and ten or
twelve from the opposite ends. The workman standing
in a boat, thrust down the machine, (which was something iU
appearance like a pair of old-fashioned sugar-tongs,) with the
baskets downward, into the water. Holding the two uppelr
ends of the bamboos apart, he of course kept the mouth of tha57

tongs open, lilt having pushed them iuto the mud, he closed
the valves by bringing the top part of the poles close toge-
ther, and then drew up die machine with a load of mud;
emptying his charge into the boat, be sent it down again and
again, till the boat was full, or the period of labour expired.
It was worthy of observation, bow the labourers availed them-
selves of the known property of water, to support bodies in it
until the near the surface ; for they appeared scarcely to care
about exerting themselves, in raising the weight of mud from
the bottom, until it was near the surface, when they put
forth all their strength to lift it over the gunwale into the
boat. I have been thus particular in describing this opera-
tion, because of the many thousands of people engaged in it,
and because of its great importance in Chinese agriculture.
Having obtained a boat-load of mud, the peasant proceeds to
that part of his field which adjoins the river, and having made
a hollow pit on the bank, he with a scoop throws up the mud
into the place prepared for it. Should this be lower than
the level of his field, they use a bucket, with a rope fastened
to each side of it; two persons holding this rope, one on
each side of the mud-hole, by alternately slackening and
tightening it, giving it at the same time a jerk on one
side, manage to throw the mud up on the field. In this
labour, a man is generally assisted by his wife or daughter ;
for the women in China do not scruple to engage in any,
even the most dirty, occupation, if it have but a reference
to the multiplying of the means of subsistence.

THE CITY OF HOO-CHOW.

Approaching Hoo-chow, we passed a vast number of grain-
junks, employed in receiving on board the Emperor’s tribute,
and preparing to convey it to the capital. They were moor-
ed to each bank of the canal, sometimes t wo deep on either
side, leaving but a small space for the passage of boats be-
tween them. These junks were larger and newer than any I

H58

had hitherto seen, and were some of them very gaily painted.
The sailors were numerous, and appeared both haughty and
indolent. On board of several junks, I saw the process of
taking in rice from the boats along side. A pulley was
slung to the mast, and a rope being rove through it, a dozen
men were attached to it, in order to raise one bag of rice,
which could not be done, even with all that power, without
much singing and noise. Others were engaged in hooking
on the bags, and others in stowing them away, or writing
down their numbers ; so that a score of men were found
necessary, to take each single bag of rice on board j which
in a private vessel would have been easily done by one
man. I was pleased to see, however, that the sailors were
very particular in keeping their junks clean ; and as each
boatman had his own private speculation, the decks were
oovered with birds, dogs, and other animals, which might
meet with a ready sale in Peking. The number of these
grain-junks, I could not exactly ascertain, but they ex-
tended along the canal for more than a mile in length, and
there could not have been less than five hundred of them. It
appeared necessary to anchor them a few miles out of the city,
because of the quarrelsome disposition of the sailors ; as well
as on account of the narrowness of the canal, which would
not admit of their approaching nearer the city without imped-
ing business.

In the evening we arrived at Hoo-chow, but the lateness
of the hour prevented my observing much of its beauty.
The walls appeared in good repair, about 25 feet high, and
twenty thick. The canal passed through the city, under the
walls, where there was a water-gate, spanned by a finely-
turned arch, at least 20 feet high. On passing through, we
were detained by an old man, who demanded money of us,
because it was dusk ; our people offered him five cash, but
he rejected that sum with scorn, saying that nothing less
than fifteen would satisfy him. He was, however, contented59

with ten, and lifted up the bar to let us pass. Having entered
the city, we found the canal wider than on the outside,
with many vessels coming and going; while the banks of the
canal were lined with stores and ware-houses, giving the ap-
pearance of a very populous and commercial city. About the
middle of the city, we came to a large bridge of three arches;
the centre one was about fifty feet wide, and the other two
nearly equal to it. The top of the bridge was almost fiat, and
not elavaled as most of the Chinese bridges are. The name
of the bridge was	pa-yay-keaou, or “ hold-your-

tongue bridge every Chinese on passing under it, feeling it
neccessary to hold his tongue ; more out of superstition, how-
ever, than in obedience to any public order. There are
several pagodas, and many temples in Hoo-chow, but as the
evening was far advanced, we had not an opportunity of
seeing them. Having passed the residence of the )^f
Che-foo, or prefect of the city, we thrust our boat in among
a number of others, uear a market place, and, after the din of
voices around us had subsided, we fell asleep.

Hoo-chow is the same with the ^ j}|J Yang-chow, spo-
ken of in the days of Yu, B. C. 2,205, (see Translation of the
Shoo-king, page 97.) During the Hea dynasty, it consti-
tuted the country of the Jffi )§j£ Fang-fung ; during the Jpf]
Chow dynasty, it successively belonged to the Woo, ^
Yue, and ^ Tsoo countries. Wfien the Emperor ^

Jfl Tsln-che-hwang, who burned the books, divided China
anew, this region was called ^ Hwuy-k’he. In the
time of the Three Kingdoms, it fell to the lot of IjL Woo.
In the )§| Tang dynasty, it was denominated ^ Hoo-
chow, which name, with occasional interruptions, it has re-
tained ever since.

Hoo-chow is situated to the south of the	T’hae

hoo, Great Lake, from which it probably derives its name.
This lake, together with the various rivers and canals con-
nected with it, has rendered the region now under considera-60

lion very fertile, and afforded easy communication between it
and tbe surrounding regions, hence its growing wealth and
importance. It is classed under the yX Cbe-keang
province; the prefecture of Hod-chow is 190 le, (or about 58
miles) from east to west, and 138 le, (or about 42 miles)
from north to south. In an easterly direction the city of
Hoo-chow, is distant from Soo.chow 210 le. In a wester-
ly direction, it is distant from ^ Kwang-tih-chow
130 le. On the south side, it is distant from jj^
Hang-chow 120 le. And towards the north it is 38 le, to
[I| Seaou-luy-shan, in the^£$j}] T’hae-bod. From
Hod-chow to Peking, the distance is reckoned at 3,700 le.

The city of Hoo-chow was built on the site of Jff?j
Woo-ching, where the famous 5E Heang-wang, who
flourished about the commencement of the Christian era,
held his court. According to the records, one ]|j$ Kwo-
p5, of the Tsi'n dynasty, wished to remove the seat of his
government to the eastward ; when his daughter, who was
acquainted with geomancy, dissuaded him, on account of the
supposed perpetuity of any city built on this site. In the 4th
year of 3^ ^ Woo-tih,	Sjjjjp Le-heaou-kung built the

city of Hoo-chow, 24 le in Extent, fn the Yuen dynasty f
the boundaries of the city, being considered too wide, were
contracted to 13 le and a half. The gates, which in the
Tang dynasty were nine, have been since reduced to six. A
branch of the grand canal enters the city, under a large
arch near the eastern gate ; which, after traversing the
centre of the city, is led out under a similar arch, near the
west gate. Large sheets of water are interpersed throughout
the space within tbe walls, various parts of which are
spanned by noble bridges. Islands here and there appear
in these pools, on which temples and pagodas are reared. The
highest pagoda, called 5$^ Fei ying, is situated on the
north side of the city. The mansion of the Che-foo, or pre-
fect, is in the centre, while the residence of the two district
magistrates are placed in the east and west quarters.61

As Hoo-chow is the principal seat of the silk cultivation
in China, it may be expected that some account would be
rendered of that important branch of industry ; which I can-
not better do, than by giving some extracts from a work on
the silk culture lately issued by the Treasurer of the Pro-
vince, in order to encourage and direct the inhabitants of
this district, in extending and improving it. He begins by
remarking

ON THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF MULBERRY-TREES.

The mulberry being the most essential requisite for the silk-
worm, to rear the latter the former must be attended to. There
are two kinds of mulberry, the ^ Lob, found in the north, and
the^l]King, in the south pai;t of China;* the former has
large leaveB, with but little fruit, and a firm root ; the latter
kind has smaller leaves with much fruit, but it is compara-
tively a more hardy plant. Most of the mulberry saplings are
derived from the southern species ; and the be^t plan is to
plant this kind first, and graft the northern mulberry upon
it, when you get a firm root, with abundance of leaves.

ON THE MODE OF J^L INGRAFTING THE MULBERRY.

Take a twig of the northern variety three inches or more
in length, and cutting off a portion of it slantwise, in the
shape of a horse-shoe, about an inch or more long, insert
it quickly within the rind of the southern mulberry plant ;
then bind it round, and cover it with a lump of earth. But
this can only be done at a favourable season, by an expert
and careful hand; added to which the binding must be

'* Loo is the ancient name for |i| Sban-tung, and
King is the old designation of	Hoq-pth ; hence we infer that

by the former is meant the northern, and by the latter the southern
species of mulberry.62

tight, and the plastering thick. Choose some time just before
or after the vernal equinox, when the weather is fine ; and
on the sprouting of the buds, retain only one, which in
autiHTHiwill become a mulberry sapling.

ON	TRANSPLANTING AND^[^ CLIPPING THE

MULBERRY.

In planting the saplings, a space of five feet or more must
be allowed for each tree, and they must be disposed in a
triangular form, like the character p’hin, and not one
opposite to another. In the month of February fol-
lowing, when the weather is pure and genial, cut off the top
of the plant, at the height of two feet from ground.
When the buds shall have sprouted forth, retain only two,
which will become branches in the latter part of autumn,
about five or six feet long. Then in the month of February
of the next year, cut off the tope of these branches, to within a
foot or more of their stem, thus giving the plant the appear-
ance of the letter Y ; and retain as before two buds on the
end of each branch, cutting off all the rest. In the ensuing
year, clip off the new branches again, always leaving a foot or
more, according to the former method ; and thus go on, clip-
ping and retaining again and again, and the branches will con-
tinue to double their number. In about five or six years or
more, a little after summer sets in, commence cutting and clip-
ping, both branches and leaves, in order to feed the worms.
After having clipped the plant for a number of years, the tree
will assunxe a knobbed appearance, having upon it from six-
teen to seventeen knobs or fists, when it gets the name of the
i§l fist-like mulberry. Upon the larger knobs, you may re-
tain three or four branches ; and on the setting in of the
ensuing summer, you may clip off from the knobbed( parts,
both twigs and leaves, to feed the worms. This is done,
on the one hand, to save labour ; and on the other, to enable63

you to hang up the inverted branches in an airy place, lest
the leaveB should have been moistened by rain or damp; after
a short time they will become dry, when you can take them
to feed the worms with.

METHOD OF CUTTING OFF ^-Jj^THE MULBERRY TWIGS.

In cutting off these, never retain the central branch, and
then the branches will spread on all sides. There are four
kinds of branches which must be pruned away j 1st, the
fa leTli shwuy teadu, water-dropping branches, or
such as droop down ; 2nd, the jjjlJ	tsze shin teadu,

self-stabbing branches, or such as grow inwards ; 3rd, the j|)f
% ping c^e teaou, double branches, or those which grow
together, of which only one must be selected ; 4th, the ^
Jfflk jj^ yuen tso teaou, thick-set branches, or such as grow
thickly together, although otherwise in proper form.

After the mulberry twigs have been clipped off, loosen the
earth carefully near the roots, and bury about them oil-cakes
that have been dissolved in hot water, a cup-full or more to
each plant. When the sprouts re-appear, they are called
mei teadu, fresh shoots ; these by autumn will have
grown eight feet in length. In the winter you should apply
some thick dung, and rich mould ; when in the ensuing year,
the exuberance of the foliage will be redoubled.

GENERAL REMARKS ON THE ^ ^ NATURE OF THE
SILK-WORM.

As silk-worms belong to the ^ yang, superior principle of
nature, they love fire and hate water, thus it is that they
eat without drinking. Silk-worms are naturally fond of
stillness, while they dislike noise; they likewise prefer to be
warm, but abhor dampness. Whilst in the egg-state, they must
be kept particularly cool ; but as soon ss they are hatched,
they must be kept very warm ; on awaking from their first
sleep, they require warmth; but after their principal sleep,64

coldness is requisite ,as they become old, the warmth must be
gradually increased ; and when put upon the bush to spin,
they must be kept extremely warm.

Silkworms require to be ^tse, equal, in three things ; the
eggs should all be laid togethei, they must all be hatched
together, and begin to spin together. There are five things,
e, proper for silk-worms ; when beginning to sleep, they
require to be kept dark and dry ; after awaking, they require
light; when going to eat, they require plenty of leaves, and fast
feeding; and when awaking again, they are afraid of wind,
and at such times require few leaves and slow feeding.

There are seven things which they ^ ke, abhor; from
the time when they are first hatched up to maturity they abhor
smoke ; they also abhor wine, vinegar, and all kinds of acrid
things ; they abhor musk, and the smell of oil ; on being fed,
they abhor damp leaves ; they likewise abhor hot ones ; they
Cannot bear to be near were people pound in a mortar ; neither
do they like mourning, nor pregnant women. Those who are
skilful in rearing silk-worms, take care that the grubs are
produced about the middle of April, and that they come to
maturity in twenty-seven days; in which case they are seldom
ill, consume few leaves, and produce abundance of silk.

°N ^ |j§[ WASHING THE EGGS, ^ fj§| AND HATCHlKQ
THE GRUBS.

The collection of silk-worms’ eggs, is called a leen,
card; which are the eggs^from the coocoons of the last
year’s worms. In the beginning of April, soak the card
for a quarter of an hour in pure water, and then take them
out; this is called $$	yuh taan, bathing the Bilk-worms;

then spread them out in an airy placet till they are dry;
after which wrap them up first in paper, then in cotton, and
put them aside in a clean quiet spot. In seven days, take
them out, to look at them; and when their colour shallhave turned to a pea green, they must be Looked
every day. Should three or four come out before the rest,
let them be brushed off with a feather as useless ; these
are called IS tH hing	galloping grube, and

would, if retained, cause the worms to be unequal in age.
When about one third of the grubs have come forth, still
wrap them up as before ; fpr, should these not feed oil leaves
for one day, it will be no matter. On the next day, take the
cards out and spread them iu a warm spot, when the
worms will all come out together. The gTubs come forth
mostly from ten to twelve, in the morning.

ON REMOVING THE GRUBS |§|j FROM THE CARDS.

When the e, grubs, have all come forth together, lake
some mulberry-leaves, cut into threads, as fine as silk, and
scatter them over the surface of the card ; wait until the grubs
shall have crawled on the cut leaves, and then take them up
very gently with the ^ ^ tsan choo, silk-worm nippers,
and move them away over to one place; you must not on any
account use a goose’s feather, to brush them off with,
as it will injure and wound the grubs. Should the grubs not
have come forth all together, wrap the card up again, and on
the morrow take it down as described above ; but' place the
grubs that came out last in a separate spot, and on no ac-
count deposit them in the same place with those previously
hatched, lest you should have worms of Unequal ages to-
gether. In removing the grubs, let them be equally distri-
buted ; the keeping them too much apart, and huddling them
together, are alike to be avoided. The worms must be
removed only twice; should any remain upon the card with-
out coming out, lay them aside, for they are weakly diseased,
grubs, and it will be useless to rear them.

When the black grubs have all come forth, weigh them
together with the cards, and put down the exact weight r after

I66

which weigh the empty cards, and you will be able to aider*
thin the neat weight of the worms. For every ounce weight
of grubs you may obtain about 150 or 160 ounces of silk,
and the worms Will devour about twenty petuls, (each
pecul 133 lbs. avoirdupois) of leaves. Thus you should
weigh the leaves which are given to the worms, and be care*-
ful not to exceed the proper quantity.

ON FEEDING ||ip] ||| t'H& WORMS.

The leaves first given to the Worms must be picked from
the outside of the trees, and cut fine with a sharp knife; every
time you cut the leaves, be sure to wash your hands ; let the
leaves be renewed five or six times Jn the course of twenty-
four hours, and when the leaves are done, give the worms
a fresh supply; the leaves must not be too thick, but be spread
about in a regular manner ; as soon as you have given the
worms their leaves, place them inside a curtain, to proteetthem
from the wind and cold. Use the small ailk-worm frame, upon
which the trays in which you put the silk-worms must be
well fitted, that the wotraas may get warmth; do not on any
account pile the trays one over the other, lest the worms ge-
nerate damp, and become sickly. In rearing silk-worms, it
is necessary to keep the temperature even ; if it be too cold,
they will be a longer time in coming to perfection; if too hot,
they will become dry and shrivelled. When the weather is
cold, you mast not suddenly heat them, but gradually in-
crease the warmth ; neglecting which precaution, they will
get the yellow sickness, and become weak. So also, when
hot, you must not suddenly introduce cold air, but gradually
open the windows ; neglecting wliich advice, the worms will
become white and die. In hot weather, if the temperature be
suddenly reduced, the worms will refuse to eat ; in such case
you must instantly warm them, by means of a geutle fire, and
raise the temperature, after which the appetite of the worms
will return. In rainy and cold weather, first make a little fire67

in the room, and then give the worm? thiair leaves, which wiy
prevent sickness* The mulberry-leaves should be gathered
at an early hour, or after sunset ;vfor the worms dread both
damp and heat, If they eat damp leaves, they will get the
diarrhqea, become white and die ; if they feed on hot leaves,
they will be troubled with constipation ; their heads will
become large, and tails small; and then should they eat ever
60 much, they would fail to attain maturity, or form
cocoons.

ON DIMINISHING THEIR FOOD ^ IN ORDER TO
EXPEDITE THE TORPOR OF THE WORMS.

It is necessary to expedite the sleeping of those worms
that have not yet fallen into the state of torpor ; for this
purpose, observe when one third or one half of the worms
have assumed a yellowish bright appearance, and diminish
that proportion of leaves. The leaves also must be shred
finer and thinner than usual, and the number of meals
increased. If two thirds of the worms have become yellow,
then reduce two thirds of the leaves ; let the leaves also be
much thinner, and the meals more frequent. When they
have nearly all gone off into the torpid state, and there he
still a few pale and whi'e worms, that have not yet fallen
asleep, it would be better to reject them, as irregular and
sickly worms. Take the torpid ones up gently, and put
them in a still place, when they will cease eating j after
this, wait until they have generally revived, when you
can supply them with food; if when only eight or nine
tenths of them have got up, you forthwith supply them
wjth food, they will arrive at maturity at unequal periods, It
will not hurt them, however, to let them fast a Utils at the
time of awaking, because in the first place, their mouths are
accustomed to eating, and they can the more speedily con-
sume the leaves 5 and secondly, because they easily increase
in sipe, when arrived at that stage. When the worms begin68

to revive from their torpor, they must not be roughly moved,
because their skins are tender, and they easily sustain an
injury ; they also dread the wind, more than before dozing,
when their skins were tougher. After they have begun to
eat again, do not cease giving them leaves ; and if you
keep on feeding them systematically, you will soon bring
them into a regular state.

ON REMOVING THE j|^ EXCREMENT OF THE WORMS.

When the worms first come out, they must be removed
from the tray once a day; for this purpose some finely-cut green
leaves are spread over them ; upon these the worms will
crawl and eat; seeing which you must take the little nippers
or chopsticks, and raise the top layer of leaves with the worms
upon it; then carefully gather the other layers that are un-
derneath ; this done, the residue and the excrementitious
matter must all be thrown away. After the second torpor,
the worms daily increase in size, and every lime they are
removed, they must be put wider apart ; in doing this, you
may use your fingers, and gently raise the upper layer with
the worms upon it. In giving the leaves for food, they must
not be in the least coarse. After the third torpor, should the
weather be fine, they may be taken out of doors, but not if it
be windy. After the great torpor, in removing the excrements,
you may use the silk-worm net, and spreading it over, the
worms, with a few good leaves upon it, the worms will mount
up; and when they have had two or three nibs, then let a cou-
ple of people remove the net over to an empty tray; and throw
away the excrements and the fibres of the mulberry-leaves,
in order to prevent the sickness arising from damp or steam.
When the worms are fallen into the great sleep, put them into
a broad tray. For every three pounds weight of worms you
must supply 100 pounds of leaves ; and they will produce five
pounds weight of cocoons, which will yield eight or nine
donees of raw silk; After the worms have1 elept, and are69

just about to eat again, for every portion Of leaves that are
reduced, there will be a corresponding reduction in the quan-
tity of silk obtained. After the fourth torpid stage, should
the weather be warm, they will arrive at maturity in five
days; but should the weather be cold, it will take them
seven days to arrive at the same stage. Then take up
the more advanced worms, and put them on the bush ;
every time you take any up you must scatter leaves, which are
called	Shang-ma-sang, the “mount-horse leaves,”

in half a day or a little more, they will all have arrived at
maturity. Silk-worms have either three or four periods
of torpor ; the treatment, however, is in both cases the same.
The fourth period is the great torpor.

ON PUTTING THE WORMS 5^ ON THE BUSH.

For busbes, or receptacles for spinning, use the straw of
late-growing glutinous rice ; scrape off the outer rind of the
straws, and bind them firmly round the middle ; let the
straws be about a foot and a half long, with both ends even ;
the place where these receptacles or bushes are put must
be dry and airy ; they must be elevated on bamboo or wood-
en frames, crossed with mats made of rushes ; upon which
must be placed the straw receptacles or bushes, arranged in
order. Then take those worms which have arrived at per-
fection, and put them in a Canton-varnished tray, from which,
after having washed your hands, spread them about the re-
oeptacles or bushes, neither too close nor too far apart ;
should the weather be cold or rainy, place a fire under the
rush frame, and beat them well ; the warmer they are, the
more easily will they be able to form the cocoons, and the
more readily will the silk be wound off; after five days you
may select your cocoons, and stripping away the waste silk
that surrounds them, you may wind off the threads ; but do
not let the worms get damp, which may impede the forma-
tion of the silk.70

Then fellow soma directions about sacrificing to the spirit
that presides over the silk-rworm.

ON THE. SUMMER jjj; jgfi SILK-WQRM.

The	Yuen.tsan are also called fj§ hea-tsin,

summer, or Hi ||| urh-tsan, second-crop silk-worms ; the cul-
tivation of these is not generally encouraged; first, because the
rearing of them happens at a time when people are busy with
their harvest, and it interferes with the business of agricul-
ture ; secondly,because when silk-worms are abundant they af-
fect the horses, * the breed of which will not then be numerous;
hence the ancient classics forbad the rearing of these worms;
and thirdly, because after the spring worms have been fed. the
mulberry-leaves become scarce and if you denude the trees
of their leaves any further, you are likely to injure, them, and
spoil the next year’s crop. But when the spring worms fail,
and the mulberry-leaves are still plentiful, it is a good thing
to fall back upon the summer worms, to supply the deficien-
cy. Tn rearing the second-crop worms, you must be un-
commonly diligent in changing the trays, and giving them
leaves, when, after 21 or 22 days, they will arrive at maturity.
You must endeavour fiarticularly to Keep them from the at-
tacks of the large files, and prevent their being injured by
by heat : for, while spring worms must be kept warm, sum-
mer worms must be cool.

ON GETTING



PROFEE SEED.

The most important thing in rearing silk-worms, is the
getting of proper seed. The worms that are intended to be

* This arises from a mistaken idea, that, because horses and
silk-worms are under the influence of the same constellation, viz.
that of fang, or Scorpio, therefore the increase of the one will
necessary involve t^e decrease of the other.71

reserved fat abed, should be flourished with double care.
Prom these select the best sort of worms, and give them ex-
tra feeding ; when ooitie to maturity, set apart those that ap-
pear most healthy and Strong, just when they mount the bush;
five days after the cocoons are formed, pick out those that
appear thickest and fullest upon the bush, and clear away
the waste silk from them ;* let there be an equal number of
males and females ; the former are known by their heing
Smaller, more tapering and brisk ; while the latter are to be
ascertained by their being rounder, fuller, and more slow ;
put the males and females on separate trays, and when their
time is Up, the moths will come forth of themselves; those
that have stunted wings, bald eye-brows, scorched tails, as if
yellow with smoke, or that have red bellies without huir, also
those that come out either before or after the others, must all
be rejected ; keeping only the perfect and good, this is the
way to secure good seed from the very first. The moths
come out generally from three to six o’ clock m the morning;
“the cotijunotion takes place between 7 a. m. and 2 p.m.
When their energies are exhausted ; after that time, it is
better to femove the male moths, and arouse the female ones
by a gentle tapping, that they may cleanse themselves from
‘their dirt. Having previously pasted some thick sheets of
‘paper, stretched out on a plank, arrange the moths regularly
on the card that they may lay their eggs ; those that are
laid from 2 to 6 p. m. are reckoned good seed ; but those sub-
sequently laid, are Weak and useless. Having removed the
female moths, hang up the card in an airy place, until
the seed becomes of a proper colour and consistency, when
they* should be washed in clean water and dried. After
sprinkling some ashes over the cards, roll them up, and sus-
pend them in an elevated place, where they will not be affec-
ted by damp or moisture ; they must also be kept out of the
Way o/ emoke. In the beginning of autumn, you can free72

tfyem from the,ashesand in the middle of January take a de-
coction of mulberry-leaves, that bae been left to cool, and
steep them in it, for a quarter of an hour, to strengthen their
energies •, after which, you must dry them, and having
wrapped them up, suspend them in their former elevated
position.

TWELVE RULES FOR ||j| WINDING OFF THE SILK.

1.	About a fortnight previously, put some river-water
into an old jar, and let it settle, till it becomes clear,
River-water is better than spring-water, and running than
standing water. If you have had not time to let it settle, you
can throw a handful or two of shells into the water, to clear
it for use ; but beware of using alum.

2.	When you plaster your furnaces, you can plaster at the
same time the bottom and sides of your pan ; at the mouth of
the pan, the plastering should be about four fingers in thick-
ness, gradually thinning towards the rim; wait until your pan
is dry, and when you want to use it, fill it nearly full with
water, heated to a proper degree ; for thiB purpose, old pans
are preferable. Formerly it was thought, that cold J>ans were
better than hot ones, but now people do not use cold ones.
Once also, it was recommended, that there should be a board
to divide the pan into two parts, that two people might wind
together ; but now this practice is discontinued. Burn dry
wood under your furnace; and, in order to try the heat,
observe whether the chrysalis sink or swim ; if they come
to the surface of the water, reduce the heat; and if they
sink, increase it. The degree of heat, also, must be regular.

3.	According to the old plan, the winding-frame should be
put by the side of the furnace, even with the pan ; all the
apparatus Jor winding should be placed on the right side of
the furnace, as the most convenient for the performance of
the operation ; the reel should move easily, and be kept
steady, by means of a stone placed on it ; but let not this73

interfere with the arms of the reel ; the pins for fastening
which,should be knocked in repeatedly to make them firm.

4,	When the water is warm, put in your cocoons, and
stir them about % little wi,tb, your handsk .so that theicbcdone
whirl round ; then search for the ends of the filaments, and,
getting hold with the left hand of the coarse ends of the same,
slightly jerk them several times on the surface of the water,
and lift up.'the coarse ends of the threads, all below which is
fine silk; gently pluck off these coarse threads; then with
one hand taking up the fine silk, and with the other using
a perforated ladle to keep the cocoons down in the water,
wind the silk upon a peg, to be ready for reeling.

5.	When you have got a number, of these filaments,
put them together in separate lines upon the reel, and pass
them through the little eyes, that are fixed upoh the board of
the spool frame; after this, lead them over the rattling spools,
where the threads are crossed, apd, made tci move along
with the silk, to be drawn oyer the reel; this done, turn the
reel with your foot. In putting the threads on, jou must be
careful to arrange them well, and put them through the little
hooks, or rampins, until the silk being wound off, the chrysa-
lis sinks; the cocoon? in the silk-pool being now fewer, take
some of the fine silk-threads from the peg,, and,add them on,
taking care that, the lines be of a regulur thickness; and
when you have wound off up til the chrysalis: appears, and
the covering over it be as thin as .paper, then disengage it,
and do not let it break off of itself, lest you suddenly sever
the line, or soil the silk.

6.	Should.the thread breakup'the middle^ and the cocoon
be, disengaged, you must endeavour1, ita Join it, by taking up
the separated cocoon, and placing it on' one side, look out
for the clue, and then, getting, hold of the end of the thread,
draw it out, and join it to the other.

7.	In drying the silk, use an did porcelain basin- and
heat it over hot charcoal, until all that is within the basin

J74

becomes perfectly dry ; for if the silk be damp, it will lose its
gloss. The basin must be put at a little distance from the
reel, lest the heat injure the silk thereon. It must also be
held slantwise, with the mouth turned outwards ; one person
should attend to this duty.

8.	The oftener the hot water, in which the cocoons are
placed, » changed the better ; observe when it becomes a
little foul, and then throw away about one third of it, putting
some clean warm water in its stead ; this operation also,
should have some one to look after it.

9.	The band that turns the machinery should be frequent-
ly wet, in order to keep it tight; that the different threads
may be regular in winding, and not become irremedia-
bly ravelled ; if the band be not tight, the rampin-board
also will easily get out of its place, which is called the disar-
rangement of the board.

10.	The old method of getting the silk off the reel, was as
follows : the frame of the reel being loosely tied together by
means of hemp threads, in order to keep in the pins, and the
small ends of the wooden pins being fixed in their places, a
few smart blows with a hammer would disengage than; after
which you may take the reel off the frame, with the cloth
and die silk that were upon it.

11.	There are various methods of managing the cocoons.
In some the clues are blown about by the wind ; these after
being put on the wheel break in a turn or two, in which cate it
will be necessary to increase the fire, and work with boiling
water. There are some filaments that blend in the raw state,
and are no sooner on the reel, than they get together in knobs;
in which case you should avoid cold water, and use warm.
There are some again, that blend only when matured, and
when they have been half wound, suddenly come off; these
should be removed. There are some filaments that both float
about, and yet easily blend; if the water be hot, then they
blend into knobs; and if cold, then they float about. Some-75

times we meet with cocoons of the 5^ yay-tsan, wild
silk-worm, which must first be well dried, and then thorough-
ly boiled, when you can get hold of the clues : put the co-
coons of one whole bush into the boiler together, and wind
them off; as soon as you have wound them half off, take the
cocoons of another bush and join on to the former ; you have
no need to make the water in the pan very hot, it only requires
to be lukewarm.

12. Refers to some superstitious observances not worth
recording.

FOUR RULES INCULCATED AT THE SILK ESTABLISHMENT
OF	TAN-TOO, IN CHIN-KEANG-FOO.

1.	On planting the mulberry. It is necessary to have your

mulberries grafLed, which grafts come to perfection in three
years; it is better to use those cions which have been grafted
in Hoo-chow, by which much trouble will be spared. About
the beginning of January in each year, employ an experienced
planter of mulberries, from	Lelh-yang, near Nan-king,

to go to Hod-chow, and buy your plants, making a bargain
with him to pay only for such as live.

2.	On feeding the worms. The year after your grafted
plants have come to perfection, hire a silk-worm feedster
from Lelh-yang, who will teach girls of fifteen and under to
feed the worms.

3.	On hiring ground. Make your agreement for ten years,
paying the rent every year. On each mow (or sixth of an
acre) you may plant 40 trees ; after two years every tree will
produce thirty catties of leaves ; the leaves of five trees, or
150 catties, given to the worms, will produoe one catty of silk;
thus each mow will produce eight catties of silk, which if
woven will make twenty small pieces of silk-stuff, value 50
dollars; this, deducting half for the hire of the ground, and the
labour and food of work-people, will yield a tolerable profit.

4.	Plan for raising the money. Having a number of tickets76

drawn out by some respectable man, let each one'get his re-
lations and friends to advance the money, no matter, how
much, and give them tickets from the establishment forthe
amount1; after three years, when the proceeds are realized^
pay off the principal and interest, at the rate of ten per cent,
per annum, with three per cent, on the interest, for the three
years. When the women of the establishment, are willing
to lend to the concern, such monies as may be.over.and above
what they need for their support, give them a memoran-
dum of the same, and pay them every month, at the rate of
fifteen per cent per annum interest, beside refunding the ca-
pital at the end of three years. Should the officers subscribe
anything, pay them also according to the amount, when the
term is expired.

| ^ :

TWELVE MORE RULES REGARDING A SILK ESTABISHMBNT.

1.	As to the fence. According to the old books on

agriculture, in the winterjnonthej you should plant loug
twigs of willow and ash mixed;, and set very closely tPge-t
ther ; when they have begun to grow!, bend them, down .on
either side, and plait them together crosswise, bidding
them with the fibres of the coir palm ; > /outside bf .the hedge
thus formed plant sour dates, small oranges, thorns, briers,
&c. the more prickly the plants are, the better.	i

2.	On setting up a sign. On the sign let there be written
in large characters, “ an establishment for the encourage-
ment of silk-cultivation.,” Beg also of the local officers to
issue out a notice, forbidding idle people to tread down tho
plants.

3.	On opening out a sluice. If you can lead in the river
water to irrigate your field, you will save the expense of dig*-
ging wells ; while at the same time, you can breed fish and
keep ducks in your canal, or cultivate the water-lily, water-
caltrops, water-cresses, water-chestnuts, &c.

4.	On manure. Iri the winter months you must nourish77

the roots of your plants, for which purpose make use of rotten
fish preserved in jars, Or the juices of decomposed vegetables.

5. On planting fruit trees. In the fourth month, plant
your mulberries ; in the winter, loosen and water the earth
round the1 plants ; and then in the spring, they will shoot out
new branches ; in the following year, besides1 gathering your
mulberry-deitves, should there be any vacant ground, you
can plant it with fruit trees, such as arbutes, pomegrantes,
apricots, or pears.

' 6. On cultivating vegetables. Beneath the mulberries
you can plant ‘ohions, leeks, and melons, oir potatoes and
yams ; Belect those that need most frequent" irrigation, and
then the mulberry-leaves will be the more plentiful : in order
to prevent the locusts from eating the mulberry-leaves, you
may plant the more yatnsi

7. On medicinal herbs. Withered mulberry-leaves, the'
parasites of the mulberry, together with white and diseased
silk-worms,'may all be used i as medicine ; but the snails
found on the mulberry must be carefully caught, lest they
injure the leaves.

8; On using the wood for timber. The mulberry-trees
useful for feeding silk-worms, are generally saplings ; sdme
persons, however, allow the trees to grow large, for the sake
of the timber, of which various articles may be made. Va-
rious descriptions of mulberry-wood are mentioned, all of
which are useful..

9.	On growing bamboos. On the .establishment, there is
nped of ladders, tables, and sieves, all of which are made of
bamboo ; hence the necessity pf cultivating that plant.

10.	Qn, feeding goats. T^e leaves of the old mulberries
are good for fattening goats, and goat’s-dung is gpod for
feeding fish. Hence goats may be kept with advantage.

11.	On dividing the establishment. When the resources
of an establishment are abundant, others may l>e set up, in
order to extend (he cultivation.78

12. On amity amongst neighbours. After the mulberries
are planted, there will be an abundance of young plants, and
should neighbouring farmers wish to increase their number
of trees, or any cions be needed for public use, you may
allow people to come to your ground, and take a few young
plants gratuitously. You can also keep on hand a few co-
pies of a work on the silk cultivation, which you can distri-
bute to such as need them.

In all matters, sparing and economical planB should be
pursued ; thus in the silk culture, it will be sufficient to have
one principal planter of the mulberries, and one chief rearer
of silk-worms, which will obviate the necessity of referring
to pictures and representations. With regard to plans for
raising the money, let all the labourers who contribute
have a share in tlie profits, and not be necessitated to set
their money out to interest elsewhere; thus your applica-
tions for assistance will always meet with a ready response.
As to hiring ground, you can make trial of any vacant land,
that may happen to be uncultivated, and then you will not be
blamed for hindering the production of the necessaries of life.

The above directions were published at an establishment,
in Chin-keang foo, and in two years the undertaking became
very prosperous.

DESCRIPTION OF THE IMPLEMENTS USED.

1. THE WINDING-MACHINE. l|t }|ft

This winding-machine has four posts, the hinder ones are
two feet four inches high, with a groove on the top of each, to
receive the axle of the reel. The front post on the left must
be two feet seven inches high, having on the top of it a ring,
to receive the rampin-board; the front post on the right should
be two feet three iaches high, having on the top a pin or te-
non, on which the box or nave turned by the band revolves.

"3



81

2.	THE REEL. j^£ ^

This reel is made of hard wood, two feet five inches long;
near the head, which is round, the shape is octagonal, for the
band to turn on ; and at the end of the axle, there is filled
on a piece of wood, six inches lotig, with another sjiort piece
of wood transverse to the former, to act as a crank. Round
the axle on the four sides are holes, and to each hole,
there are arms each a foot long; horizontal battens or rails
are fitted on to these arms, and rouud them a cloth is
stretched for the silk to be wound on, which may be
easily taken off the reel.

3.	THE SPOOL-FRAME. )j^P

This frame is provided with two long posts, each two
feet high, on the top of which is a transverse beam ; depen-
ding from this, are two short pieces of wood, three inches
long, which are connected with the long posts, by a long
bamboo pin, passing through a perforation in each of
them ; upon this pin, revolves two rattling spools, which
are made of hollow bamboo, about five inches long ; these
bamboos are cut so as to leave a knot or joint at each end,
through which holes are made that will just fit the pin.
Two pins with eyes are fixed into a board underneath, for
the silk to pass through ; these arc made of thin pieces of
iron or copper, about three incheB long ; in one end of these
is a fiat hole, which 'must be smoothed, so as not to cut the
silk-threads in two:

4.	THE RAMPIN-BOARD.	fjj

This is intended to regulate the silk, and cause it to wind
slantwise on the reel ; it is made of a flat piece of wood, two
feet five inches long, in one end of which is round a hole,
that fits on the cog-wheel turned by the band the other

Kend, is put through the ring on the top of the front left post
of the winding-bench. Upon the rampin-board are two iron
hooks, to guide the silk in its passage.

5. THE BOX 9R NAVE AND BAND. Jfc

This box is made of mulberry-wood, it is three inehes
high, and six in circumference, k may either be eight-sided
or ten ; in the middle, there must be a round hole, to fit it
on the pivot, at the top of the post of the windirig-bench ;
let there be an indentation in the middle, for the band to
pass round ; on the top, leave a couple of ears or handles^
through which may pass a round stick, four inches long, (with
a pin in one end) to receive the ram pin-board. For the band,
twisted cotton is the best; it should be about four feet long,
the two ends should be joined fast together ; first, let it be
put over the box or nave, and then over the handle of the
reel; in the middle, let the band be crossed once, when it
will cause the box to move in conformity with the reel.

6. the whisk.

This is made of a slip of bamboo, about two inches broad
and eight long ; about six inches from the end let there be
a knot or joint, to strengthen it; and from this part, divide
the bamboo into seven or eight strips, like the fingers of a
hand ; this is used to get bold of the ends of the filaments
in winding.

7.

THE FOOT-BOARD.

For this purpose, use a piece of wood, about a foot and
a half long, and six indies wide ; upon it fix a couple
of grooves, on which the shoe-board is to rest; again,
take a thick board eight inches long, in the shape of a shoe,
on each side put a pin, to fit on to the grooves of the bottom
board. Upon this fix a piece of upright wood, two feet84

long, on the top of which, let there be a mortise ; besides
this take another piece of equal length, and join it at one end
to tfie upright piece, by means of a bamboo peg passing
through both ; at the other end, make a round hole, which
will fit upon the handle of the reel ; so that, when a person
treads upon the foot-board, these pieces of wood will come
into play, and the reel thereby be turned.

8. THE FIRE-PANS. ^

These must be of two kinds, large and small ; the one
is a yellow clay pan, to contain charcoal; for, wherever
the ground is shaded by hills, you should warm the silk-
worms ; also when winding, make use of fire.pans, to pre-
vent dampness.

9. THE FURNACE AND CHIMNEY. ]f[f )^J

The modes of making the furnaces are various : some
use an earthenware furnace, made out of a small yellow
jar ; on one side a hole is left for a fire-door, which must
be well plastered, within and without. Some make use of a
Btuccoed furnace, built of bricks, piled one over another, two
feet five inches high, broad enough to hold a large iron pan ;
this furnace must also be well plastered, within and without.
There are both open and close furnaces ; those constructed
under a high shed, are called open, in which there is a good
vent for the fire, and a saving of wood ; the close furnaces,
on the other hand, have no flue, and occasion great incon-
venience from the smoke.

Silk is very apt to be discoloured by the smoke of the
furnace, hence the necessity of constructing a chimney, to
lead off the smoke ; for this purpose, use thin slips of bam-
boo, intertwined in a circular form ; the bottom may be about
six or seven inches in diameter, and tapering towards the
top; it should be ten feet high, passing through the roof85

of the shed. On the two sides of the fire door, and all along
the chimney, within and without, let the ^whole be well
plastered with mortar.

10. THE SILK-BOW. ^

This instrument consists of a board, about two feet long,
three inches thick, and four broad ; at each end a hole is
chiseled out, and a thick slip of bamboo, three feet four
inches long, and four or five inches broad, is bent at both
ends, and fixed in the above-named holes, thus taking the
form of a bow ; this is used for stretching the hnnks of raw
silk on.

11. THE SILK-REGULAtOR AND THE BOBBIN.

The silk-regulator is for regulating the silk in spinning it;
it is made of brass, and has a wooden handle, fitted under-
neath, about three feet long. The hanging bobbin is made of
bamboo about a foot long ; it must be shaved round and
smooth like a skewer; at one end let a knob be left, and
at the other end let a spiral groove be cut, into which the silk
may be inserted, and kept from falling down ; if you want to
make the bobbin heavy, string a score of copper cash upon it ;
on the outside of this bamboo pivot, put a hollow cylinder
made of reed, about six inches long ; varnish it at both ends,
and use it for winding the thread on.

12. THE BLOCK ON WHICH TO CHOP THE LEAVES.

This block is made of rice-straw, Stripped clean of its dry
leaves, and bound firmly together by three bamboo hoops,
the ends being cut off even on both sides ; the block thus
formed is four inches high, and upwards of a foot in diameter.86

13.	THE SIEVE FOR SIFTING THE LEAVES. 3^= j|jjj

This sieve is made of fine basket-work, it is about eight
inches in diameter, and three inches high ; the finer the holes
are the better, while the bamboo should be shaved very
smooth. In feeding the young worms the leaves are put into
this seive and sifted, by which means the pieces are obtained
of an equal size.

14.	THE SILK-WORM BASKETS. frf

The natives of Hoo-chow, in feeding silk-worms, use this
basket as a measure ; for the little black worms, one dram
of leaves go to a basket; for those of middling growth, 20 or
24 ounces go to a basket ; and after the period of long torpor,
five or six catties of leaves are reckoned a basket-full. The
names of these are various ; they are called either sieves,
trays, or flat baskets ; when the worms are first born, the re-
coptacles for them are called sieves ; when middle-aged, they
are denominated trays ; and when the worms have gone
through the second torpor, flat baskets. If winter bamboos be
used for these baskets, the grubs will not attack them ; the
larger trays should be about three feet seven or eight inches
in diameter, with sides an inch and a half high; the smaller
ones, two feet or two and a half in diameter, with the sides
one inch high ; the larger sieves should be about two feet
and a half, and the smaller two feet in diameter, with sides
an inch high. When the holes of the sieves and trays are
too large they may be pasted over with paper.

15.	THE SILK-WORM NET. f|f

This net is made of string, like a fishing-net; the length
and breadth being according to the size of the basket. The
meshes of the net should be close or open, according to the
size of the worms, the small worms requiring a close, and
the larger ones a wide-meshed net.87

16.	?HE LARGER FRAME FOR SILK-WORMS. ^

This frame must be three-cornered, with three posts each
eight high, between which there must be nine tiers of cross-
bars, each eight inches apart bo as to admit of the silk-worm
baskets being taken in an out. The front cross-bars must
be six feet long, and the hinder cross bars three feet long.
In each of the front cross-bars, there must be a tenon about
four inches long ; and in the end of the hinder cross-bars
should be corresponding mortises, which are to be fitted
on to the short tenons in the centre of the front cross-bars; a
hole is made through both, into which is fitted a bamboo
peg, by means of which one may turn the back part of the
frame to the right or left, and fold it up at pleasure.

17.	THE STMALLER FRAME FOR WORMS. ^ §§[

For the smaller silk-worms use smaller frames, four
feet high and as many wide, with five or six tiers of cross-
bars ; the frame is made thus small to admit of its being
put inside a set of bed-curtains.

18.	THE FEATHER FOR REMOVING THE WORMS.

This is generally a goose’B feather, the lighter and softer
the better, lest the worms should be injured in the removal ;
when the little black worms are just born, they are as fine
as hairs, so that they cannot be gathered up by the hand,
bat may be moved along by means of this feather.

19.	THE SILK-WORM NIPPERS.

These are made of bamboo, about five inches long, and
of the size of common skewers, only tapering towards the
end ; they must be rubbed fine and smooth, and then they
may used for the purpose of taking up the silk-worms.S8

20. THE BENCH'FOR FEEDING WORMS ON.'j|p]

The thicker this bench is the better; the face of it may
be about a foot wide, and the legs two feet high ; on the
top of the bench make a roun>d hole, midway between
the two legs to the right and left; there insert another
piece of wood, at right angles with the bench ; on the top of
this cross-bar make a hole, similar to the one on the top of
the bench ; use another round piece of wood for a back leg,
about two feet high, perpendicular to the cross bar, and place a
second cross-bar even with the one on the top of the bench ;
then fit the two cross-bars, into the upper and lower part of
the bench, on the top in the former of a letter T ; in order
to fix these, insert wooden pins through the hole on the top
of the bench, and through the hole in the cross-bar likewise,
by means of which it can be turned to the right hand, or to
the left, and serve as a stand for the baskets, in which the
the silk-worms ate fed.

22. THE LOW BENCH FOR FEEDING THE WORMS,	|||

This bench should be a foot high, seven or eight feet long?
and eight inches broad ; the stronger the better ; when the
worms are spread about over the ground, so that people have
no place to stand on, then they can be put on this bench, for
the purpose of feeding them.

23. THE FRAMES, MATS, AND ARBOUtlS. j-Lj HH ilpt iff*

The mats should bo made of reeds, which are to be spread
over the frames, without which, there would be no place
for the worms to spin on ; the length and breadth of these
mats, should be according to the size of the house ; each
house may contain four or five of such mats, so as to fill it.
The bushes or arbours, should be made of rice-straw.
There are two modes of binding these. Some take a hand-
full of straw, about two feet long, tied fast round the middle,89

and bo th etodf spread out in a stenting form, these am called
^	^ the single-headed arbours. Others take a bundle

of straw, about three feet long, and having tied it fast te the
middle, double it into two; then, taking hold of a few straws*
in each division, and crossing the straws of the original
ligature, bind them round again Several times, so that the
ends open out, like an umbrella ; these are called	fjy

the double-headed arbonrs.

24.	THE BASKET FOR COCOONS. ^

This is made of fine wicker-work, either large or small,
according to fancy, but smooth and well-woven,

25.	the mulberry-shears . Ipt 15“

The branches of the mulberry must not be broken off, but
cut by means of shears, which are to1 be made of steel, with
the head about an inch and a half long, and the body five ;
the shoulders should not be too wide, the handle convenient
to take hold of, and the edge hard and sharp.

26.	THE MULBERRY-LADDERS. Sfc ^

These are either high or loW, the medium being about
fibre1 feet; there should be a ladder on each 6ide, one oppo-
site the other ; on one side of the top-board, let two iron
rings be fixed, through which a thin piece of wood may
be passed, so that when you move them out, the two legs
may be opened wide, and when you fold them up, the props
may be joined.

27.	THE'mulberry-hook. 0j^L fcljJ
When the mulberry-branches are long, and you cdnnOt
reach them with the shears, you must use a hook, to draw
them towards you; the iron head of the hook should be
five or six inches long, and shaped like a parrot’s bill ; at the
near end of it, make a round hole longitudinally, to receive
th e handle, which should be two feet eight inches long,

28.	the leaf-basket.

This basket should be made of split bamboos, about a foot
and a half in diameter, and two feet or more in height ;

L90

across the top there should be a cross piece of wood, for
the convenience of carrying it on one’s shoulder ; a piece of
rope t,ied across will do. The openness or closeness of the
meshes are immaterial.

29. THE MULBERRY'S AW. Ig

When the branches of the mulberry-tree are tough and
hard, and cannot be clipped by the shears, they should be
cut off by means of a saw ; this instrument may be a foot
and a half long, half an inch, wide, and the twentieth of an
inch thick, provided with row of small teeth; the bow
should be of iron, at each end of which the saw should; be
fixed, with a short piece of wood for a handle.

30. THE KNIFE FOR GRAFTING MULBERrY-TWIGS.

This knife should be about five inehes long, and half an
inch broad, as sharp as possible ; for the grafting depends
mainly on the splitting of the branch, so that the construct
tion of the knife, is not a matter of indifference.

31. THE MULBERRY-SCRAPER, ^ ffl

This instrument, which is used for scraping the grubs off
the mulberry-trees, should be made of iron, with the edge
upwards of an inch broad, and bent forwards ; it should be
about three inches long, with* a round hole at the near end,
for the reception of the handle, which latter should be about
two or three feet long.

32. THE SYRINGE. ^ jnf

This may be made either of copper or bamboo, abou-
seven tenths of an inch in diameter, and a foot long ; at the
bottom it should be perforated with seven or eight holes, for
the water to come out at; besides this, take a round piece
of wood, about half as long again as the tube; at one end,
put a short handle ; and at the other end, nail on two or
three layers of leather, or bind it round with cloth, so that it
may fit exactly to the tube ; insert this into the tube, and
draw up water with it, in order to sprinkle therewith the
snails and slugs.$

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96

SOME FURTHER ACCOUNT OF HOO-CHOW.

Hoo-chow ‘jfj is the capital of a prefecture of the same
name. The form of the city, which was built a. d. 620, is
^regular, being constructed to suit the windings of a river
which surrounds it. The general shape is circular, with a
considerable projection towards the east, and a smaller one
towards the west, while on the north-east there is a c orres-
ponding indentation. The circumference of the walls was
formerly 24 le, or 7 miles, but it has since been reduced in
size. There is a pagoda on the north side of the city, called
the fH58^Fei-ying-ta, or “the tower of the flying hero,”
attached to a monastery of the same name. This monastery
was built in the time of the ^ Tang dynasty, and has in it an
image of a sleeping Buddha, and a very ancient tree, which are
considered by the Chinese as remarkable. But temples and
monasteries are no uncommon things with them, as there are
about 300 religious houses in the two districts, included in
the prefectural city of Hoo-chow. Some attention to the
distresses of the living, as well as to the interests of the dead,
i9 paid by the inhabitants of Hod-chow ; for there is a
foundling-hospital near the west gate, and an asylum for
old men near the centre of the city, besides other charitable
institutions and public cemeteries. An altar or arena for
sacrificing is erected on the south-west side of the city,
dedicated to the spirits of the hills and rivers, and another on
the north-west side, sacred to those of the land and grain.
A terrace rises up near the middle of the city, at the back
of the prefect’s residence, called the |1] ^ gnae-shan-tae,
or the “ terrace of those who are fond of hill scenery and
various public schools and examination-halls for literary
candidates, are to be met with in this silk-producing capital.

The whole perfecture contains seven districts, or walled
towns, of the third order, besides unwallad towns and villages
in abundance. It is 9aid to contain 3,000,000 mows of ar-97

able land, or nearly 1,000 square miles,. It is well watered,
and beautifully diversified with hill and dale.

Of the hills of Hod-chow, one of tlie most remarkable is
^ Piien-shan, or Cap-hill, so called from the resem-
blance which the top b ars to a cap ; it is said to bo up-
wards of thirty miles in circumference, and very high, inso-
much that the snow does-not melt on it during summer,
while it is much iufested by snakes and wild beasts.
This mountain is remarkable for its high precipices, rising
up several thousand feet in a perpendicular direction ; and
for a cave called the yellow-dragon cave, because, they say
a yellow dragon was once observed there ; perhaps some fos-
sil remains of the saurian tribe, which the Chinese have mag-
nified into a dragon. Forests of upright stones, or stalac-
tites are spoken of in this cavern, and one in particular, shap-
ed like a flag, large at the top and small at the bottom, which
shakes on the least force being applied to it. The depth of
the cavern is unknown. Anotfier remarkable hill is the
^ Q t’heen-muh, or heaven’s eyes, so called from a couple
of lakes near the top, which look like two eyes. The Chi-
nese say, that people who have ascended this hill have seen
the clouds gather round the middle of the hill, and have
heard the murmuring of the thunder far beneath their
feet. From the summit of it four prefectures are visible,
namely, jjjj Hang-chow, jp Ning-kwo, {§
Hwuy-chow, and	Hod-chow, including an area of

2,000 le. On the top are to>be found various medicinal
herbs, which are very much celebrated in the Chinese books.

The principal sheet of water, near this prefecture, is the
^ T’hae-hod, or great lake, from which	Hod-chow

derives its name. This lake receives the supecfiuous waters
of the Yang-tsz'e-keang, and is called great, on account of
its capacity, rather than with reference to its extent. It was
denominated ^|| T^Chin-tsIh, in the time of the great ^
Yu, and is referred, (o in the Shoo-king ; (see the translation

M98

of that work, page 98.) It receives the waters of 72 streams,
which, not being able to reach the sea, disembogue them-
selves into the Great Lake.

A lake of some extent is spoken of, a little to the south of
the city, called	Pih-lang, or pearly wave lake, on

account of the beautiful appearance of the waves when agita-
ted by the wind; it receives the waters of the 3^ @ T’heen-
muh hill, and covers an area of 10,000 mow, or 1,666 acres.

A sheet of water occurs in the middle of tjhe city of Hod-
chow, called the J^	Yue-hod, or moon lake, from its

resemblance to a balf-moon.

There is a river, called the ^ ^ Sze-gnan-ke, along
which our boat proceeded till wereached that town. The
source of this river is in the hills about	Kwang-

tlh-chow, but it is navigable only as far as |Jtf ^ Sze-
gnan, proceeding upwards from Hoo-chow. This town
is about 70 le, or 21 miles, from the prefectural city, and has
an inspector placed over it. During the jJpj Suy dynasty,
the town was surrounded by walls, with four gates, each
having the word gnan, or tranquillity, included in the
composition of its name, hence the name of the town
Sze-gnan, or four-fold tranquillity ; the traces of these gates
are still visible. In the Yuen dynasty, a custom-house
was established here, which has since been removed ; the
government wisely judging, that if toll were taken on the
merchandize passing to and fro, between the tea and silk
districts, such impost, added to the difficulties of the transit
over the hills, would deter merchants from passing this way,
and seriously affect trade.

The prefecture of Hoo-chow is said to contain 2,941,658
mows of arable land, or 490,276 acres, which at the rate of one
mace, four candareens per mow, will produce 411,832 taels
of silver for the land-tax; besides one t^v and three quarters,
or a peck of rice per mow ; which will make 51,479 peculs of
rice, for the taxes in kind. This amount, though large in the99

aggregate, is not so in the detail, as it averages little more
than a dollar in money, and a pecul in weight of rice for
every six mow, or English acre ; being the entire charge of
government on this rich portion of the Chinese soil. The
charges on hill-land and morass are proportionably lighter,
being scarcely the 100th part of the above.

continuation op the journal.

April 2d. Early in the morning, we were on our way,
and before daylight, had cleared the city walls. Our
course was westerly, amongst ranges of hills, which, as soon
as the sun was up, were gilded with his vernal rays. Thus
illumined, the landscape displayed its varied beauties, set off
by the sombre hue of the deep green foliage, reflected in the
bosom of the noble stream, along which we passed. The
windings of the river, presenting constantly a new prospect,
the balmy breezes which were this morning favourable, and
the warblings of the feathered songsters of the woods, all
conspired to fill us with pleasing emotions, and to render
this the most delightful part of the journey. To the south,
was a lofty range of mountains, which we judged to be the
^ ^ T’heen-muh hills, already alluded to. After sailing
about eight miles, we came to a place, where two streams
met, the larger one coming from the south-westward, where
lies the town of	Gnan-keih ; and the smaller one

from the north-east, near the district of ^ |5[. Chang-hing.
We pursued the course of the latter, for about eight miles
further, and then, instead of going direct for Chang-hing, we
kept on in a westerly course, towards [JTj Sze-gnan.
The entrance to the smaller stream, which we now began to
navigate, was marked by a very high bridge of one arch,
which appeared from a distance, as if suspended in the air,
and as thin as if built of iron. The trees on either side
concealed, with their exuberant foliage, the foundations of the
bridge, and the absence of a parapet wall, gave it the attenua-100

ted and airy appearance alluded to; but on a nearer approach,
we found it substantially built of stone, and likely to endure
for ages. The whole scene was such as a painter would
have been glad to sketch, and I could not but regret my
inability to secure a more durable impression of it, that I
might gratify others by its representation. We had not
proceeded above a mile along this new stream, when we met
a boat crowded with well-dressed ladies, who were probably
coming from ^ Chang-hing, to visit their friends in
Hoo-chow. The banks of the river along which we now
passed were high, and the wat< r clear, evidencing the near
approach to a hilly region. As we proceeded, the river
increased in tortuosity, and gradually lessened in size.
On its banks, were planted abundance of mulberry-trees,
much larger than any I had previously seen. The stems
were about a foot in diameter, and from the top of the main
stem, which was generally four or five feet high, proceeded
about eight or ten branches, the ends of which had a knob-
bed appearance. From each of these knobs, a number of
twigs shot forth, which were covered with new leaves.
Passing along, we saw men driving stakes into the banks of
the river, by means of an immense mallet, with a stone head,
which 1 it required the utmost strength of a man to raise
above his head, when it fell with a heavy blow on the fop
of the stake ; proving at once, the strength and perseverance
of the peasantry, in protecting their lands from inundation,
and their soil from being washed away by the torrent. A
little further on, we saw a company of men, employed in
driving pileB, as the foundation of a new bridge. For this
purpose, they erected a stage of three tiers, with a certain
number of workmen on each tier, each of whom held a string
that was attached to the main rope, by means of which, the
driving ram is raised to a certain height, and then allowed to
fall suddenly on the head of the pile, in order to force it im
One of the number kept time by a lively song, in the chorus101

of which, they all joined, and at a given signal, let go the
ropes together. In the absence of all machinery, this was
perhaps the best method they could have devised for effecting
their purpose.

About 4 p. m. we arrived at |JGf Sze-gnan, a small
town, situated about twenty miles from Hod-chow. The
first object that struck our attention at this place was a temple
in front of which were five ornamental gateways, erected
probably in honour of so many virtuous females, whose
relatives wished thus to prepetuate their fame. At the mo-
ment of our arrival, a play was in the course of being per-
formed, which drew vast crowds of people from the town
and country adjoining, while it kept the attention of those
who were assembled pretty much rivetted on the perform-
ance, and prevented their noticing too curiously the newly-
arrived strangers. From the thousands of people assembled
*n front of the stage, one might argue the populousness of the
adjoining district ; though it is probable, that the exhibition
of this buffoonery had attracted the villagers from a circuit
of many miles in circumference.

After passing the stage, we turned to the right, and going
under a bridge, we skirted the town, and, about half a mile
further on, came to the general lodging-place for strangers,
where a large number of boats were already at an anchor ;
one of our party went on Bhore to provide a place for our
reception, and soon returned bringing a number of cooleesfor
the baggage. On our arrival at the tavern, the host was very
polite, asking after the names and surnames of his honoured
guests, and inviting them to sit down and take tea. Of the ac-
comodations, however, I cannot speak flatteringly ; the recep-
tion-room had very much the appearance of a barn, with mud
floor, and no ceiling ; the dirt and cobwebs about it leading
to the supposition that it had not received any cleansing
since it was built. The front of this saloon was open to
the wind and rain, (except when a few bamboo screens were102

put up for temporary shelter,) and the little yard into which
we looked was the receptacle of every species of filth and
abomination. A table stood in the middle of the floor, with
here and there a short narrow bench, on which the weary
traveller might sit without reposing himself. Towards
evening, an attempt wa$ made to wipe the table, which would
have required an hour’s good scrubbing to render it free from
dirt, but which was only the more ingrained with filth by the
slight operation to which it was subjected. A number of
dishes where then placed on the board, and rice enough and
to spare was deposited in a tub at the end of the table, to
which each guest might repair, and help himself at leisure.
Though there was nothing tasty or delicate on the table, the
host no doubt thought that he had afforded us an elegant re-
past, as was evidenced from his coming to the table, during
our meals, and begging to be excused for putting so poor a
dinner on the table ; which in a Chinaman’s mouth means,
see how richly I have provided for you. Before evening, I
perceived my fellow-traveller taking out of his basket some
slices of bacon and a salt fish, which he asked the cook to
fry for him ; which done, the whole was deposited again in
his provision-basket, to serve us for a meal on our future
journey, when we might happen to lodge at places where
neither fish nor meat was procurable. At first I was dis-
posed to think that it would be much better to go without)
than to resort to viands that had such a forbidding,aspect; but
I afterwards found, these same salt provisions to be highly
desirable, where nothing else was to be had. Before dark, we
had rather a lively scene, occasioned by a number of rough and
noisy coolees, who came in to look at our baggage, and to deli-
berate about the price to be paid for carrying it. The first re-
quisite was to ascertain its exact weight, and to divide it into
equal loads, so that every one might know what he had to
carry, and that one might not have an ounce more than
another. In this matter they tire exceedingly particular,103

weighing every trifling article ; as each one determines^ not
to carry more than his exaet proportion. So strict indeed are
they in this matter, that the next day, when I wanted one of
them to carry a coat for me. which was disagreeably warm in
the heat of the day, they all refused, because it would increase
their burthen by a pound or two, until something extra had
been promised them for so doing. The weight assigned to
each coo lee was about 150 pounds English, with which they
travelled about thirteen miles a day, for fourteen days in
succession, over hill and dale, in spite of mud or dust, or the
usual impediments of travel. Much wrangling preceded
the final settlement of the bargain, and it was at length
arranged, that they should each receive a quarter of a dollar
a day, and start the next morning.

This matter being settled, the goods were all piled up in
one corner of the room, and some benches and boards being
brought out, our sleeping-places were contructed from these
materials, inclosing the baggage so that no person might
make free with it during the night. Previously Xo our retiring
to res*', the boatman was settled with, who only received
about three dollars for the trip, from Shang-hae to this placet
with about one dollar and a half for the food of three of us,
for five days. Thus, travelling in China is Dot very expen-
sive, at least to the natives, and Lhose who travel in native
style. The inn at which we were putting up is much fre-
quented, and everyday accommodates a considerable number
of strangers; which may be partly gathered from the fact of
more than a dozen persons being constantly employed to
attend to their wants, and partly from the hundreds and thou-
sands met with the next day upon the road.

April 3rd. After an early breakfast, the coolees came
blustering in, and bore off their heavy weights apparently in
great glee; and I was at first apprehensive lest they should
get out of sight before we were quite ready to follow them ;
but I soon found that there was little danger of their run-104

ning away from Us. Indeed we overtook them before we
go(. to the end of the street, and had to 3top every iive mi-
nutes, to enable them to keep up with us on the road. On
quitting our hotel, the host and his clerk accompanied us to
the door, and took leave with many protestations of the high
consideration in which we were held, and of the gratification
it would afford them, to have the honour of entertaining us
again. Whilst passing along the street of the town, some
remarks were made regarding me, not so much with reference
to my strange’appearance, as with regard to the curious^cir.
cumstance of my wearing dark-coloured spectacles, which it
seems are not usually met with in this part of the country.
My guides, therefore, advised me to use others, which would
be less likely to expose me to remark.

We had scarcely got outside the town, before we saw a hill
before us, of a conical shape, standing in the midst of the
plain, with no other rising ground for several miles around.
On the south, at a considerable distance, were some of high
hills, and on the north side, rose up a range of mountains of
considerable elevation ; but this appeared to stand alone, as il it
had been protruded by some subterraneous force from beneath.
While the coolees proceeded slowly along, I had abundant
opportunity for looking around me, and having been nearly
a week confined in a small boat, I felt it the more agreeable
to get abroad. I soon found that we were not the only tra-
vellers on the road, for the narrow pathway was crowded with
bearers of burdens and wheelers of barrows, who where con-
veying goods backwards and forwards along this well-fre-
quented line of road. It excited a little surprise, for the
moment, to see how unceremoniously the fellows pushed along,
without making the slightest attempt to afford one room to
pass ; indeed one man made me get out of the pathway, and
descend into the paddy-field, in order to make way for him.
Having been accustomed to see the Chinamen turn out of the
way for Europeans, and even jumping ditches to let them pass,105

1 was for the moment little prepared to be myself driven from
the pathway in my turn ; but when I recollected that I
was then personifying a Chinese, I was rather gratified to
think that I succeeded so well, as to be treated like one
of themselves. My companion also chimed in by saying,
that it was the custom in China for empty-handed people to
make way for the carriers of burthens ; also for these same,
coolees to make way for chair-bearers ; and for chairmen, in
their turn, to get out of the way for those who ride on horse-
back.

After skirting the foot of the hill just alluded to, we came
to a stream of water, which I judged to be the same along
which we had travelled from Hod-chow, though here un-
navigable, except for rafts. Here we found hundreds of peo-
ple employed in collecting wood, as it was brought down from
the iuterior, and making it up into rafts, for the purpose of be-
ing transported to the populous cities on the sea-coast for
®ale. Here also we met with an increased number of wheel-
barrows, going and coming, the former conveying cloth and
hides into the hill districts, and the latter.bringing down rice
and wood to the lowlands. At a moderate computation, not
less than a thousand wheel-barrows passed or overtook Nus
this day; some were driven along by one man only, and
others were provided with two, one before and the other
behind. Some were laden with goods, and others with pas-
sengeis. It was not unusual to see two persons seated on
the same wheel-barrow, one on each side, as in an Irish car*
or one only, sitting astride his goods, as we should mount a
horse. The Chinese wheel-barrows are somewhat peculiar,
being provided with a large wheel, the axle of which is
fixed near about the centre’ of gravity so that the person
employed to move such a machine has little or no weight
upon his hands, and has nothing to do, but to guide and
force onward the conveyance. In this way, a single indivi-
dual Will easily transport three hundred weight of goods,

N106

while two will convey along double that quantity. It is
possible that our own countrymen might derive a hint from
this, in the better construction of wheel-barrows at home.
One defect, however, is observable in the Chinese wheel-
barrow, namely the narrowness of the wheel, by means of
which the roads along which they travel are greatly cut up;
and even the flag stones, laid down along part of the way,
are cut into deep grooves by ihe narrow knife-like wheels.

In addition to the wheel-barrows, the road was literally
covered with coolees, hurrying backwards and forwards with
their burthens, continuing in one unbroken chain during the
whole day ; affording a specimen of the most busy scene I
ever witnessed, not even exceeded by the crowding of the
road that leads to a public market or fair ; and this was but
a usual specimen of what is exhibited here every-day. It
was this uninterrupted throng of passengers that gave em-
|floyment to the immense number of tea and cake shops all
along the road ; at every le, or a third of a mile, there were
several of these restaurateurs, provided with benches and
tables for the accommodation of passengers, who quaffed
their simple beverage and passed on. At every ten le, also,
there were rice-shops, where travellers could obtain a more
substantial meal than the tea-shops afforded. During the
first ten le’s journey from Sze-gnan, the ground was tolera-
bly fertile, being laid out in wheat, and great quantities of
the mustard-plant, the seeds of which are used in the manu-
facture of oil ; but as we advanced, the soil assumed a bar-
ren appearance, and being far elevated above the water-level,
was incapable of irrigation ; it was, however, planted with
fir-trees, which flourished along the lower ranges of hills.
The soil was of a light colour towards the surface, but red
underneath ; and in consequence of the wheelers of barrows
having perpetually chosen new tracts for their vehicles, as
the old roads became cut up and impassable, the whole
country has been converted into one broad and uneven road,approaching here and there to. a focus, as it became necessary
to converge the lines, for travellers to avail themselves of a
bridge over a stream. In short, every man seems to do that
which is right in his own eyes, when pursuing his journey
and hence the multiplication of pathways over these barren
tracts. After having travelled about nine or ten miles from
Sze.gnan, we came to a ledge of rocks, composed of coarse
red sandstone, in thin layers, and dipping towards the south-
west. at an angle of fifteen degrees about a mile further on,
we fell in with another ledge, similar to the former one ; and
observing t1 e contour of the hills in the direction of the dip,
I calculated that the ledge rose up affain at a distance of five
or six miles. On the road side vve observed a plot of ground
covered with tea trees, but apparently in a languishing state.
We also passed several temples, which were generally in a
dirty and ruinous condition, as if regarded by no one. The
inhabitants of these districts were few and poor, seeming to
obtain a scanty subsistence by planting a little wheat, and
chopping wood for the lower and more populous districts.
After a journey of twelve miles, we came to a more level
and fertile region, where water was obtainable for the pur-
pose of irrigation. But we observed, that in those fields
which were laid out in wheat, there was too much moisture;
and the natives were in the habit of digging trenches a
foot broad, and equally deep, between every ridge of a foot
wide, upon which the wheat was sown. Thus giving up at
least one half of the soil, to render the other capable of pro-
ducing the article required. During the latter half of the
year, when the same land is laid out in rice, every ridge
would of course be levelled, and the water brought in plenty
over the fields. Another mile further on, we came to a broad
Btream, which was however very shallow, and unnavigable
except for email rafts. Across this river a wooden bridge
was thrown, about six feet wide, and 200 long ; the stream
flowed to the north-west. After passing the bridge, we came108

to a paved road, and saw at a little distance a pagoda rear-
inor its head, which pointed out the the situation of ^
Kwang-tih.chow.

ACCOUNT OF KWANG-TIH-CHOW.

About half a mile on this side of Kwang-tth city wo
obs°rved an elegant gateway, erected in honour of soma
virtuous female, on the portal of which was written
Ao* ^ Kin-sin-tsae-chung, a golden, or perfect heart,
exactly in the centre; or bitting the due medium; the senti-
ment conveyed by which was much admired by my guide.
Towards evening, we arrived in the suburbs of the town,
and turned into a lodging-house, whose sign of moderate
accommodations andliomely fare, hung out by the road side,
induced us to enter. In front of the lodging-house was a
small shop, where eatables were exposed for sale; passing
through this we crossed an open space, and came to a
rough kind of hall, or reception-room, with mud floor, and
tiled roof; on either side of (his hall were bedrooms, but
so dark and damp thatl was almost afraid to enter the one
which was allotted to us. There was no window, and all
the light it obtained was admitted through the door, which
opening into another apartment did not allow of the pas-
sage of many rays into this black and dismal abode, fiut as
there was no resource, we could onlv take our seats, and
wait for the evening meal. This day I found myself a little
unwell, through exposure to the sun and sleeping in a current
of air.

April 4th. This morning we had a fall of rain, on which
account our party concluded not to move, and so nothing
was to be done, but just to sit still and wait for fair weather .
about ten o’clock, the rain stopped, and the sun shone out
brightly, which gave us a hope of making some way before
night; but, just as we were about to set forward, we found109

that our coolees had already seated themselves at a table,
to play at cards. And then, were an angel to exhort, or an
emperor to command, it would have been of no use, as
they considered the business of card-playing to be one of
the most important, in all heaven and earth ; under these
circumstances, the wish of their employers to proceed was,
of course, treated as unworthy of the slightest attention*
Among the rest of the coolees was one pre-eminent for im-
pudence, who had the audacity to ask one of our party, whe-
ther the boxps he was transporting contained opium or not ?
to which he replied, you may open every bundle, if you please,
and should there be opium concealed in the boxes, we shall
be accounted a9 offenders, and you may take us before the
magistrate but should there be no traces of the drug, you
will then be an offender, and we shall take you before the
mandarins.	Upon bearing this, he desisted from further

enquiries. On looking round about the walls of our lodging-
house. I found a proclamation from the magistrate of
^ ')fj Kwang-tih-chow, stating, that for some time past
a set of villainous rascals had, under pretence of search-
ing for opium, obstructed honest travellers in their way, com-
pelling them lo open their packages, that they might steal
their money ; on which account, the chief magistrate se-
verely prohibited this kind of villainy, and also interdicted
the keepers of lodging-houses from harbouring such a set of
scoundrels.	This proclamation had been issued a few

months previously, in consequence of an attempt to rob some
travellers, under false pretences, between this town and |JG[
Sze-gnan ; so that our friend the coolee, would have
found himself in an evil case, had he persevered in requiring
the packages to be opened, and found them to contain no-
thing but silver, the result of the tea sales recently made by
my fellow-travellers in Shang-hae.

Whilst wafting for our men to set out, I had an opportuni-
ty of observing a poor sick girl, lying in a sort of portable110

bed-place, to be conveyed on the shoulders of two men, by
means of a pole fixed longitudinally ; this pole was fitted about
two or three feet above the bed-place, with a cloth flung1 over
it, falling down on each side, to protect the person inside
from the sun and rain. The wretched traveller referred to.
was being borne in this manner from	Hoo-chow, to |jj^

^'J’l Hwuy-chow, a distance of 200 miles ; on her arrival at
each separate tavern, the bed-place was put down, with its
sick inmate, in some open hall, and left there till the coolees
were ready to start the next morning : no change of clothes
rfter a hot day or a cold night ; no attentions or services of
any kind rendered to the feeble ; even necessary food was
not thought of. till the cries of the hungry girl aroused the
whole household, when her hard-hearted bearers condescend-
ed to furnish her with a morsel ; it was such an outcry
that drew my attention this morning, and caused me to
make the enquiries, which resulted in the information above
detailed. To add to all her troubles, it turned out that the
poor girl was deaf and dumb.

Having nothing else to do, I occupied myself in observing
the way, in which the master of the shop manufactured his
vermicelli. He first made a paste of flour a^d water, which
having been well pounded in a stone mortar, was put on a
thick table, across which, was placed a pole, with one end
fitting underneath a strong bamboo, on the opposite side of
the table, and the other projecting a foot on this side, so that
the workman could sit on it, without touching the table
itself: this pole being made to cross the dough, was pressed
forcibly down upon it by the weight of the man’s body
applied to the near e d In this way by constantly shifting
the pole backwards and forwards, and by perpetually jump-
ing up and down ns he sat upon it. he effectually kneeded
the dougTyand brought it by repeated foldings and pressings
into exceedingly thin layers. Then rolling these up together
he, by the application of a sharp knife, cut off thin stripes,Ill

which formed the vermicelli. [In the evening, we had this
same Vermicelli for supper; it was simply boiled and served up,
as hot as may be, being seasoned with a bit of bacon, which
we had brought with us. When night came oh, every indivi-
dual coolee obtained from the lodging-house keeper, one of
the dirty thick quilts, which are kept in store for such purpose,
and wrapping himself up in it, soon fell fast asleep ; with the
exception of those who loved gaming better than sleep, and
who preferred to stay up the whole night playing at cards.

April 5th. This morning we started about seven o’ clock,
having previously furnished ourselves with spiked leather
shoes, to enable us to get along over the muddy and slippery
ways. These are uncomfortable things 10 walk in, but it is
better to wear such oh a rainy day, tlian to travel in cloth-
soled shoes, which immediately become wet, and take a
Week to get dry. After passing the suburbs, we came to
the gate of the city, in front of which was a bridge, with the
words J	sin-ho-keaou, or “ new-river-bridge,”

written over it } from this I gathered, that a new canal
or water-course had been dug, from the navigable part of
the river, where the two streams that flow past the city,
on the east and west side3 of it, in a north-westerly direction,
meet about a mile or two lower down ; by means of this cut
boats may be brought up to the city itself, and the inhabi-
tants enabled to carry their produce 10 a good market, or
get what they need from abroad. When we entered the
city gates, we immediately turned to the left, and walked
along the walla ; my companions took this course, with the
view of screening me from the observation, to which I should
have been exposed by passing through the crowded streets ;
a precaution which, though scarcely necessary, afforded me
a better opportunity of taking a general survey of the city,
than 1 should have enjoyed by passing through its main
street. I observed, that the walls were about fifteen feet
high, but out of repair in several places, as if they had been112

built several hundred years ago ; while in some places, there
were marks of recent repairs. The form of the city
resembled a parallelogram, with the longer part lying east
and west ; about three J|i le in one direction, and one le
in the other. There seemed to be but one main street
through the city, intersected here and there by short cross
streets, which howover did not extend to the walls on either
haud, not even in the vicinity of the north or south gates*
A large part of the area within the walls was occupied by
rice-fieldo, insomuch that nine tenths of the ground, may be
considered as devoted to the sustenance of the population,
who occupy the remaining tenth with their houses. I can-
not account for this, otherwise than from the circumstance
of the city having declined much in importance, since the
period at which it was first built; and because the soil within
the walls is more rich, and less burthened with imposts,
than the ground outside. There are, however, uo vacant
spots iu the suburbs, but the most is made of every inch of
ground everywhere, except where the sterility ur steepness
of the ground, render it incapable of improvement.

In the early days of Yaou and Shun, until the Han
dynasty, this city went under the name ol	Yang-chow;

and, after having received various appellations, it came, in
the Sung dynasty, to be designated by the name which
it now bears. The first monarch of the NJ^ Ming dynasty,
directed his generals to fix their head-quarters here, when
the walls were built, about three miles in circumference,
fifteen feet high, and eight wide. There were then six
gates, towards the north, south, east, and west, together
with the north-east and south-east ; some of these, how-
ever, are now turned into water-gates, in the fourth year of
IE ^ Ching-tih, (a. d. 1,510) the walls were repaired by
the then existing magistrate, and the mud defences received a
facing of brick; in the time of^||i|| Kea-tsing,(A. d. 1,530)113

the magistrate of the district added battlementB ; from which
time to the present, the walls have been frequently out of
repair, and as often re-edified ; the last repair recorded was
effected in the lime of ^ SB Kang-he. (a. d. 1,670.)

The most remarkable hill in this district is the ^ j_L|
Hwaug-shan, or “cross hill ;” it lies to the west of the dis-
trict city, and assumes a transverse appearance, from which-
ever way viewed, hence the name. Another hill has the de-
signation ofu parrot beak,” from its fancied resemblance to the
hooked bill of that bird. To another is assigned the appella-
tion of “ stone fairy,” and “ stone Buddha,” from an upright
stone at its foot, resembling a tall figure.

The stream that nearly surrounds the city, flowing from
the south-west, in two branches, one on each side of the
city, and uniting together about a mile lower down, is the
3? ^ Yuh-k’lie, or “ pearly stream.”

The military force at present stationed in the town of
jjSf Kwang-tth, is a jj| Yew-kelh, major, a ^
show pei, captain, a =f~‘ lieutenant, and two ensigns,
with thirty-eight horse, and eighty-five foot soldiers, and
Iavo hundred and ninety one men for mounting guard ; these
numbers are, however, to be found rather on paper, than in
reality.

The arable land in this district, amounts to 171,642 acres.
On this is levied a land-tax of 50,896 taels, with an impost
in kind of 13,744 peculs of rice, and 1,550 of pulse, besides
205 taels on waste land, fisheries, &c. amounting in the
whole to less than half a tael per acre.

In the centre of the city, is a pagoda, seven stories high,
in a dilapidated condition ; a pavilion, however, of three sto-
ries, on the south side of the city, dedicated to the spirit presi-
ding over letters, had been recently repaired; from which
one may argue, that the inhabitants are more concerned to
propitiate the genius of literature, that they may attain ad-

O114

vancement in the present, than to flatter Buddha, in order to
acquire happiness in the future life.

After quitting the city, my fellow-traveller facetiously re-
marked, that we should soon see an individual who
could point out the road toothers, but could not walk there-
in. 1 was unable at first to comprehend his meaning ; but
about ten le from the city, we came to a place where two
ways met, and a friendly sign-stone stared us in the face,
with this inscription on it, “ the road to	Hwuy-chow

turns off here,” which explained the enigma of my friend.
The more direct of these two roads, poiuted in a southerly
direction, towards	Yen -chow; while the other led off

to the south-westward, in the direction in which we had to
travel. After walking about five le further, we came to the
other branch of the stream, which flows past ^ ^ Kwang-
tih, and partially surrounds it ; this stream flowed in a
northerly direction, and was beautifully clear, but not navi-
gable. After wandering along its banks, for about a mile,
we came to a wooden bridge, near which was a tea-shop,
where we stopped to lake a cup of tea; my companion re-
marked. that on his former journey, he had not observed this
accommodation: to which the woman, who kept it, replied,
that their little hut had been erected, for the convenience of
travellers, who migfit happen to arrive at the banks of the
river, soon after a freshet, when the bridge was generally
washed away. The travellers in that case, would have po
place to remain in, whilst the storm lasted or the brijdge
was repairing, hence the necessity of this accomrpodation.
During our stay at this tea-shop, half a dozen travellers came
by, who had a very suspicious appearance ; and looked as if
they would be glad to make a disturbance, for the purpose of
profiting by the result, on the principle of there being good
fishing in muddy waters ; but after a hasty cup of tea, they
passed on, and we saw no more of them.115

After parting with these suspicious-looking fellows, we saw
few persons on the road, and fewer wheel-barrows ; it is pro-
bable, that the large number of travellers seen on the road
between Sze-gnan and Kwang-tih. is owing to the road be-
tween those two places being the medium of communication
between the two rivers, the one terminating at the former,
and the other commencing at the latter place; which neck of
land being crossed, the goods are subsequently carried for-
ward by water. It seems that the question has been agitated
at court, whether it would not be better to establish a cus-
tom-house at thi* point, but the compassionate ruler of China
wisely judging, that for every little advantage which he might
derive from the tells thereby collected, many grievous bur-
thens would be laid on the people by the collecting officers,
and the trade be thereby driven into other channels, deter-
mined on leaving the^people to pass to and fro at this point
unmolested.

Having crossed the river in question, and walked about a
mile, we entered a most romantic velley, on each side of
which the hills were covered with the blue bell and convol-
vulus, while the crystal stream murmured through the dell,
and the feathered songsters warbled in the grove, altogether
contributing to cheer the heart, and lighten the fatigue of the
way. I here observed some layers of rocks, consisting of
a red-coloured mica slate, intermixed with other shades, some
of a light and others of a darker hue, according as the laminae
lay near to, or far beneath the surface. The dip was towards
the north-west, at an angle of 20 degrees from the horizon. The
dip was the same on the hills on both sides of the valley ; not
up one declivity and down the other, but always towards the
north-west, wherever the strata were found ; hence it might be
inferred, that the disturbing force, which threw these strata into
the oblique form, was entirely independent of the protruding
of these small hills, and in fact involved them in the rupture.
There must have been some uprising of the ground, .occasioned116

Iby volcanic action fir to tha south-east, which has upheaved
the whole mass of previously-formed strata, and let it fall in
broken portions (which form the present hills) in a north-
westerly direction. But at such a period of terrible convul-
sion, one may he led to ask, what organic life could have ex-
isted. or have endured the shock ?

Having passed through the windings of this valley, by a
good paved road, we came to a place where two waye met; one
turning to the west, and the other pursuing the usual south-
west course, in the direction in which we had all along been
travelling. About a mile further, we came to a Buddhist
temple, in aspquestered spot, called the	Shth ling

yen, or monastery of the rocky mountain ; here we found three
or four priests residing, who busied themselv s in boiling
rice and preparing tea. for the travellers who passed by, not
of course without good and sufficient payment for the same.
The temple was in good repair, and tastefully adorned,
whilesome of the side apartments appeared clean and decent,
so that a botanist or naturalist, whose business was to search
for curiosities in the mountains, might spend a few days or
weeks at such a temple, without inconvenience; if he could
manage to conceal his origin and object from the priests who
entertained him. People say, that frequent robberies used to
be committed in this valley, the perpetrators of which were
sheltered by the priests, who shared in the booty; but that
latterly the officiating friars have been changed, and such ir-
regularities have ceased. Throughout this region three kinds
of flowers were most frequently observed; one of a red colour,
shaped like an inverted bell, growing on an arboraceous
stem, several inches high, with few leaves ; these the women
were very fond of gathering and sticking them in their hair,
while the men delighted in garnishing their newly-ploughed
rice-fields with the same beautiful production. The second
kind was of a lilac colour, growing on trees, about ten feet
high, which sometimes covered the whole side of a hill, and117

gave it a splendid appearance. The third was white, and
although plain, when mixed with the other flowers, pro-
duced a very pleasing effect. A light blue-coloured bell-
shaped flower was gathered by the natives in great quantities,
to be boiled down as vegetables. Many stems of bamboos
were planted over the hills, but scattered wide apart, which
when acted on by the wind, waved their graceful tops, like
ostrich feathers on the crown of the mount ; a few miles fur-
ther on, we came to a temple, in good repair, dedicated to^3
[ly ^ Sze-shan-ta-te, the great god who guards the
hill ; in the middle of this temple, I observed a board hung
up, enumerating the names of those who were in the habit
of contributing candles and incense, for the service of the
temple ; it was further stated, that on the day of the winter
solstice, the contributors should all attend and burn incense ;
and in case of a single individual absenting himself, he
was to pay a whole year’s incense as a fine. Thus strict do
these villagers appear in attending to their idolatrous services.
I also observed in a tea-shop where we stopped, a )pP
mun-pae, or door-tablet, such as those mentioned by Morri-
son, and other writers on China, as hung up in every house,
for the inspection of the local officers, and said to contain the
names, sex, and profession of every inmate ; for the failure
in recording which, according to the laws of China, every
master of a family is subject to the infliction of 100 blows.
There was a blank schedule on this tablet, to be filled in
by the master of the house, describing the inmates, whether
wearing a beard or not, whether married or single, the
name of his wife, concubine, children, brothers, sisters,
nephews, nieces, cousins, and hired labourers ; such indeed
was the law, but as is the case in China with most other
regulations, it was honoured more in the breach than in
the observance; for there was only one thing written on
the tablet, and that was the master’s name. I had an
opportunity afterwards of seeing another door-tablet, in118

9 different part of the country, which had nothing on it,
but the master’s name and surname; and on asking him,
whether he did not expose himself to punishment for
neglecting to insert the other inmates of his family, he said,
that the only thing required was the payment of forty-eight
cash, about two-pence a year, to the man who delivered out
these tablets from the government office, and no acoount
was ever taken of what was written on them. Thus the
boasted care, which the Chinese are said to take of their
population-returns, turns out to be an exaggeration. The
census grounded on such tablets must be very unsatisfactory,
and if the government returns are merely taken from these,
the number of inhabitants must greatly exceed what.the
local officers give in.

THE VILLAGE Op YANG-t’haN-POO.

In the evening we came to a small village, called
T’hoo-keaou. or	Yang-t’han-poo, about forty-

five le from ^jff Kwang-tfh, where we passed the night.
The accommodations resembled those of our previous lodg-
ing-place, the rooms having no place for the admission of light,
except through the door ; but an advantage was possessed by
our present residence over the last, viz. a boarded floor.
The room was so small, that our three bed-places, and four
cooly-loada filled the apartment, while our hands could
touch the ceiling over our heads. It was as well, however,
that the room was dark, otherwise the dirt, cobwebs, and
filth, would have been revealed too plainly. On the wall
of the shop, I observed a paper, containing an exhortation to
people to bury their dead spe*dilv out of sight, and not to
listen to the stories of the	Fung shwuy, wind and

water teachers, who pretended to find out lucky sites and
propitious days for sepulture, and by this moans kept the
dead out of their graves for months or years, until this dis-119

coviry should be made. Our coolie9, who had been gaming a
day and a night at Kwang-tih-ehow, no sooner arrived at this
place, and got their feet washed, and their dinuer finished,
than they set to work in a back apartment to gamble again.;
and from the noise they made, and the high glee which
seemed to prevail, they evidently went about it with a great-
er zest than ever:	thumping the table and rattling the

cash, during more than half the night, when after a short
sleep they had to set out with their burthens. This time,
however, the man most fond of sport lost all hie irioney ; and
the rest were not inclined afterwards to renew the game.
At this place my fellow-travellers observed some very sus-
picious-looking men, whose prying curiosity, bold assurance,
and absence of all ostensible means of support, excited some
alarm in the breasts of my friends. Accordingly they tried
to keep me as much as possible out of the way, and request-
ed me to remain in our dark room, till meal-time arrived,
after which I went out to walk in a back garden. The hill
at the foot of which this village was built, was very steep
and well-wooded, so that it rose like a dark green screen at
the back of the house, and threw a sombre hue over all the
surrounding objects. I found the cool breeze very refreshing,
after a whole day’s exposure to the sun, and having regaled
myself with the evening air, I went in and retired to rest.

THE VILLAGE OF P1H-TEEN.

April 6th. Notwithstanding my wish to remain quiet
on the day of rest, I could not induce my companions to do
bq, and harrassed as they were by the presence of the fore-
named suspicious-looking personages, they were anxious to
set forward as soon as possible. During my walk, however, I
failed not to lift up my heart continually, to the God of
nature and of grace, who had spread such a beauteous scene
around me, and who had added to all his earthly bountiestthe richer gift of his dear Son, of whose resurrection the
Christian Sabbath \va9 a commemoration. After walking
about fifteen le, we came fo a place called ^ Pih-teen, or
IS Pih-teen, where we met with a considerable stream,
flowing towards the north, and navigable for rafts; over
which was thrown a bridge, of seven buttresses, built of
stone; the top of one of them was arched, and the rest cover-
ed with flat rafters and boards ; it was about 180 feet long,
and 20 broad, but in several places out of repair ; so that
passengers generally avoided it, and passed over a tempora-
ry bridge, about twenty yards higher up the stream. The
bottom of the river was covered with light-coloured sand ;
which, on inspection, turned out to be composed of broken
pieces of quartz, felspar, and mica, mixed with hornblende,
which all appeared to have been washed down, from the
grauitic or gneiss mountains in the south, from between two
ridges of which the river seemed to have wound its way.
The 6and, 1 was informed, had increased in quantity
of late years, so that the bed of the river is sensibly rais-
ed, and the stream at every considerable fall of rain over-
flows its banks. This was evident, from the circumstance
of the footway being removed from the edge of the stream,
to a part higher up the bank, while in places where the
river was inclosed by high rocks, travellers were unable to
pass, until the freshets had subsided. If the sand goes on
increasing at this rate, the road by the side of the river
will be altogether impassable, and must be removed to
another track. The bed of the river is wide, but the body
of water that floors on ordinary occasions is not large, and
it is only during the heavy rains, that the river fills up all
its banks. Pih-teen, is a small village, containing three or
four hundred inhabitants, with several eating-houses and
butcher’s shops ; always an indication of a gathering among
the Chinese. A mile or two further on, we came to a small
place, called San-meaou, which contained only a few houses;121

after passing which, we fell in with the same river, along
the banks of which we travelled for several miles. Here
we saw many shelves of rooks, dipping towards the north-
east, at the various angles of ten, twenty, and some even
fifty degrees, from the horizon ; at length, we came to a
temple, recently repaired, and dedicated to ^ ^
the subduer of demons,'and the pacificator of the east.
The names of those who had contributed towards the re-
pairs of the building were emblazoned on a tablet, from
which it appeared, that two clans had distinguished them-
selves in this work of superstition. The road here turns
suddenly to the west, leading away from the river ; and
after twenty le of travelling over some low hills, brings one
to a broad valley, along the bottom of which runs another
stream, in a northerly direction, spanned by a bridge, of
five arches ; this bridge seems to be seldom used, except when
the river is swollen by rains, and travellers generally pick their
way from rock to rock, across the stream, by which a small
distance is saved. This bridge, however, appears to have
been better built than the former one, and is now in a
tolerable state of repair. The river here consists of two
streams, running side by side, which are probably united in
one, when freshets come down ; across this second stream,
is a wooden bridge, which is not calculated to withstand the
torrent, and must require frequent renewal. After passing
this double stream, we came to a place called	Yang-

k’he, where we passed the night. Here, however, as well
as at T’hoo-keaou, we had to guard against a set of meddle-
some fellows, who, under pretence of searching for contra-
band goods, were desirous of inspecting our baggage, and in-
volving us in difficulty j providentially we escaped their hands.

THE TOWN OF HO-LOO-k’hE.

April 7th. On starting this morning, a number of these
idle people were assembled in the street, in front of our
lodging-house ; as we passed out, we heard them remark-

P122

ing on my appearance, ns having something singular about
it. We passed on, however, and saw no more of them.
For the last three days, our road has been amongst ranges of
small hills, not about three or four hundred feet high, with
narrow vallies between them, which just admitted of a strip
of cultivation on each side of the road, not more than 1000
feet wide ; these long narrow fields were occupied with
wheat, pulse, aiid mustard-seed, all of which were in a state
of advancement, ready to be cleared in the month of May,
and give place to rice, which is the staple commodity, and
the staff of life among the Chinese. The hills were not
planted, except with bamboo and fir, designed for house-
building and fire-wood. The character of the rocks had
mostly been of the primary strata, but in thin layers, and of
a light yellowish colour, passing into a darker hue, and
deposited in thicker strata, as the slates lay lower down,
or were more mixed with hornblende. From this place,
however, the vallies became more open, and the cultivation
more extensive.. One beautiful tract of country, through
which we passed this day. was covered with fruitful fields,
the population being proportionably more dense ; while be-
fore us lay a broad open region, with cloud-capped mountains,
appearing in the distance higher than any we had hitherto
approached. The roads, too, gave intimation of their being
more frequented, by being kept in better repair, and being
almost uniformly paved Tyith large flag-stones, of a black
colour, and worn quite smooth by the many feet that perpetu-
ally passed over them. After a journey of 45 le, we came to
a broad river, spanned by a well-built bridge, skirted by a
populous town, and thronged by small boats and rafts, which
altogether presented a very lively scene. This place is called
M Kr Ho-loo-k’he, or '7®fj| Ho-t’hoo-chin. The cur-
rent of the river is towards the north. The name of the stream
is JpJ Tung-ho, and it is the same with that which passes
Ning-kwo-heen, and afterwards Ning-kwo-foo ; flowing on123

until it empties itself into the Yang-tsze-keang, at
T’hae-ping fob. The bridge over it is well-l)uilt, and in
good repair, with a level road, more convenient for passengers
than the mountain-like bridges, high in the middle, and low
at each end, which the Chinese are so fond of building. The
bridge consists of eight arches, is upwards of 300 feet in
length, 20 in width, and frequently crowded with passengers.
The town lies on each side of thfc river, and is a place of con-
siderable traffic, carried on between the hill people to the
south-east, and the inhabitants of the low country in the
neighbourhood of the Yang-tsze-keang, into which river this
stream empties itself. While crossing the bridge, I was
noticed by some people, perhaps on account of the long and
steady steps I took,.in order to measure the length of the
structure, or because I held my umbrella rather low over my
face, as if to conceal my countenance. Some had the curi-
osity to come and look under my umbrella, and others
turned their eyes towards my hair, at the back of my head,
but no remarks were made, nor hindrance met with ; my
fellow-travellers, however, were in great consternation, lest
a discovery should take place, which might involve us all in
difficulty. They were particularly apprehensive at this
place, also, because being a place of some traffic, it was the
resort of strangers from all parts, who having come in con-
tact with foreigners on the sea-coast, might the more readily
recognize one even in the native garb. Something which they
beard in the street, or saw at the inn, increased the alarm
of my guides, so that they began to consider the propriety of
separating the company; one of them accompanying me. and
travelling by chair before, whilst the other would follow with
the baggage, which contained silver, to the amount of several
thousand taels. This plan would have been carried into
effect immediately, but for the difficulty of procuring chairs,
which led them to postpone it until our arrival at the next
stage. The mind of one of my guides was io a considerable124

state of agitation, and I could hear him sighing and crying,
in the most earnest manner, for some time after the others
had retired to rest. His chief consolation seemed to be the
purity of his motives, having nothing in view but the diffu*
sion of knowledge, without aiming at personal benefit. The
inn at which we put up was one of the roughest imaginable,
though the business done at it was sufficient to have war-
ranted a little more being laid out in accommodations. Af-
ter passing through the front shop, which was occupied with
the traffic of the inn-keeper, we came to a shed, the roof of
which was in one slope, open both at the top and the bot-
tom, so that the slightest rain would have rendered it un-
tenantable, except in the middle ; with *a mud floor, and
every thing as damp and dirty as possible. One side of thig
shed was partitioned off for a sleeping-room, but so badly
done, that it answered every other purpose, but that of a
private apartment, and was calculated ter exclude every
thing but the wind and rain. The company at this place of
entertainment was of the most noisy kind, and in their
quarrels I heard them make use of the epithet ^ kwel*
tsze, devil’s son but yrhether with reference to a supposed
foreigner, or in reproach towards one another, I could not
tell. To add to my own apprehensions, and those of my
companions, I was heard several times crying out in the
Malayan language during my sleep, which of itself was
enough to excite the strongest suspicions.

THE CITY OF NING-KWO HEEN.

S’

April 8th. The next morning, we were all glad to get
away from this place, and set out in the direction of

Ning-kwo-heen, which was only two miles distant.
On the way we saw an altar, or area of earth, about eight
feet high, and forty or fifty feet square. These places are
designed for the purpose of offering sacrifice, at the spring125

and autumn festivals, to the spirits presiding over the land
and grain, but not as with the Jews for the sake of present-
ing burnt-offerings. A little further on, we saw a number
of persons, in front of a temple, offering incense ; at the head
of them were three mandarins, the sight of whom so near
at hand alarmed my guides very much, lest, their attendants,
who are eagle-eyed, should discover something unusual a-
bout our little company, and endeavour to get up an accusation
against us. Hurrying past them, we observed on the boards
carried before the magistrates the following words
JF; Ning-kwo heen chi'ng tang, the chief civil officer of
the district of Ning-kw5. Leaving them, and moving on a
quarter of a mile further, we came to the city of Ning-kwo
heen. This district city is said, in the statistics pub-
lished by the Chinese, to be situated ninety le south-east of
the prefectural city of the same name; forty-five le west from
that of Kwang-t!h-chow, which we had just left, and 110 east
of ‘HI Tseth k’he, whither we were travelling. This city
was founded in the time of the	San-kwo, three king-

doms, a. d. 220 ; and rebuilt in the Sung dynasty, about the
tenth century of the Christian era. Having fallen into deeay,
it was thoroughly repaired in the time of ^ Chi'ng-tlh, of
the Ming dynasty, (a. d. 1,506) ; and judging from the ap-
pearance of the bricks and mortar, of which the walls are
composed, the city defences must have undergone a thorough
repair within the last few years. The walls are said by the
Chinese to be 5,190 feet, or about one mile in circumference ;
by counting my steps, as I walked round the walls, I judged
the city to be about three le in circumference, which agrees
very nearly with the Chinese account. The walls are 15
feet high, provided with embrasures, and having well-finish-
ed half-moon bastions, at each of the gates. Thus the city
is small, but compact and neat, affording an idea of a Chi-
nese town, exactly corresponding with what they represent
them to be in their drawings. This district of Ning-kwo126

is distinguished for its teas, particularly that description
called	Sung-lo. It also produces hemp, varnish,

lime, linseed-oil, fir, ginger, and chesnuts : while a great
quantity of paper is manufactured here. Between this dis-
trict and Tseih-k’he is a large range of hills ; the most cele-
brated of these is the §|| Lung-tsung mountain, the nar-
row passes of which are said to have been formerly much in-
fested with robbers.

On the west side of the city is a pavilion, three stories
high, called jjj?^ J§£» Wan-sze-ting ; and further on, we ob-
served a terrace, on which sacrifices are offered; it was
four-square, about six feet high, and thirty broad. We also
saw a sort of redoubt, which might have been used as a for-
tified camp in ancient times, but is now completely deserted.

About half an hour after leaving Ning-kw5 heen, we en-
tered again among the hills, the winding vallies between
which were here narrower than any we had previously seen ;
so that the hills on either side, appeared to approach each
other foot to foot, leaving only a small pathway between
them. The road was, however, well-paved with Hag-stones,
about three feet in width. In the evening, we arrived at a
village, called	Stf Keaou-tsze-po'o, or

P wan-lung-poo.

TRAVELLING IN CHAIRS.

April 9th. Finding my feet very sore with travelling,
it was agreed, that we shoald hire chairs, and that one of
the guides should go with me. while the other remained
with the stuff. An agreement was made with the bearers, for
3,600 cash, {p carry each chair 230 le ; besides which, they
were to have money for provisions and wine. This indefinite
arrangement soon proved very costly, for the fellows ate three
hearty meals a day of rice, besides one of vermicelli soup,
and about ten tea beverages, accompanied with cakes ; so127

that when it came to be reckoned up, each man consumed
300 cash a day in expenses ; a sum equal to half of what
had been promised them for their labour. When the chair-
bearers, who travelled faster than the coolies with the
baggage, passed the latter on the road, there was a great
deal of complimentary .language lavished on both sides ;
the one party piotestiDg, that they were verily guilty in thus
passing their brethren ; and the other party exclaiming, that
they could not think of detaining their honourable compa-
nions ; at last, they settled it by the chair-bearers, saying,
you come quietly along, and we will go a "little slower, to
wait for you. After travelling a couple of miles, we came to
an ascent ; and ten miles further on, we arrived at a hill,
about 1,000 feet high, Hire we were obliged to walk, as
the bearers could not carry the chairs, with us in them, up
so steep an acclivity. On the top of the hill was a tea-shop
and a small temple. On the way up the hill, I observed
some people burning lime ; and on examining the stone
which they used for that purpose, 1 found, that it was a
dark-coloured marble, with white glistering veins. The
people dig out this stone from the sides of the hill, and
employ *he fir, that grows on the summit, as fire-wood.
When we obtained a view of the other side, we observed a
conical mountain, which seemed to be of volcanic origin.
On a nearer approach, we perceived, that the top of the
hill, was divided into two or three peaks, and eventually
we saw something like the extinct crater of a volcano. It
was probably at this point, that some disturbance of the
earth’s surface formerly took place, which threw the sur-
rounding rocks out of their position some falling to the
north-east, and others to the south-west; thus producing
the present inclined appearance of the strata.

At the foot of the hill was a stream, spanned by a wooden
bridge • on the opposite banks of which was the town of
#§ pf] Hoo-lo-sze. The river flowing past this place,128

is (lie western branch of the ]§C '/W]* Tung-ho, which we
crossed at 'JpJ ||C Hd-too-chin, a little below which the
two streams meet. The town of Hoo-lo-sze, is large and
thriving; the trade consists in the purchase and transport
of the grain and fire-wood brought from the mountains,
which is conveyed on bamboo rafts to Ning-kwo foo, and
thence to the great Keang. We travelled along the banks
of this stream, in a south-westerly direction, for about seven
miles, until we came to f|)|	Kwan-yin-keaou, or

H iXj liH Tsung-shan-kwan, where we halted for the night,
having gone about twenty miles since morning.

THE CITY of TSEIH-K’HE.

April 10th. We continued journeying along a fertile
and well-watered valley, producing abundance of wheat,
and pulse, which were grown in the ground, without
deep treuches between the rows of grain, as seemed to
be necessary in the more damp regions. After a journey of
about twenty miles, we came to the district city of |||
Tselh-k’he, the walls of which were low, and very much
out of repair ; indeed in many places, they were entirely
destroyed. The bearers insisted on our alighting to walk
through the city, which we did, without appearing to attract
the attention of any of its numerous inhabitants. At the
west gate, nothing would satisfy our coolies, but they must
sit down in the very gateway of the city, to eat vermicelli
soup; and thus f was obliged to sit in the most public place
possible, with hundreds of people coming and going, to the
gaze of all of whom I was exposed, for about an hour.
No one, however, saw any thing in us that attracted atten-
tion ; and so, after drinking a cup of tea, we quietly passed
on. Outside the gate of this city, we passed under a num-
ber of memorial arches, which had been erected over the
road, for the purpose of commemorating various chaste andGROUND PLAN OF TSEIH-k’hE.



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Virtuous females, who had graced the community of Tseth-
k’he in former times. These memorial tablets were par-
ticularly large and handsome, shewing the sense entertained
by its inhabitants of female worth. There is here a river
flowing to the south-west, which afterwards passes Hwuy-
chow, and then traversing the northern part of Che-keang
province, empties itself into the bay of Hang-chow. A-
long this stream, the greatest part of the green teas aro
conveyed, which are sent to Niugpo anti Shanghae. The
river at this place, is spanned by a bridge of seven arches,
about 250 feet long, and 20 wide, very strongly built, and
with a level road over the top of it.

The town of Tseih-k;he was first settled in the Leang
dynasty (a. d. 502), under the name of ^ Leang-gnan,
but was afterwards put out of the list of corporate towns;
until the time of tj!; T'hae-tsung, of the^j^ Sung dynas-
ty, (a. d. 770) when it was established as a district city,
under the name of ^ Tseih-k’be, or interwoven
stream; this name was assigned it from the curious wind-
ings of the river, which flows past the place, the two
branches of which appear as if interwoven with each
other. The walls of the city were built in the last year of
Kea-tsing, of the Ming dynasty, a. d. 1,566, by the
magistrate of the place.

Iu the 30th year of Kang-he, (a. d. 1,692) a benevolent
individual, at his private expense, formed a new road, at the
Sin-1 mg, a mountain lying between Tseih-k’he and
Ning-kwo been, to save people the trouble of crossing over
the top of the mountain.

The. walls of Tseih-k’he are 8,410 feet, or nearly two
miles, in circumference; it is provided with eight gates ; the
residence of the magistrate is in the northern quarter ; it has
a college and examination hall, with public granaries, and
an hospital for old men.

From Kwung-Uh-chow, up to this place, the strata of the

Q,130

rocks, consisting of clay-slate and lime-stone, were observed
to dip towards the south. Here again we met with red sand-
stone, dipping in the same direction. We saw in the district
of Tseih-k’he, some mills driven by water, and used for the
purpose of pounding and cleansing rice, or grinding wheat ;
the wheels were, however, very roughly finished, and the
whole of the machinery was of wood.

VILLAGE OF HEOrtG-LOO-CHlN.

About three miles on the south side of Tselh-k’he, we came
to a village called ^ Heung-loo-chin, having passed
through which, we were beset by a number of beggars, who
were clamorous for cash, and thrust their hands into the
sedans, being determined not to be denied. 1 had no cash
about me, my companion being the cash-keeper; this I told
them; but they would not believe that a person, who could
afford to ride in a sedan, could possibly be destitute of cash ;
or that any one in his senses would trust his fellow-traveller
with all his money ; so that they kept on pestering me for
some time, till my companion came up to the rescue. After
this I thought it better to provide myself with a few copper
coins, to avoid such annoyances in future. At this place,
also, a number of suspicious-looking men came about us, who
seemed determined to pry into our affairs, with the view of
finding something about us, which they might complain of
to the magistrate, and thereby promote their own selfish
ends; we, however, avoided them, and at	Lin-k’he we

halted for the night. The road along which we had travelled
this day was well-made and broad, paved with flag-stones
in the centre, and smaller pebbles on either side; so that
carriages might easily have been driven along the way. The
flag-stones of which the road was constructed were of lias,
some of them more than ten feet long, and two wide. The
soil appeared fertile and the people happy. The distance
travelled to-day was about 70 le; or 21 miles.131

THE CTTY OF HWUY-CHOW.

April 11th. After a journey of 40 le, we arrived at
Hwuy-chow, on entering which we observed four idle vaga-
bonds, lying down on the road side, who called on us to stop ;
we, however, passed on without heeding them.

The road to the prefectural city of Hwuy-chow, lies
through the district city of J0C HeTh, which latter is joined on
to the former, as it were an excrescence, on the eastern side.
Both cities are walled ; the wali of the perfectural city form-
ing the defence of the district city on one of its sides ; the
other three being surrounded by a wall inferior in height
and strength to the wall of the larger city. The stranger, on
entering the gateway of the smaller city, does not immediate-
ly perceive the houses of the district city, which are hidden
by a few small hills within the inclosure, so that it appears
as if the district city wall were merely an outwork of the de-
fences of Hwuy-chow itself. We entered by the ^
Sin-gnan gate, on the north-east side of HeTh-heen, where
there are few if any houses within the walls ; the inhabited
part of the district city lying to the left as we passed along,
where the district magistrate resides, and where all the pub-
lic offices are situated. The principal entrance, however, is
by the	Tsze-yang gate, in the south-eastern quarter.

The district city of Heih is spoken of so far back as
the time of^^ ZHTsln firh she, the successor of him
who burned the books, b. c. 246, and was so called from
a marsh of that name, which lies to the soulh of the city.
In the Tang dynasty, silver and lead were extracted
from the ip|J Chang hill within this district. The mines were,
however, exhausted, after they had worked but a few years.
The city was originally without defences, but in the Ming
dynasty the Japanese attacked the place, which induced the
district magistrate to erect the city walls, which in the 39th132

year of	Kea-tsing were completed. The walls are

about 10,000 feet, or two miles in length, and 30 feet in
height ; being ten feet wide at the top, and 20 at the bottom.
The cost of the erection was 100,000 taels of silver. A Chi-
nese writer on this subject, says, “ the most, agreeable thing
for the people is to pass their lives without annoyance.
This was the case at Heth. for 190 years after the settlement
of the district ; during which period they never heard of wars
or confusions until those cruel Japanese suddenly disturbed
the eastern districts, when the poor people, seeking to escape
them, crowded into the fenced cities. These not being suffi-
cient to contain the multitudes, who trode one upon another,
the necessity of building more walled cities became ap-
parent. The rulers, therefore, solicited those in higher sta-
tions, and urged the peasantry and villagers, until even
women and nurses came forward with their contributions,
amounting to 800 taels ; some sold part of their lands, in or-,
der to remunerate the workmen : some composed songs for
labourers to sing and forget their toils ; while others afforded
the more substantial aid of materials in this way the walls
were completed, and the city was secure.”

From the district city of H**'h. to the prefectural city Of
Hwuy, the passage is by the ^ Tfh-shfng gate, situated
about the middle of the line of wall which, running north
and sorth, separates the two cities. This gateway is large,
and provided with a half-moon bastion, on one side of which
there is a gate through which the road passes, and then,
turning sharp off at an angle, enters the principal gateway of
the chief city. Here are to be seen a number of commemo-
rative arches, intended to keep alive the recollection of
the various virtuous females, who have adorned the city
of Hwuy-chow these arches are in such numbers, and
so lavishlv adorned, as to lead a stranger to imagine that all
the feminine virtue in the empire has "been congregated inground plan of hwuy-chow.









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lE'#^133

Hwuy-chow. Just as we entered the gateway, we met a
government officer, seated in his sedan, with a large retinue
following him our chair-bearers immediately stopped, and
we alighted to let the great man pass. He was a dark-vi-
saged man. and looked scrutinizingly at me but I turned
off info a shop, and avoided his further inspection. The
main street, of Hwuy-chow was long, and thronged with
busy people, amongst whom none took the trouble to look
at us, and so we passed on unobserved. Our course lav a-
long the main street of the city, which is called the “f~
Shih-tsze-keae passing on the right the public college
and granaries, and on the left a number of temples situated
on an elevated spot within the walls. Arriving at the
streets running north and south through the city, and which
by their crossing thus give the name to the principal way
along which we travelled, we went under an ornamental
gateway, called	Ying-ho-mun, and thence a-

cross a broad square, well paved and clean, which was in
front of the prefect’s mansion, and so out at the west gate
of the city. Here our bearers insisted upon sitting down to
enjoy some vermicelli soup, and we were therefore obliged to
take shelter in a tea-shop which stood close by. Here my
companion was much disturbed by the appearance of several
myrmidons from the public office, who stood for some time
in front of tea-shop where we were, pointing hither and
thither, and making signs as if they were in search of some
or.e ; but it is very probable that his fears were groundless,
and t1 at the men in question were looking f<fter something
that more nearly concerned themselves than us. Leaving
t' e tea-shop, and resuming our journey, we passed over the
great Hwuy-chow river, which was spanned by a bridge of
many arches, about 750 feet long, and twenty-five wide.
One of the arches was however broken ; and the communi-
cation thus interrupted was kept up by beams and planks
laid across. Having passed over the bridge, we observed134

preparation? for the acting of a play ; a stage was erected
by the side of the river, and a great number of benches
spread out under an awning, on which vvere already seated
some well-dressed females, waiting for the play to commence.

A little way from this we passed near another bridge of se-
ven arches, very well formed and in good order, along which
a rond passed, leading to the westward, towards the city of
jtfl? Hew-ning. To give the reader some idea-.of the
bridges at. Hwuy-chow, we subjoin a sketch of one called
the ^ J^Tsze-yang-keaou, situated on the south side
of the city of Heth just described. The sketch is by a na-
tive artist, and of course the perspective and proportions are
very defective ; still it will serve to exhibit the character of
Chinese bridges in this region.

The city of Hwuy-chow, is mentioned in the Shoo-king,
as existing during the reign of Yu, b. c. 2.200: under
the name of ^ Yang-chow: (see English Trans-
lation of the Shoo-king, page 97,) During the period des-
cribed by Confucius, in his History of his Own Times (p. c.
500), it formed part of the ^ Woo country, which extended
from the hills of Hwuy-chow to the sea-coast near Shanghae.
After the Woo country was destroyed, it formed part of the
region of Yug ; then of the kingdom of Tsoo. In
the 25th year of }jj§f Ifl Tsln-chMiwang, the whole
region was called Chang. The emperor 3^ ^ Kwang-
woo, of the ^|j£ Han dynasty, (a. d. 17) called it JJJ* Tan-
yang : during the reign of)^ Heen, (a. d. 203) it was deno-
minated j§t Sin-too; the ^ Tsi'n dynasty, (a. d. 264)
altered it to^jf ^ Sin-gnan. During the reign of the first
monarch of the ^ Suy dynasty, (a. d. 598) it was altered to
Heth^how. During the reign of ^ Hwuy-
tsung, of the Sung dynasty, it was called	Hwuy-

chow, on account of the beauty of the situation, and per-
haps out Qf compliment to the reigning monarch \ which
name, with slight occasional changes, it'has retained to the
present day.VIEW or A BRIDGE AT HWUT-OHOW.135

The prefecture of Hwuy-chow is 390 le from east to west,
and 250 from north to south ; it is 650 le distant from
Nanking, and 4,000 from Pelting. The city walls are 11,340
feet, or a little more than two miles in circumference ; they
are from seventeen to twenty feet in height, and from eight
to ten in thickness ; it is oblong in form, being louger from
north to south, than from east to west. The city is provi-
ded with five gates, each of which has a half-moon bastion
to cover it j and barracks for troops to guard it. Seven
towers are to be met with in various parts of the walls, for
the purpose of espying the approach of an enemy. On
three sides of the city, there is a moat, twenty-four feet wide,
and twelve deep; but on the remaining side, the hills are
supposed to be a sufficient guard.

THE TOWN OF TUN-K’hE.

On leaving the city of Hwuy-chow, we took a southerly
course; having travelled about ten le, we perceived that
the road was paved with large flag-stones, of a light colour ;
the road itself was about six feet wide. Thirty le from the
city, we observed a small hill, about three hundred feet high,
with a round top, consisting entirely of stratified red sand-
stone ; there were a number of hills around, of the same
character. Ten le further, we perceived that the stones with
which the roads were paved, those with which the founda-
tion of the houses were constructed, and those of which the
bases of flag-staffs in front of the temples were made, were all
red sand-stone * from which I concluded, that such rocks
abounded in this region. On examination, the sand-stone
was found not to be of the coarse kind, for the people seemed
to be in the habit of using these stones for sharpening then
knives and axes ; so that the buttresses of the temples and
houses were very much worn away in many parts, by the
process, Having proceeded ten le further, the chair-bearers136

wished to halt for the night, ata small village; but as we were
within a short distance of a large mart for business, where
my fellow-traveller wished to see a friend, they were con-
strained to go on ; whilst we walked a part of the way to
relieve them of their load: in this way we arrived at F{3 ^
Tun-k’he.

This Tun-k’he lies in Latitude 29. 48. North, Longi-
tude 2. 4. East of Peking, and though an unwalled town, is
one of the largest places of commerce in the green tea dis-
trict. It is situated on the	’JSJ Heen-keaug-hd, which

falls into the Hwuy-chow river. It is about three miles
long, and contains at least 100,000 inhabitants, amongst
whom are the most extensive tea-dealers, who purchase the
teas that are grown in the surrounding country, and after
preparing and sorting them, despatch them by means of a
water communication that passes through the town, by
way of Hwuy-chow to Shang-hae; or if they think they
can find a better market, they have only to transport them
over a range of hills to the westward, when they descend
the stream that passes by Woo-yuen, into the Po-yang lake,
and thence southward to Canton. In the town, there are
not only large house of business in the green tea line, but
also every kind of handicraft is practiced, that is in any
way connected with the packing and transporting of the
teas ; together with a host of shop-keepers, who live by dis-
posing of eatables and wearing-apparel to the traders and
mechanics thus engaged. Seven or eight hundred chops of
tea are annually sent from Tun-k’he, in the directions above
specified. My fellow-traveller, being well acquainted with
the managers of one of these tea-establishments, stopped at
his house for the night. We were, on alighting from our
chairs, greeted with a hearty welcome by our kind host, who
entertained us in a hospitable manner, and treated us
with every mark of kinJuess and respect. We were first
regaled with basins of hot vermicelli soup ; and as the even-137

ing 3et in, a large feast was prepared for us in the central
hall. The lights upon the table, however, were very dim,
and as I wore a pair of darlc-coloured spectacles, to prevent
any remarks being made upon my eyes, I was unable to
see distinctly what was in the dishes before me. With a
great deal of difficulty 1 was enabled to take up with the
chopsticks, a few pieces of meat from the dishes, in the cen-
tre of the table, which I not unfrequenlly let fall before they
reached my plate, or could be conveyed to my mouth. Our
kind host saw the dilemma I was in, and persisted in assist-
ing me to secure the most dainty bits, and lodge them in my
plate; he must have seen, however, that I behaved myself
most awkwardly, and acted as no Chinaman would have done
under the circumstances ; indeed nothing but his native polite-
ness could have led him to overlook the slips, or prevented
him from attributing them to the right cause, viz:, a want of
familiarity with the instrument employed'. His son, a
young man between twenty and thirty, must certainly have
suspected something unusual in their guest, for I could
perceive him watching my every motion, and eyeing me from
top to toe. I was very glad, therefore, when the feast was
ended, and we removed from the ill-lighted table, to sit in a
still more gloomy part of the room. Here the host engaged me
in conversation, and asked me particularly respecting anew
Chinese- firm, which had been recently established in
Shanghae. Happening to know something respecting the
said house of business, I was enabled to give him some in-
formation ; while I was at th® same time surprised at the
accurate knowledge which he possessed of things as they
existed in Shanghae. Finding from the tones of my speech
that I was acquainted with the Fokien dialect, he asked me
more particularly respecting matters in that province, and
the manners and customs of the Fokien people. Thus we
passed the evening, until overpowered with the fatigue of a
long journey during the day, I asked to be shown to iny

R138

room, and took my leave of our kind host, expecting to de-
part early the next morning. A sleeping apartment was
allotted us in the rear of the great hall, which, though nei-
ther to be admired for its cleanliness, nor beauty, was a pre-
fect palace, compared with many places, where we had al-
ready lodged ; here tired with the business of the day, I
soon fell asleep.

PROSECUTION OF THE JOURNEY.

On the 12th of April, we set out early from Tun-k’he, and
after travelling about five le, came to a curious assemblage of
rocks, about 100 feet high standing in the midst of the plain.
The principal rocks were two, standing opposite each other,
with a temple built between them, which they appeared to
overshadow and protect. In this part we saw frequent
specimens of the tea-shrub, on each side of the road ; but
planted on raised pathways between the rice-fields, or in the
corners of enclosures, as though they did not form the chief
article of cultivation, but were merely attended to as a second-
ary object. The plants were bushy, about three feet high,
with new leaves coming out, while the old leaves were still on
the tree ; the new leaves only appeared to be gathered by the
cultivators. One plant is estimated to produce about a
pound of tea-leaves during the season ; but seven pounds of
the green leaves are calculated to make only one pound of
the dried and prepared tea. The common people merely use
the little stalks and refuse leaves, while the best part of the
produce is sold to the tea-dealers.

After travelling about ten le in this direction, we came to a
ruined bridge, over the	Heuen-keang-ho, across

which the road formerly lay; but this being now broken
down, we were obliged to goon, about a le further, until we
came to a ferry, at which we paid six cash for each chair, and
one for each individual. Three le further on, we crossed139

another river, called the jSjfj 'JpJ Nan-keang-ho ; here we
observed people making bamboo rafts, by first peeling off the
outer green rind of the reed ; after which they varnished it of
a black colour, in order, as they said, to make the raft float
more lightly on the top of the wave: the ends of the bamboos,
which formed the head of the raft, were bent upwards by
means of heat, to enable those who used them to get more
easily over the rapids,* with which these rivers abound. We
passed this day several tall elms, and others trees, in full
growth and vigor. One spot was especially to be admired,
surrounded with these hi?h trees, with their thick foliage,
full of the feathered songsters of the grove, who appeared
happy in being exempted from the fowler’s gun. Here we
stopped to take tea, and were enabled to enjoy the scenery,
while our bearers rested themselves.

About twenty te farther on, we came to
Nan-shan-kob-meaou, an ancient temple under the southern
hill. At this place, according to the saying of the geomancers,
was once discovered the foot of a dragon; on which account
it was esteemed a most fortunate place for sepulture, insuring
that any, who had their parents buried there, would at-
tain to no less than imperial dignity. It is said, that the
owner of the ground, surnamed Wang, was desirous of
securing the site for a tomb, when the people interfered, lest
the consequence would be a revolution and change of dynasty :
they therefore subscribed a large sum of money, purchased
the property, and built fthe temple ; which, however, out of
compliment to the former owner, they dedicated to ^

Wang kung ta te. It is futher reported, that the em-
peror, who reigned at the time, also contributed a sum of
money towards the building of the temple ; lest the succes-
sionto the throne, in his own family, should be disturbed by a
person belonging to any other house obtaining this fortunate
site for a grave. All this in consequence of what they term
a dragon’s foot having been discovered in the soil; which140

after all was perhaps nothing more than tjie remains of some
ichthyosaurus or plesiosaurus, which among us would have
been of far greater interest to the geologist than the geo-
mancer.

We passed this day through a considerable town, called
j|§[ fjgj£ Lung-yen, or ^ Wob-ching-chin. At this
place, we met with the river formerly mentioned called Nan-,
keang-ho. navigable for rafts or small boats, and flowing to-
wards	Tun-k’he, from which it is distant by the road

about 40 le ; at Tun-k’he it joins the ^ JflJ Heen-
lreang-ho, when they both flow on td Hwuy-chow, and from
thence to Hang-chow bay. Here the people from 'JJjfti
Woo-yuen, who have to convey teas and other produce to«
wards Ningpo and Shanghae, take advantage of the water-
carriage, and transport their goods by means of this stream;
after having crossed the chaia of hills which here separates
the district of Woo-yuen from those of	Hew-nfng,

and ^ Heih. All the rivers on the south side of this chain
of hills flow to the southward and westward, into the P<r-
yang lake, by which means the valuable produce of Woo-
yu£n is transported to Canton.

After travelling ten le further, we came to a small hamlet,
called 7fc)f	Sin-l'mg-keuh ; here the rain and wind

prevailed so much, that the chair-bearers would not venture
to ascend the hill which lay before us, so that we were ob-
liged to put up at a miserable hovel which presented itself,
in the name of an inn, at the foot of the hill. The ac-
commodation was of the most wretched description ; we
procured shelter from the rain, it is true ; but that was near-
ly all. The hut in which we had to lodge, admitted the
wind at every corner ; and a recess was offered us as a bed-
place, which must have been'tenanted by beggars and thieves
for many a day pievioualy. For provisions the people could
furnish us with nothing, but coarse red rice, and a few
pickled beans to tempt it down. They did not forget to141

charge, however, as much as if we had been favoured with
the best accommodation and supplies. This hill appeared
to be of the clay-state formation, mixed with conglomerate ;
the dip was toward the north-east.

The hill itself, which is called ^)[ Sin-ling, is said by
the Chiness to be 6,000 feet high. I found it, however, by
counting the steps we ascended, to be no more than 1,500
feet, from the hamlet at the foot to the pass over which we
crossed. The peaks of the neighbouring mountain were much
higher. It adjoins on the west the ^ Foo-vnng, or
marsh-mallow hill, and constitutes, with the ^f^^Tiiy-
ki'ng, ^ |§^ Show-tow, and ^ Tih-shmg hills, the
five lofty mountains for which this region is celebrated.
There are various caves and rocky dells amongst these hills,
which are adorned by temples and pavilions, where the tra-
veller or devotee may rest ; and in the recesses of which
priests are found, fostering and perpetuating the system of
Buddha. In one of these pavilions there is a	Shih-

sun. or stalagmite, twenty feet high. A Chinese poet has
celebrated these five mountain peaks, in his song, as follows :
“ The five-pointed mountain rears its lofty head,

Where the marsh-mallow'lifts its blossoms to the sky ;

At every step we" ascend higher and higher,

And as we mount upwards dare not look back.

Winding and turning we seem as if scaling the Heavens,
And fancy we shall never reach the summit.

It is not necessary to enquire whither we are going,

But we press on until we reach the azure clouds.”

JOURNEY OVER THE HILLS.

April 13. The rain having ceased, my companion deter-
mined to proceed, and I was obliged to accompany him.
] directed my thoughts, however, to Him, who will have
mercy and not sacrifice, and whilst seated in the sedan was142

enabled to refresh my mind by the perusal of the Scriptures.
We passed in succession over five different mountains as des-
cribed above. The road was well-paved the whole way ; flat
stones having been laid down, six feet wide, and formed
into regular steps, up and down the hills. Sometimes the
road was paved with slabs of coarse marble, and some-
times with large round pebbles, brought from the brooks
below. We observed also a white kind of stone, which
appeared to be pure felspar, resembling that of which the
Chinese porcelain is made, interspersed with a hard red
stone like porphyry. All of these appeared to be quarried
out of the neighbouring hills. The natives informed us, that
the paved road was constructed by a man, whose surname
was ^3* Wang, belonging to the district of	Woo-

yuen ; some part of it is ascribed to an old vintner, who, on
account of the restoration of an only son to health, exhaust-
ed his property in the construction of this road. The whole
is the result of voluntary effort, and charitable contribution,
without any government order or imperial benefaction.
The mass of the rock of which the hills are composed
seems to be gneiss, mixed occasionally with the felspar
and porphyry, above alluded to. On one side of the hills,
the dip of the strata is towards the north-east, and on the
other towards the south-west; hence the disturbing force
which upheaved the mass must have been somewhere about
the central ridge. The angle of the dip is from thirty to fifty
degrees, and sometimes the strata are quite vertical.

The scenery, whilst winding amongst these hills, I found
to be picturesque in the extreme. Here and there a rocky dell,
in the bosom of which lay a Buddhist temple ; now and
then, a monumental pillar or gateway, intended to perpetu-
ate some supposed benevolent act, or virtuous female ; while
the works of nature, more sublime by far than the works of
art. with which they were intended to be adorned, rose in
awful grandeur, and overtowered them all. Whilst passing143

over these hills, we met some tea-merchants from Woo-yuen,
going to purchase teas. They had long white bags, slung to
the poles across their shoulders, which on enquiry, I found
to contain silver. Each of them seemed to be conveying the
worth of a thousand dollars, unconcealed and undefended,
over these retired heights, far from the busy haunts of men,
without apparently the slightest apprehension of being attack-
ed by those who might covet their wealth. Indeed our com-
panions were doing the same thing, and though they were
sometimes alarmed, when lodging at inns, near crowded
cities, where sharpers might have sought a quarrel with
them, and by bringing them before the mandarins, have
squeezed them to the extent of their property -} they never
dreaded mountain bandits, nor open plunderers. This
speaks much for the secure condition of the wild and unfre-
quented parts of the interior ; but not much for the justice
and protection afforded by* the magistracy, in the cities of
China.

After passing two villages called ^	^ Ta-k’harrg-

chin, and ^	Ming-tan-ch’hun, we came to the town of

Keang-wan-ch’hun, where we saw a river flow-
ing to the southward, called	Woo-hd, the same which

afterwards passes by ^ ^ Woo-yuen and from which
that city derives its name. After this it empties itself into the
Po-yang lake, and forms a medium of export to the inhabi-
tants of this district, towards the south and west. Leaving
the town of yT] Keang-wan, and travelling about five
le, we came to a very well-constructed bridge, called

Hung-tse-keaou, which was built over the Woo-hd. It
consisted of strong buttresses, from one to the other of
which beams were laid across, having planks iiailed on
them. We annex an illustration of it by a Chinese artist,
which is not unlike the original. The bridge is twenty-four
feet long, and the space between the buttresses, from thirty to
forty feet. The width of the bridge is fifteen feet. On144

(.lie centre of ill® bridge'is a pavilion, to screen it from the
weather. Underneath the pavilion, are two small shrines,
in which offerings are made to the spirits under whose
charge the bridge is supposed to be. Near these shrines
is a board, containing the regulations under which the
bridge is placed ; according to one of these, beggars are
forbidden to cook their rice, or to pass the night, under shel-
ter of the pavilion ; according to another, heavily-laden car-
riages are prohibited from crossing the bridge ; according
to a third, cattle are required to wade through the stream,
and not to cross the bridge at all. There is also a board
hung up at the bridge, recording the names of those who
contributed to its erection; according to this, it appears,
that the magistrate at Woo-yuen had subscribed fifty taels
of silver ; whilst some others, had given one or two hundred
taels. In this way, most of the bridges and canals in China,
with the roads and other conveniences for travelling, are
constructed, and maintained by the efforts of private bene-
volence.

THE VILLAGE OF WANG-K’HOW-CH’HUN.

Having crossed over this bridge, and travelled about ten
le, we came to PJ Wang-k’hbw-ch’hun ; here we
found a junction of two rivulets, one the	Woo-ho, which

we had already seen, and the other flowing from the
Ldng-wei hill, in the north-west. The two rivulets united
here, form a considerable stream, which is navigable for
large boats. Having crossed this river, we put up for the
night at the town on the opposite bank. The inn at which
we were accommodated, however, was excessively filthy;
and as there was no private parlour, we had to take our
meals with the family. This instead of being a privilege,
was a complete annoyance, as all the inmates, as well as
lodgers, who were not of the highest class of society, con-
sidered themselves privileged to elbow and scrutinize theVIEW OF 4. BRIDGE IN WOQ-YUKN.145

guests, no matter who they were, or from whence they came.
Thus we were subjected to all sorts of inspection and remark;
while the interchange of compliments at a Chinese dinner-
table. such as have been described on a preceding page, were
under these circumstances anything but agreeable. The
chair-bearers for instance, who dined with us, thought them-
selves entitled to take every liberty, as if they were on the
most friendly footing ; and all this was to be endured, lest by a
little manifestation of disgust, they should discover, that they
had some among them who were not familiar with Chinese
habits. At night, we were shewn into a large upper room,
where all sorts of people were reclining on the floor, in pro-
miscuous confusion, amongst whom we should have been com-
pelled to lie down, had we not disc overed a small chamber,
particularly inclosed in one corner, where there was the sem-
blance of a bedstead ; upon this we stretched ourselves,
and should have enjoyed a little repose, had we not, every
now and then, been aroused by the noises which issued from
the large room, where the numerous occupants of the floor
were either fighting or playing, during the whole night.
Once or twice I started up, but my companion begged me to
be still ; and thus we passed the troubled night, till the
break of day informed us, that it was time to rise.

April 14. My fellow-traveller discovered that our own chair-
bearers had been drinking, gaming and quarrelling the whole
night, with some of the lodgers at the inn; and on reproving
them for it, he and they came to a disagreement; whereupon
the bearers shouldered their chairs and went away, leaving
us to do the best we could for the rest of the journey. Being
thus left by our own coolies, my fellow-traveller engaged
places for us in the passage-boat, which was that morning
moving down the river. Here we had to sit in very close
contiguity with all sorts of people, lace to face, and eye
to eye. so that if any discovery was to be made of the
foreign extraction of any on hoard, that was the time to make

S146

It. The passengers expressed to each other, as is usual on
such occasions, their opinions relative to the origin, character,
and intentions of each individual stranger. Their surmise
respecting myself was, that 1 was some literary graduate,
who, having succeeded at the district examination, was now
proceeding to the provincial city to try for higher honours.
They seemed, however, much more taken up with smoking,
than with the observation of men and manners; for the pipe,
which was a sort of water-pipe, somewhat approaching to a
hookah, went continually round amohgst them, and
was pulled at successively by every one, without cessation.
During our voyage this morning, we passed over ten or more
rapids, where the water ran with the fiercest violence, among
the rocks and over the shallows. The boat, when arrived at
these places, darted away of its own accord with considerable
velocity ; and all that the people on board could do, was mere-
ly to guide it. so as to avoid the dangers that threatened on
every side. Having been accustomed to the place, and the
work, they managed tolerably well, and brought the boat
safely through, where a stranger would expect a certain
wreck. The voyage down the river was thus speedy in the
extreme ; the attempt to ascend, however, must have been pro-
portionably difficult; and what took us only one day in the
descent, would have required at least ten days to accomplish
in the opposite direction. To the north, on a hill at some
distance, we observed some stone pillars, or peaks of a great
height. These appear to have been situated on the JJj}]
Kaou-hoo, 'or High Lake hill, which separates Woo-yuen
from 3§£ Hew-ning ; the hill is thus denominated, on ac-
count of a lake near the top, covering several acres of ground,
which during all seasons of the year never becomes dry.
The pillars we noticed are called ^ ^ Mo-foo-ting, and
i!|^-Foo-fung ; the latter is so denominated on account
of its resemblance to a hatchet; on one side of the former
there is an orifice, from which gas or smoke is emitted, whichVIEW OF HIGH PEAKS.147

the Chinese call ^	^ T’hung-t’heen-k'heaou, the open-

ing that communicates with heaven. We annex a rough
sketch of the scene taken by a Chinese artist.

The rocky strata on the river-side dipped towards the
south, the banks of the stream were well-wooded ; this, and its
perpetual winding, presented us with an ever-varying but
pleasant prospect, which relieved the tedium of the voyage
very much. After travelling 40 le, we arrived at the dwelling
of my fellow-traveller. He had been nearly two years away,
and I was curious to see, und. r such circumstances, what
sort of reception a Chinese father of a family, would meet
with on his return home; on arriving at the village, one or
two persons recognized him, but without stopping to converse,
he passed on to his own dwelling. Entering this, he found
his younger brother, who had been left in temporary charge
of his abode, and to whom was entrusted the out-door work
connected with his little farm, sitting in the front room, enga-
ged in shelling some beans. This man, on recognizing his bro-
ther, merely gave him a nod. after which he rose up, cleared a-
way the beans, and proceeded to sweep the floor, which much
needed it. The wife then came in, and without any salutation
proceeded to wipe the table, and spread the tea-cups. The
daughter, a young woman of eighteen, was equally indifferent;
and both she and her mother seemed only anxious to know
what fine things he had brought with him. His baggage
not having arrived, they were obliged to wait for the grati-
fication of their curiosity.

April 14—18th. I remained in this family, enjoying their
hospitality, until the arrival of my other fellow-traveller,
with whom I had to prosecute my journey a little further.
Having thus had an opportunity of seeing the interior of a
Chinese household, as one of themselves, I shall be the more
particular in describing the domestic arrangements. The
house was small: the front and central room, in which the148

guests were received, and where the family meals were
eaten, was a sort of shed, open in front, and' surrounded on the
other three sides by the remaining rooms of the dwelling, one
of which was a pig’s-stye, and the other my sleeping apart-
ment. Common earth served for the floor, about the evenness
of which the inmates were not very particular; for every suc-
cessive foot, on entering, in rainy weather, brought an addi-
tional quantity of earth with it, which the bringers were not
careful to deposit in the places most needed hence the
passage from the entrance to the back apartment was higher,
in consequence of the increased deposits of mud, than the
more unfrequented parts of the room. As to the mainten-
ance of cleanliness, such a floor afforded peculiar advantages ;
all liquids soaking at once into the earth, and smaller parti-
cles being easily trodden into it; while the bones, which
fell occasionally from the table, were gladly carried away by
the half-famished dogs. The stench arising from such
a floor, however, combined with the pig’s-stye on one side,
and an uncleaned drain in front, was rather disagreeble to
those unaccustomed to it ; but being on a keeping with the
rest of the establishment, it was not worth while remarking
thereon. The room which was allotted for my reception
was sufficiently secure to keep the weather out, and as it
afforded the advantage of reiirement, its other inconveni-
ences were the more easily tolerated. The apartment ap-
propriated to the females was not much better than the front
room for the reception of visitors ; for that too was open on
one side, for the admission of air and light, while earth in
its native state constituted the floor. Another apartment
appropriated to lumber made up the dwelling. And this
was the private residence of one of those tea-dealers, who
are in the habit of veiling both Canton and Shanghae, to
transact business with foreigners, though in a secondary
capacity.

However poor the dwelling of these people, the provisions149

of their table was by no means deficient, My hostess
seemed to feel a pride in bringing forward something new and
nice at every meal ; and when her husband was necessarily
absent on business, she would press me to eat, and seemed
dissatisfied if I did not devour the greater part of what
was put on the table. Though forbidden by Chinese eti-
quette to sit down at the same table with a stranger,
she would stand on one side, and frequently come from her
inner apartment, to insist on my eating more ; as though she
was afraid lest her husband should scold her, if he found
his guest in indifferent keeping. Her unmarried daugh-
ter, who frequently went in and out of the front apart-
ment, was always well-dressed, and had remarkably small
feet; the shoes to fit on which were not above four inches long.
Her principal employment seemed to be to feed the pigs, which
she very industriously attended to, about every half hour ,*
affirming that it was not good to give pigs their food all at
once, but that it was better to supply them with smaller por-
tions and at more freqnent intervals. Thus she might be seen
all day long, hobbling through the front apartment, with the
slush-bucket, wherewith to supply her pets, who evidently
seemed to flourish under her care.

In one part of the house was a range of coppers, for firing
and preparing the tea, which during the season, occupies
the attention of this and almost every other household in
the district, day and night, until the leaf is brought to a
marketable condition. Then comes the work of picking, or
selecting ; by which means, from the same mass of prepared
leaves, the various kinds of tea are procured, from the com-
monest Hyson, to the finest Imperial. The tea plants grew
around the dwelling, on every spot of ground that could be
spared from rice-cultivation, not in regular plantations, but
under the hedges, and along the pathways which separate the
rice-fields, as though the tea-cultivation was only a secondary,
and the five kinds of grain the principal, object of attention.150

THE DISTRICT OF WOO-YUEN

The city of	Woo-yuen, which was only ten le

distant from the residence of my host, was founded in the
28th year of ^ Heuen-tsung, of the ^ Tang dynasty
(a. d. 741) ; when, from the circumstance of its lying on the
river Woo, it received its present name. The city walls
were built in the Sung dynasty, they are said to be 5,310
feet, or a little more than a mile in length ; the river Woo
flows round it on the north, east, and west, thus form-
ing a moat on three sides of the city ; the remaining side is
defended by a moat, twenty feet broad, and eight deep.
These defences had, however, fallen into decay, when in tbe
45th year of the reign of ^ $|| Kea-tsing, (a. d. 1,567,) oil
account of the incursions and depredations of some banditti
from the Che-lceang province, the then presiding magistrate
had the Walls and ditches repaired, and enlarged to the ex-
tent of more than 9,000 feet. The city has now five prin-
cipal gates, defended by half-moon bastious, and three small-
er ones, for the convenience of the people. The residence of
the magistrate is near the centre of the city, on the north
side of the main street leading from the east to the west
gates ; there are two arched gateways, with galleries over
them, built across the main street, the one on the right and
the other on the left hand of the mandarin’s house, to grace
the entrance of the abode of magistracy, or to inspire
the people with some awe of their rulers. Near the west
gate is the college and examination hall, adjoining the tem-
ple of ^ *1^ Wan-te, the god of literature. In the south-
east corner of the city, is an hospital for the reception of old
and infirm persons, and on the north-east the barracks of
the military.

The city of Woo-yuSn is 240 le to the south-west of the
prefectural city of Hang-chow. The territory embraced in
this disirict is 220 le from east to west, and 150 from northGROUND PLAN OF WOO-YURN.151

to south. It is 190 le from the city of |p| K’hae-hwa,
on the east, and 155 from that of	Fow-leang, on the

west. It is 105 ie distant from the city of fijjS, Tih-hing,
on the south, and 180 le from that of ffc 3|e£ Hew-nlng, on
the north.

In order to give the reader an idea of the resources and ex-
penditure of the various districts, alluded to in this narrative ;
we extract from the statistics of |j^ jjj”| Hwuy-chow. a de-
tailed account of the capitation tax, the tax on fields and
land, and the sums expended on various accounts, shewing
whatjbalance is left to to be carried to the Imperial Treasury.

CAPITATION TAX.

Originally estimated number of masters of families,
in the district of Woo-yuen.	30,718

On striking the census, it was found, that there had
been a subsequent increase of	2 193

Total	32,911

Deduct persons privileged and exempted from ser-
vice ; such as, the descendants of Choo-foo-tsze, and the
gentry, or the graduates of purchased rank, viz. Tsi'n-
sze, Keu-ji11, Kung-sang and Keen-sang, amounting to 673
Balance of persons really fit for service	32,238

Originally estimated number of persons belonging
to Lo-ping and Tih-hing districts, in Keang-se, who
have purchased land on the borders of Woo-yuen dis-
trict, and reside in farmsteads to manage their taxes	87

Total number of males in Woo-yuen district, and
residents of purchased farmsteads	32,325

Taking each man at taels, .10458455912

gives for 32,238 men, taels	3371.59701691056

Taking each man at taels .103

gives for 87men, taels	8.961

Total amount at which 32,325	__________________

men are estimated, taels	3380.55801691056152

TAX ON FIELD8 AND LANDS PAID IN MONEY.

King. mow. fun. le. haou.
Originally estimated amount
of rice-land	4,291	50	1	6	9

Dry land, 735 king, 97 mow,

7 fun, 4 le, 8 haou, allowing each
mow of dry land an average of

6 fun, 1 le, 5 haou of rice-fields 452 62	6	1	5

Hills. 1,215 king, 22 mow, 3 fun,

3 le, 6 haou, allowing an average
of 2 fun, 2 le, 2 haou, of rice-

land per mow	269	77	9	5	8

Embankments, 16 king, 47
mow, 2 fun, 5 le, 8 haou, allow-
ing an average of one mow of

rice.land, per mow	^	16	47	2	5	8

Total rice-land, and averages
of ditto, allowed on dry land

hills, and embankments	5,030	38	0	0	0	2

N. B. A Chinese mow is the sixth part of an English acre,
and 100 mow make a king.

Estimating each mow at taels

.674913134436 Total taels 33,950.6953455573
Original estimate of vassalage fees,
payable on the rice-land, of the farm-
steads, purchased within the border of
Woo-yuen, by the inhabitants of Lo-ping
and Tih-hing districts, in Keang-se,
which are not subject to grain and village
tax, taels .168398737 per mow of rice-land.

There being altogether 75 king, 54 mow,

2 fun, 5 le, 2 haou, of such rice-land, it
will pay taels

127.14552153

Brought forward 34,077.8408655573
Each mow of dry land pay9 tael9 .005 ;
there being total land, 4 king, 37 mow,

6 fun, 3 le, 2 haou, it will pay	taels 2.18816

Each mow of hill-ground pays taels .005
there being total hill-ground, 8 king, 89
mow, 4 fun, 5 le, 6 haou, it will pay taels 4.44728
Each mow of embankment pays taels
.01; there being total embankments 18 mow,

4 le, 2 haou, 2 sze, it will pay	taels .180422________

Total amount obtained from rice-land and
Vassalage fees	taels 34,084.6567275573

Deduct cultivated lands belonging to the
descendants of Choo-foo-tsze, the literati,
theLeen-hwuy store, and such like official
purposes, amounting to 20 king, 40 mow, 1
fun, 1 le, exempting each mow at the rate
of taels .02614765627, making a total de-
duction of	taels 53.344095329897

Balance estimated at taels 34,031.312632227403

TAX ON LAND PAID IN KIND.

Estimating each mow at .01309284786
shlh or pecuis of rice, gives for 503,038
mow, a total of rice	shih

Estimating each mow at .00072559131
shlh or pecuis of yellow peas, gives for
503,038 mow, a total of peas	shlh

A shih, or pecul is 133i lbp,. avoirdupois.

SUMS SENT UP TO THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL FOR SUNDRY
CHARITABLE PURPOSES.

Original estimate for Woo-yuen district, taels 30.

T

6586.2

365.

695L2154

Proceeds of rent of the Leen-hwuy fields,	88.6675

Less estimated expenditure for clothes,
fuel, and coffins to the destitute and
poor, which is put to the general ac-
count,	30.0000

Balance	taels 58.6675

(Note. See expenditure for sundries, not placed to general
account.)

EXPENSES ON FORWARDING TAX TO THE PROVINCIAL
CAPITAL.

Regular sum for Woo-yuen district, taels 31,504.95607869321
For porterage money for the above, taels 291.261049936675
For materials for yearly manufacture of

silk piece-goods, bedding, cushions, taels 261.9838
For gifts to carrying porters, loss on

exchange, and expenses,	taels 75.6769992

Total taels 628.921849136675
Here follows an enumeration of additions to, and deduc-
tions from this sum, made in different reigns, and upon vari-
ous accounts.

SUM SENT UP TO THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL, FOR THE
PURCHASE OF VARIOUS ARTICLES.

Originally-estimated sum for Woo-yuen
district,	taels

Bedding and cushions
Porterage and loss by exchange

Total taels

166.513813357127

15.897

■5712

182.982013357127

Here follows an enumeration of different articles, the com-
bined value of which makes the above sum : viz. vermilion,
cinnabar, black plums, indigo, Tung oil, tutenague, hemp-
en cloth, tea, yellow wax, and white wax. These different
articles are sent one year in kind, and another year in155

money; in the years when the latter is sent, the district
magistrate takes the value of the qualities originally fixed,
the porterage and the making up of loss in exchange, in mo-
ney, andfsends it'in, whatsoever the amount^may be; and in
the years, wherein the articles are sent|in kind, the original-
ly-fixed values are entered into the estimate-papers, and the
purchases of the articles are then made,'according to the
market-value current through the whole province.

EXPENSES ON THE TRANSPORT °P RICE.

Original estimate for Woo-
yuen district, of1 Keang-
nan Setsang rice, shih 899.
Waste	89.9

Do. Keang-nan'Shwuy-
ting rice shth 5597.3

Total rice shth 6586.2

Attendants in charge,
sifting, drying, and
carriage, taels 35.96
Attendants* in charge,
sifting, "drying, and
carriage, taels	183.5211

Total taels	174.4811

EXPENSE ON THE TRANSPORT OF PEAS.

The transport from Woo-yuen district was originally in
Keang-nan Kung-yung-koo hemp, but it is now changed to
365 shih of yellow peas ; and the gifts to attendants in charge,
with transport and carriage expenses, amount to 29 taels 2
mace.

TRANSPORT EXPENSES OF MONEY SENT UP TO TREASURY.

Share of Woo-yuen’district taels 157.2.

EXPENSES OF OFFICERS AND ATTENDANTS.

Total expenses of officers of the Woo-

yuen district, taels	1432.376.156

In the above are included the salary of the sub-
assistant prefect of Hwuy-chow-fob Taels 60,
Card-pa per
Two door-keepers
Eight policemen

Twelve, runners in the van of processions
Two lantern-bearers
Seven chair, umbrella and fan-bearers
Salary of district magistrate
Card-paper
Two door-keepers
Sixteen van-runners
Eight horse-police, including fodder
Fifty militia
Four lantern-bearers
Eight gaol inspectors and lictors
Repair of granaries and gaols
Seven chair, umbrella, and fan-bearers
Four treasury-keepers
Four Tow-kelhs

Salary of assistant magistrate of diatiict
One door-keeper
Four van-runners
One horse-keeper

Salary of secretary of the district magistrate
One door-keeper
Four van-runners
One horse-keeper

Salary of instructor and sub-instructor of
district

Three tae-ting bearers
Three door-keepers
Fodder for horses
Incense and candles

20.

12.

48.

72.

12.

42.

45.

20.

12.

96.

134.4

300.

24.

48,

20,

42.

24,

24.

40.

6.

24..

6.

31.52

6.

24.

6.

266,

789.4

67.52

31.52

36.

21.6

6.

7.776-102.896

1301.816157

Carried forward Taels	1301.81G

Salary of police inspector, Tae-plh-sze	31*52'

Two van-runners	12.

Salary of police-inspector of Hang-tsun-sze	31.52

Two van-runners	12.

Salary of police-inspector of Ta-yung-sze	31.52

Two van-runners	12.	130.56

1432.376

MONEY SENT TO GOVERNOR TO EXPEND.

Wdo-yu@n district, original estimate, for
pay and labour	taels 89.978938732

MONEY SENT TO LITERARY CHANCELLOR TO EXPEND.

Woo-yugn district, original estimate, for
presents, &c,	taels 15.10492

Expenses of attendants who beiar this sum	.7

taels 15.80492

MONEY SENT TO COMMISSIONER OP FINANCE TO EXPEND-.

Woo-yuen district, original estimate	taels 53i391

Expenses of attendants who bear this sum	1.135

taels 54,526

In this is included, for examination-shed at Nan-hing,
taels 49.8793 ; assistance in defraying pay and food of per-
sons required in the examinations of Shang-yuen, and Keang-
ning, taels 1.8467 ; expenses of bearers of the money, taels
1.1; towards expenses of visit of treasurer to imperial levee,
1.3Q7 ; offer of what is thought necessary to the military
Keii'jin of Tae-ping foo, tael 1.9117 j expenses of bearers of
the money, tael .035.

money sent to the prefecture to Bp expended.

Wap-yuen district share originally laid
down	taels 983.7541648158

Here are enumerated sundry little expenses, which com-
bined make up this sum.

MONEY RETAINED IN THE DISTRICT FOR EXPENDITURE.

Woo-yuen district; originally fixed sum, taels 2188.36839

In this sum are included, saluting, and bullock to meet
the spring, taels 15. Support of 20 Sevj-tsae, taels 124 ;
banners, tablet, wine, and expenses of one Kung-s&ng•, every
two years, taels 33.5, payable per year ; paper and gifts to-
wards quarterly examinations of Sew-tsae by the literary
district officers, taels 30 ; providing of rewards necessary for
the general examination of new candidates and picked
scholars, by the literary chancellor, and sending newly en-
tered Sew-tsae to the literary officers’ office, gilt flowers, and
red cloth, taels 30. per year ; purchase and sending of wine
and eatables to the civil and military Keu-jin of the metro-
politan examination, taels 40.664 per year; expenses and
feasting at the triennial examinations for Keu-jin, by the dis-
trict literary officers, taels 43.575; almanac at the close of the
year, taels 12; money for the vernal and autumnal sacrifices at
the Confucian temple, and the fanes of the descendants of the
sage, of Choo-wei-chae and Choo-foo-tsze, of famous minis-
ters and village worthies, at the altars of the hills and streams,
of the land and grain, and of the city ; the sacrifices to the
ground, the banners at the Shwang-keang term, taels, 139.9 ;
village banquets, two per annum, taels 8 ; treasury.keeper
of fane of Choo-foo-tsze, board and wages, taels 3.6; two
door-keepers of court of learned men in ditto, taels 7.2 ; five
chair and umbrella-bearers, taels 36. twelve archers of Ta-
pth-sze, taels 43.2 ; twelve archers of Hung-tsun-sze, taels
43.2 ; twelve archers of Ta-yung-sze, taels 43.2 ; sixty-three
foot soldiers, taels 453.6 ; ditto additional for intercalary
months, taels 15.12; newly-fixed annual allowances for pay
and provision of men and horses engaged in the postage depart-159

ment, including intercalary month additions, taels 280.14 ;
(this is a sum erased elsewhere, and appropriated to be given
to attendants and horses); repair of the college and the litera-
ry officers’ quarters, taels 30 ; repair of city walls, taels 30 ;
ferrymen at all the ferries, wages and food, taels 61.5 ; ta-
blets, banners, and triumphal gateways, in honour of success-
ful Keu-jin, taels 79.33333 per annum ; same for Tsin-sze,
taels 62; same for military Keu-jin. taels 13.33333 per an-
num ; picked graduates, taels 40 per annum ; rice for
storage to give to the poor, taels 329.4 ; do. intercalary months,
taels 5.4 j hospital for charity, clothes, fire-wood, and cof-
fins, for the destitute and old, taels 145.

MONEY SENT TO PROVINCIAL CAPITAL FOR EXPENDITURE,
FOR SUNDRIES NOT PUT TO GENERAL ACCOUNT.

Woo-yu^n district prescribed amount payable

taels 171.658544

In this are included the proceeds of rent of the Leen-hwuy
fields, taels 88.6675, less taels 30. already entered to general
account, for providing clothing, fuel, and coffins, to the poor
and destitute, the balance taels 58.6675, being left in the
district for charitable purposes ; also Tseang-pan, taels
112.991044, which is sent to the treasurer as duties.

Some things are worthy of remark, in the above estimate.
First. The whole income in money arising from the Woo-
yuen district appears to be 34,031 taels of silver, together with
6,586 peculs of rice, and 365 peculs of peas, paid in kind.
Out of the income in money, there are taken certain sums for
salaries of officials and other charges, while only 31,504
taels are forwarded to the provincial capital from this rich
district. Secondly, the whole amount paid in salaries to
the officers of the district appears to be but 1,432 taels: we
say appears, for the fact is really not so. It' is not to be
supposed that the magistrates of such an extensive and rich160

district as Woo-yueh should be content with 60 and 45 taels
annually1; neither are they. The way in which they make
their mbrtey is by charging for inferior officers and assistants,
without paying'them ; by concealing from the government
the amount of cultivated fields ^ by exacting front the ‘culti-
vators more than the amount sent in ; and by levying toll
on aTtioles, and in a way, 'not specified ini the tariff. To in-
stance only one thing : it is well-known that Woo-yuen pro-
duces large quantities of the best green teas. And yet in
*he statistical account of the district,'published and intended
for the eye of government, there is notone word said about
tea. Judging from this record, a stranger would not imagine
that a single leaf of tea was exported from Woo-yuen. The
English merchants in Shanghae best know how many chops
of tea they obtain from this district every year ; and the writer
has been informed on the spot, that upwards of ‘20,000 taels
are annually exacted from the tea-merchants as they export
this article from the district, by regular levies of so much
per pecul. If however this were to be complained of to the
Chinese Government, as an improper levying of transit duties,
they would reply that according to the information befofe
them, there was no such thing as tea grown in Woo-yuen.
Besides all this, the magistrates all over China make im-
mense sums by receiving bribes, to influence them in judicial
proceedings.

Thirdly. The Ostensible salary of the magistratea being
so low, the emperos is apt to imagine, that his government is
carried on on the most economical plan; and when he
becomes angry with a magistrate, and mulcts him in a
whole year’s pay, he fancies that he has nearly deprived
the poor wretch of subsistence ; whereas it is only a thou-
sandth part of his real income. Fourthly, it is ridiculous
to observe, how particularly the small items for artioles
used in sacrifice, for ineence and presents to literary gradu-161

ates are specified, as if to lead the government to imagine,
that a large proportion of the income of the state was expend-
ed in these charitable and pious purposes ; whereas the pro-
portion of sums thus expended is extremely insignificant,
compared with what is obtained by means of bribery and
corruption.

CONTINUATION OF JOURNAL.

Whilst residing in the house of one of my guides, near
Woo-yuen, I heard one evening a great lamentation, and
on inquiring the cause, found, that an old woman, related to
the family, had lost by death her intended son-in-law. As
the marriage between the young people had not been con-
cluded, nor was intended to be for several years, I wondered
that so much grie£should be manifested, regarding a person
who was not at the time related to the family. To this the
reply was made, that the young man just deceased had been
taken into the family when quite an infant, and kept and
fed there all his life long, with the expectation of being mar-
ried to a daughter of the parties, of the same age with himself.
Having nursed, educated, aud cared for him, during the
last twenty years, the old people had begun to look upon him
as their son, and felt for him accordingly. I asked, how it
came to pass, that the boy was thus obtained in his infancy,
having always understood that daughters only, being Lightly
valued by thei^ parents, were passed over during infancy
nto other households, hut never knew that song were thus
disposed of. My informant then said, that there was an
exchange in this case ; the one family having two sons, and
the other two daughters born,, within a few years of each
other ; and thus to suit the convenience of both, this family
parted with a daughter, to become the future bride of
ooe of the sons of that family ; while the other son of that
family was transferred, to become the future bridegroom of the
remaining daughter of this. This arrangement is certainly

U162

preferable to the one common in the south of China, of
making away with superfluous daughters, when they increase*
in their wretched parent’s estimation, too rapidly ; but still >
under this system of exchange, little account is taken of the
future predilections of the young people, who must marry the
persons designated for them in infancy, whether they like
them or not. Such being the circumstances of the case, I
asked again, why the parties, living under one roof, and
now grown up to a marriageable period, were not forthwith
united ; and was informed, that the expenses necessary to-
arrange the marriage ceremonies were still wanting, and the
family did not know when they should be in circumstances to
enable them to complete the nuptials. Thus young people in
China, are not only affianced in infancy, to parties of whom they
can know nothing ; but are kept when marriageable, and the
prize, if it be one, almost within their grasp, year after year,
in a state of single blessedness, because the funds necessary
to celebrate the wedding, according to the foolish vanity of
the parents, are not forthcoming. In the mean time, the
intended bridegroom dies, and the affianced bride has to
wait, perhaps, until some one else should choose to ask her
in marriage. The grief of the old lady referred to above,
was most likely on account of the serious loss they had
incurred, in expending so much money to so little purpose.

April 19th. My former guide having arrived and arranged
his business in Woo-yuen, we set out for the district of ^§£7^
Fow-leang, where the moral reformers formerly spoken of
resided. We started on foot, having only one or two coolies
to transport our luggage. During the first few miles of our
journey, we wound our way among the low hills, to the
northward and westward of the city. The soil was here
of a light colour, and the rocks consisted of recent formations
of sand and stone. Wherever a low or level place could be
found, the Chinese had taken advantage of it for rice-culti-
vation, which seems to them of first importance; while here163

and there only a strip of ground was devoted to the tea-plant.
About ten le from the city, we came to a considerable hill,
called	Woo-k’hang-shan, at the foot of which

waB a small village, where we stopped to take tea. The
scenery about this was very romantic, and the ascent though
steep, was in some degrees pleasant, a9 affording us an exten-
sive view of the surrounding country. Before we had reached
the top, we were glad to rest, and a small house of refresh-
ment afforded us the desired opportunity. The higher
ground of the hill wa9 covered with crops of barley, and a
plantation of small shrubs, very regularly disposed, which I
took to be tea. At the top of the hill, we had a view of the
country, on the opposite side, exhibiting a lovely interchange
of hill and dale, in a high state of cultivation. The pleasure
of our journey was. however, soon interrupted by a shower of
rain, which necessitated a resort to umbrellas and clogs the
one tiring the hands, and the other crippling the feet.
Descending again to the plains, we found the tea-plant more
plentiful, and the frequency of villages, together with the
paved roads, and well-built sheds over them, indicated the
wealth of the region, and the attention of its inhabitants
to the wants of the traveller. After a toilsome journey of
about forty le, we came, wet and tired, to a village, where we
sought lodgings for the night.

A poor inn, by the side of the way, soon appeared, which
promised us the accommodation we desired ; we accordingly
turned in thither, and sitting down, called for some tea
The room into which we entered, being the principal one of
the house, was about ten feet square. The host had to be
roused from hi9 sleep, which appeared to annoy him not a
jittle, in order to attend to his guests. His wife, however,
was more attentive, and kindling a fire, soon procured us
warm water. A party, which had but recently preceded us.
had left the benches and table in a most filthy condition
covered with the refuse of rice and vegetables, mixed with164

grease and dirt, which the landlady vainly attempted to
brush away. The tea she gave us, whioh in a country a-
bounding with the plant, was inexcusably bad and sparse
was put into one of the basins, previously used for the rice
and vegetables of the former guests ; this made it so nau-
seous, that the Chinaman’s stomach could scarcely bear it*
This might have been remedied by not partaking of so dis-
gusting a beverage; but we were soon to be annoyed in
another way, from which we could not so easily escape.
The little room we occupied was, after a while, crowded
by other guests; first a dealer in fowls, with his stock in
trade, filling up the whole of one side of the chamber; the
noise and stench arising from these was almost intolerable.
Then entered a couple of travelling tinkers, with their bel-
lows, furnaces, tools, pots, and pans, all requiring space in
the confined apartment. After that, came two or three fel-
lows. far less respectable than either of the former ; being
idle vagrants, who were moving about from place to place,
to see what could be picked up to their advantage. The
garrulity and strife of these various parties, were sufficiently
annoying, to wet and jaded travellers ; but the prospect of
being fallen upon and robbed, under some vain pretext,
so easily got up by these gentry, made us emphatically desire
their room, rather than their company. There was. however,
no resource, but to bear it and be still. The dinner was
common to all, consisting of rice, with soup, made of pulse-
jelly, (a preparation so heavy, that it sinks in the water,)
and portions of the putrid mustard-vegetable to tempt it down.
The approach of night under these circumstances was wel-
come, and when the landlady thought proper to announce
that the beds were ready, we were glad to retire. Here,
however, our annoyances had only to begin. The upper
room assigned to myself, my guide, and cooly, was six feet
square, and only as many high ; forming a kind of box, in165

which we had to make ourselves comfortable for the night.
It had, however, a door, having closed which, and spread our
mats on the floor, we lay down, thinking we should at any
rate be alone till the morning. Vain expectation ! for we
had no sooner put out the light, and covered ourselves over
with our quilts, than we were attacked at once, by untold
millions, who beset us in every part of the body, and by
their sharp bites and never-ceasing onsets, soon convinced
us that rest for the night wa9 impossible. The tinkers and
poulterers, in the adjoining apartment, seemed to be used to
such kind of things, as they slept soundly and comfortably
through it all.

April 20th. Leaving our uncomfortable abode, we started
on our journey, and soon found, in the freshness of the air,
and the beauty of natural scenery, some compensation for
the inconvenience suffered the previous evening, by too near a
contact with the busy haunts of men. One of the hills
ascended this day was sailed ^ !§? [Ij T’heen-tang-shan,
the hill of paradise ; and in many respects it seemed not to
belie its name. The prospect presented was grand and ex-
tensive, and the fertility of the soil afforded the conveniences
of life at an easy rate to those who inhabited those secluded
regions. A neighbouring hill, called fjq ^p^Chuen-tsaou-
ling, or dry dock hill, derives it name from five grooved in
the top of the hill, bearing some fancied resemblance to dry
docks. Behind the hill is a stone-screen, or rocky precipice,
flanked on either side by hills, called |E| |1) Jth-shan, and
|j[| Yue-shan, sun and moon hills. The older inhabi-
tants say, that the vallies which lie between these were
formerly occupied by water, over which people had to be
ferried in boats ; the water is now. however, dried up, and
the space formerly covered by it is laid out in cultivated
ground. Underneath the precipice is a cave, which the
natives say, connects itself with the Po-yang lake, in Keang-
se. Lime-stone is, however, dug from the cave, which doubt-166

less yields much more profit to the people, than their fabu-
lous inventions about under-ground communications. After
crossing several of these hills, we arrived in the evening
at £ff i?] Heang-tsun-sze, where we put up for the night
at an inn, a little better than the one occupied on the prece-
ding; evening.

April 21st. We started on our journey over another range
of hills, called ^	Fung-loo-ling, the top of which

is crowned by various peaks, interspersed with small pools,
of which the natives avail themselves to irrigate their rice-
fields. There is also a hill in this direction, called EE §]§
|JL| San-llng-shan, the mount of the three spiritual ones, so
named, because in the Tsfn dynasty, three adherents of
the Taou sect, pursued their study of alchymy here. One
of the hills, which we passed over during this day’s march,
was remarkable for being exceedingly bare on one side, and
well-wooded on the other ; owing, as I understood, to the one
side of the hill, having been let to a contractor for wood,
who, regardless of the interests of those who should occupy
it when his lease was expired, cleared away every stick and
shrub, which the hill produced. The other side we ob-
served, as we descended, was not only well-wooded, but
covered with a large plantation of tea shrubs, over the whole
declivity. At the foot of the hill* was a considerable village,
where we stopped at an inn, for the sake of refreshment ;
but could procure nothing, except some cold rice, which was
so unpalatable, that I could not eat it. My guide also fan-
cied, that he saw some one in the room eyeing me with ra-
ther too cuiious a gaze, whereupon we abrubtly left, and
proceeded on our journey. The path we pursued, led us
through a most romantic valley, along the bottom of which
dashed a foaming torrent, the whiteness of whose spray con-
trasted beautifully with the black rocks over which it hur-
ried, in its headlong way towards the south-west, where it
joins the river Woo, and proceeds in concert with its waters167

to the Po-yang lake. We now ascended the ^ Keaou.
ling, and from thence proceeded to the ^ |_Ij Juy-yuen-
shan, so called from its giving a name to the romantic
torrent just described. This hill is said, by the Chinese, to
be upwards of 3,000 feet high, and forms the boundary
between the districts of	Woo-juen and	ow-

leang. In the Sung dynasty, it is said, that this hill was
frequented by golden pheasants, hence it is also called, the
Golden Pheasant hill. It was with much difficulty, that
we toiled to the top of this mountain, but when once there,
the labour was sufficiently compensated, by the glorious
prospect which presented itself of the	Fow-leang

district of	Keang-se province ; as its extensive

rice-fields, interspersed with tea-plantations, stretched them-
selves as far as the eye could reach, glowing with the reflec-
tion of the western sun. The descent was easy and plea-
sant, but the further journey, of more than twenty le, along
uneven roads and bye-ways, after the darkness had set in,
was but labour and sorrow; until arriving at the hospita-
ble residence of my guide’s friends, I was completely over-
come by fatigue, and glad to avail myself of the earliest
opportunity to rest myself. The politeness and cordiality
of these friends, on meeting after a long separation, pre-
sented a striking contrast, with the coldness and indiffer-
ence manifested by the family of my former guide, on wel-
coming home their lord and master. The real affection was
doubtless greater in the latter case than in the former, but
it is not usual with the Chinese to exhibit their domestic feel-
ings ; while in the intercourse of friends, polite attentions are
fully expected, and must be abundantly displayed. Tired
as I was, the evening was not allowed to pass away, without
a long conversation and discussion with various learned
men of the reforming school, previously alluded to ; and the
opportunity was not lost of unfolding to them a general view
of religious truth, including the being and perfections of the163

Deity, the creation, fall, and redemption of the world, and
ending with a free declaration of the internal peace and hap-
py prospects of those who knew and embraced these glorious
truths. An impression was produced in favour of the speak-
er, conclusive at least of his sincerity in the maintenance of
his own views, however much they might demur to the a-
doption of them. Up to that time, no one but the guide
supposed, that there was anything peculiar in the speaker’s
origin. At length overcome with travelling and talking, I
begged to retire, and was shewn into a tolerable room and
bed, far better than any which I had occupied for some time.

April 22d. Awoke this morning with a grievous pain in
one of my feet, which if caused by a fit of the gout, was
brought on most certainly by any thing but ease and good
Tiving. It was never the less sharp on this account, and
had to be borne with patience, until it had run its course,
alleviated occasionally by the few remedies which I had
fortunately brought with me.

April 23—28. These days were spent in the house of my
guide’s friend : who though informed, after the first day of
(he character of his guest, was not the less kind and atten-
tive ; indeed, after the first surprise was over, he appeared
rather pleased than otherwise to have a foreigner in his
house, putting a variety of questions to me regarding my
country, its distance from China, extent of dominion, the
amount of population, character of the inhabitants, religion,
literature, manners, customs, &c. Frequent discussions
were held on religious subjects with him, and the rest of the
school of reformers, who are congregated hereabouts. The
prevailing character of their minds appeared to be an earnest
desire to carry out the system of Confucius, as they thought,
in its genuineness, free from that atheistic gloss which the
Commentators of the Sung dynasty had put upon it ; and
an especial aim to cultivate the virtues of benevolence
and righteousness as laid down by him. Some of their ob-169

servations and sentiments regarding self-examination, victory
over evil desires, constant vigilance, searching after tl^eir
own errors, and ingenuous confession of them when ascer-
tained, were tolerably good, and would not have disgraced a
Christian moralist. But while they had some sense of sin,
they had of course no idea of an atonement, and were utterly
in the dark as to the manner in which their sins could be
pardoned, or the Divine Being reconciled. Their prevailing
errors appeared to be, too great a veneration for the sages,
whom they actually idolized, and in many instances put
upon a level with the Author of wisdom ; as well as too high
an estimation of their deceased parents and ancestors, to
whom they paid divine honours, and from whom they ex-
pected protection and every blessing. It was found very
difficult to give them any idea of the difference between the
veneration and respect due to parents, and the worship
which was demanded by the Supreme Author of our beings
The Chinese term for worship being one which applies to
all sorts of obeisance and compliment, it sounds strange in
their ears to be told that they must not pae, that is,
behave civilly towards their parents and brethren. But as
these subjects are familiar to those well-acquainted with
Chinese matters, and are not very interesting to others, we
shall pass over the discussions then held ; and content our-
selves with observing generally, that the matter took very
fast hold of one of the parties, who could not rest in his
mind, until he had discovered where the truth lay. He was
heard praying, in the dead of night, very earnestly, to the
Giver of light, that he might be directed in his search after
truth, and it is pleasing to add, that, as the result proved, he
did not pray in vain.

Having some leisure during my stay at this place, I avail-
ed myself of the opportunity thus afforded, and drew up a
brief summary of the Christian religion, for the information
of the aged instructor of this college, who was too unwell to

Y170

pay me a visit. This treatise, amounting to 30 or more pages,
was afterwards printed and many thousands of it circulated
through all parts of the country.

Whilst I was living at the house of my guide’s friend, a
circumstance occurred which greatly alarmed those who had
undertaken to see me safely conveyed through the country.
After sitting at table some time, engaged in discussion, I rose’
and retired to the bed-room; where, in a few minutes after-
ward, I observed my guide coming in, with my cue in his
hand. It had dropped off, whilst I was sitting in the chair,
and had of course been left behind. My guide was very
much agitated as he brought in the detached cue, and I could
not help sympathizing with him. He said, that he had just
escaped a fearful danger, for had the cue become loose, and
fallen off during our previous march, or at any one of the
numerous inns and tea-shops at which we put up, we could
not have prevented our secret from being discovered ; which
would have been much more detrimental to him than it
would to me ; inasmuch as he would thus have been convicted
of bringing a foreigner into the country: and the result
would have been his imprisonment and ruin. He felt thank-
ful, however, that the accident had occured in a friend’s house,
and proceeded as speedily as possible to repair the damage.
This he did, by unwinding the locks of hair, and tying
them separately with thread on to the locks of my own hair,
behind the crown. His fear, lest another accident of the
kind should happen, made him tie the knots so much the
faster, thus greatly inconveniencing the wearer of the cue,
by the tightness with which it was attached. This, how-
ever, was cheerfully borne, and greater care was of course
taken in future, lest the like mishap should occur in a more
public place, where the evil might be irreparable.

On another occasion, whilst sitting alone in the front
room, a stranger entered, who without ceremony sat down
and began to converse. I soon perceived that he was a for-,171

tune-teller, who pretended to ascertain the future condition
of individuals by the examination of their physiognomy. I
could see, after a while, that he was surveying mine ; and as
mine, under the circumstances, would not bear too close an in-
spection, I got up and retired into the inner apartment. Soon
after, my host entering was accosted by the fortune-teller,.who,
referring to me, said that ^	^ yung maou fei fan, the

countenance was not of the common order. This startled
my host, who got rid of him as soon as posible, and from that
time took care that the outer gate of the premises was careful-
ly barred. Thus I was immured for some days, between the
four walls of my host’s premises, and in the loneliness thus
experienced began to think of the deprivation of society which
some missionaries experience for years ; who, in order to re-
side in China without molestation, are obliged to seclude
themselves from all observation, and keep as much within
doors as possible. I was not entirely abridged of liberty,
however, as I availed myself of a back door which remained
open, to take frequent walks into the woods and fields, where
I enjoyed the fresh air, and the surrounding scenery.

The house where I resided was situated in a widely-ex-
tended plain, surrounded by lofty mountains ; one of these
was the famous ^ ^§| Kaou-ling, abounding in the purest
felspar, whence the clay is obtained of which most of the
porcelain used in China is made. The white quarries
were visible from the plain just outside my host’s dwelling.
An account of the porcelain manufactory, where this same
Kaou-ling is spoken of, may be found in Morrison’s English
and Chinese Dictionary, under the head “ Porcelain,” and
in Davis’s Chinese, Vol. II. chap. 17 With reference to those
accounts, however, I may be allowed to mnke one observation,
with the view of correcting any mistake about the spot, from
which the best porcelain cloy is obtained. Both Morrison
and Davis say, that the principal part of the clay is ob-
tained from the district of ^5 Fowrleang, in the prefec-172

ture of J'H Yaou-chow, inKeang-se; but that the beat
kind is found in the district of	Ke-mun, in |jj$

Hwuy-chow, in Keang-nan; from which the reader might
infer that two distinct regions produced this substance, situ-
ated in different provinces :	whereas	Ke-mun is the

district of Hwuy-chow which borders closely upon 7^
Fow-leang, separated only by a chain of hills, on the
southern side of which hills the valuable clay in question is
found ; so that although the hill in which the best clay is
met with is nominally in another district and province, it is
really but a few miles from the spot, where the larger mass of
it occurs, constituting in fact but one region.

COURSE HOMEWARD.

Having finished what business I had to attend to in
Keang-se, I began to think of returning; and much discussion
took place, as to the best route to be taken. One course pro-
posed was southerly and then easterly ; viz. across a chain
of hills to HH fjj K’hae-hwa, thence along the jjif Keu-
h6, to jjfj Ken-chow ; afterwards following the course of
this river to	Yen-chow, and ^ ‘j^| Hang-chow ; and

from thence to Shang-hae. The chief obstacle, however,
that deterred my companion from taking this route was the
difficulty of passing the troublesome, custom-house at Hang-
chow. The officers stationed there are said to be most an-
noying, examining every part of a traveller’s baggage, and
looking narrowly after every thing strange and unusual;
so that there was great danger of their discovering our secret,
and subjecting us to much inconvenience, for the sake of get-
ting what they could out of us. Tha other course was to
proceed northward, until we came to the Yang-tsze-keang,
down which we might proceed leisurely, until we arrived at
Nan-king aud Soo-chow, from which place we might soon get
to Shang-hae. There were custom-houses, i>c appears, on173

this route, also, but the officers stationed there were by no
means so annoying, nor so much dreaded by travellers as
those at Hang-chow, whose ill-fame had spread all over
this part of the empire*. It was therefore decided that we
should take the course last described.

April 29ih. Having thanked our kind host, who accom-
panied us part of the way, we set off this afternoon for Hi
^ijr f|| Gno-tan-chin, or Goose-egg village ; where the bro-
ther of my guide resided. We put up for the night at his
shop, in which the combined business of apothecary, grocer,
pork-butcher, dyer, and pulse-jelly-maker was carried on.
Such a heterogeneous mixture of trades might be supposed
to have yielded some profit ; but, whether owing to improvi-
dent outlay or bad management, the business, once flourish-
ing, was now in a declining state ; and the cbisf customers
appeared to be the rats, who visiting the shop by night, in-
stead of by day, greatly annoyed me as I lay on one of the
counters. The keeper of it did not appear to notice his
guest very particularly ; for when on a later occasion he was
met by the writer in Sbanghae, and asked if he had ever seen
the individual addressing him before, declared again and
again that be had never had that pleasure ; much to the
amusement of some standing by who knew the circumstances
of the case.

April 30th. Having engaged a couple of sedans, and a
cooly to carry a little luggage, we started this morning in
a northerly direction, on our way back. After proceeding a
few miles we crossed' the river that leads to	King-

tih-ohin, the great pottery of China, where two or three
hundred furnaces, are constantly burning, and several
hundred thousand workmen are employed. Had it con-
sisted with my guide’s idea of what was necessary for the
safety of his fellow-traveller, I should have rejoiced to
avail myself of this opportunity to visit one of the most
important manufactories of the empire but the least dis-174

play of curiosity on my part was sufficient to awaken his
suspicions and fears ; on which account I thought it better to
pass on. After crossing the stream in question, we began
to ascend a portion of the famous ^ ^ Kaou-hng
hill, up the greatest part of which the coolies bore us with-
out complaining, until we thought it better to relieve them
of their burthen by walking. Unfortunately the road we
took did not bring us near the quarries. The ground was
however strewed all over with fragments of felspar and
quartz, and people were frequently observed carrying loads
of stone to the neighbourhood of the streams, where they
could either pound it, or transport it to the place of trade.
Many of the pathways along which we passed appeared ex-
ceedingly perilous, passing along the edges of cliffs, and
turning suddenly at the heads of deep gullies, where one
slip of the foot might have precipitated us, chairs and all,
into the abyss that yawned beneath. The coolies, however,
were very sure-footed, and though we were sometimes held
over deep gulfs, with one bearer on one side and the other on
its opposite, having nothing but the long poles of the sedan
to keep us from falling into the yawning cavity, yet by the
good Providence of God we were carried over in safety.

Descending the heights, we crossed two branches of a
broad stream called the	Wei-shwuy, which was here

flowing in a south-westerly direction. There appeared to be
considerable traffic on these rivers ; the boats with earths and
minerals floating merrily down the tide ; while those with
provisions and necessaries for the workmen had to be drawn
up with extreme toil, and at a very slow rate. On crossing
this river, we took advantage of a gratuitous ferry-boat; a
notice on the river side informed us, that the benevolent in
that region had subscribed together for the purpose of assis-
ting travellers across the stream, and that as the boat was
purchased and the boatman’s wages paid out of this fund,
there was no necessity for passengers to pay anything. Ac-175

cording to the nature of things, one might have expected that
the ferry-man, not being overlooked by his employers, wo'uld
be indifferent to his duty, and rather hold his office in the
light of a sinecure ; but no such thing j there was the old
gentlemen at his post, from morning till night, ever ready to
ply his oar ; and after ferrying over a boat-load of passen-
gers, he kindly wished them a pleasant journey, and put
back to ferry the next batch, who were waiting to cross the
stream. This is benevolence, not in theory only, but in
practice.

REGION OF PORCELAIN CLAY.

Finding an inn at the village on the north side of the
stream, we turned in and put up for the night. Here we
soon had convincing proof that we were in a busy and pro-
ductive country. On every side we perceived water-mills
at work, and were kept awake by the pounding of the
wooden hammers, worked by the wheels which the
ever-flowing waters turned. Here, as we read in the account
of	§51 King-tih-chin, partly translated by Dr. Morri-

son, “ The people who piocure the |ES] ^ Pih-tun-tsze,
avail themselves of	K’he-lew mountain stream^,

where they erect ?]{ ?fj| water pestles, to ^ ^ pound it.
After pounding the stone, they	j,^[ ^

TfC wash and scour it quite clean, and moulding it
into the form of bricks, call it	white tun. The

yellow tun clods are ^ fjjj ^ large and hard. The
white tun, however, is	rather loose and fine. At

present the very best tun is that produced in
Show-k’he-woo, and all dealers, when they come to market,
call their own commodities fip ^ ^|V my Show-k’he-
tum.”

May 1st. We proceeded on our journey this morning,
and soon came to the hill of	Woo-ling, from which

the Up Show-k'he mentioned above probably takes its176

rise. We were here met by a couple of Chinese sportsmen,
with matchlocks on their shoulders, preceded by a brace
of dogs, and going forth to see what game they could find
They were hearty healthy-looking men, and appeared to
enjoy the prospect of a day’s sport, as did also their compa-
nions. Proceeding onwards, we crossed the /}>
Seaou-pih-keang, a stream flowing in a south-westerly direc-
tion. which joins the ^|| Wei-shwuy, where the city of
Fow-leang is situated, and from whence their united
waters flow on past	^jjE King-tih-chin, into the

Po-yang lake. After this we crossed another range of hills,
called the Jgf Yaou-ling ; and passed through a village
named	Ta-wei-poo, situated on the borders of

Keang-se, from whence proceeding northward, we soon ar-
rived at jit fijj ^ Hwang-t’hdw-tsun, in the province of
Keang-nan. Here we put up for the night, at a respectable
kind of inn ; where the landlord was exceedingly obliging
and civil, answering our questions with readiness, and giviug
us something like clean and wholesome fare. He described
the town in which he dwelt, as one of importance, owing
to its being the great thoroughfare between the two provinces
of Keang-se and Keang-nan ; and since it had neither pass
nor custom-house, travellers much preferred it, in order to
escape the annoyances of the mandarins. He informed us,
that many of the teas, produced in Keang-se. were conveyed
across the hills through this town, in order to be sent down
the Yang-tsze-keang, to the foreign traders at Shanghae,
and that the transport of teas in this direction was becom-
ing more and more common.

RE-ENTER KEANG-NAN PROVINCE.

May 2d. Leaving ^ 0|f Hwang-t’how-tsrn, we be-
gan to ascend the	Stnh-mun-ling, and were soon

convinced of the truth of our host’s assertion, that numer-
ous chops of teas were conveyed in this direction j for we177

overtook and met at every turn, merchants going and com-
ing, to purchase and convey the article in question. At
first, I was not aware of the mode in which the teas were
primarily collected together, and conveyed to those who pre-
pared the leaf; but passing by one of their tea-drinking
shops, where a number of peddlers and carriers were rest-
ing themselves, I observed a row of white cloth bags by the
road side, full of something, which I took to be a species of
culinary vegetable, partially dried and intended for winter
use; on enquiry, however, I found, that the contents of
these bags were none other than the newly-picked leaves,
which, after being sun-dried, were bought up by the tea-
dealers, from the cottagers and small farmers around, in
order that they might be conveyed to some manufactory,
and be properly fired and separated for the market. Af-
ter this process is gone through, the teas are packed in bas-
kets, tubs, or boxes for sale.

Having crossed the ^ $=[ Shth-mun-ling, we came to
a small village called ^ Shih-mun-keae. After
resting awhile, another hill bad to be encountered, called the
Ml lE T’haou-shoo-Iing. The road which wound a-
mongst these hills was exceedingly romantic, presenting an
ever-varying scene of peaks and ravines, rocks and dales in
succession. At length, we found the streams taking a north-
erly direction, and we began to descend into the level plains
of Kcang-nan, bordering upon the Yang-tsze-kearig. These
streams collecting together, soon swelled into a river, which
bore the name of the ”JhJ T9een-hd. In the direction of
this water, we pursued our journey, when we found the
country gradually opening, presenting on all sides cultivated
fields and smiling villages. One thing struck us as new in
this region, with respect to the tea-cultivation, viz. the en-
tire occupancy of most of the small bills by the tea-shrub,
which was here planted in beautiful rows; and, as it happened
to be the spring season, when the cultivators, men, women,

W178

and children, were scattered over the plantations gathering
leaves, the whole presented a very lively scene.

ARRIVAL AT YAOU-CHING.

Towards evening we arrived at the town of 1=^
Yaou-chtng-chin, situated on the opposite side of the river
to the city of ^ Keen-tth. This district city is included
within the prefecture of ^|j Che-chow, and was built in
45th year of ||| Kea-tsing, of the Ming dynasty* (a. d.
1,547), when the walls were, raised 18 feet high, with a breadth
of ten feet, and a circumference of five le, About the year
1,628, however, when the Ming dynasty was in its decline,
two famous robbers disturbed the neighbourhood, and the
presiding magistrate induced the people to add four feet and
a half to the height of the wall.

The town of §[§ ^ Yaou-ching is a very busy populous
place, which might be inferred from its connecting the hill
country with the region watered by the great Keang. The
good3 displayed in the shops, however, appeared to be chiefly
those of native manufaciure. It could hardly be expected,
indeed, that those of foreign origin should present themselves
prominently ; for, independent of the pariialily which all
nations have for articles of home production, the quantity of
foreign goods, though large, is hy no means so great as to
arrest atien I ion at every town of the interior. As usual my
guide became very anxious on entering this town, and insisted
on my silling in the sedan, by which means I was borne
rapidly along the streets j not so rapidly, however, as to prevent
my making a few observations. We found a tolerably com-
fortable lodging in the centre. The people who kept the
inn made some remarks about the fairness of my complec-
tion, which my companion parried by asking, if they expected
all the people in the world to be alike ? The evening was
occupied in seeking for, and making au agreement with a boat-
man, who for a small consideration was to take us to ^179

Tung-lew, the first town on the Yang-tsze-keang ; or if we
could agree about terms, further on.

JOURNEY TO TUNG-LKW.

May 3rd. We set off this morning to walk to the place
where the boat was anchored, a few miles lower down the
river. The people, I thought, looked rather intently at us,
as we passed along the street, and over the bridge, outside
the town ; but as it was no doubt farthest from their thoughts
to meet a foreigner there, they did not seem to suspect the
peculiarity of my origin. After pursuing our way for about
a mile along the banks of the river, we came to a ferry just
at a time when a party of beggars were crossing. One of
these was carrying a young woman on his back, who had
been probably deprived of her feet in infancy, in order to ren-
der her more the object of pity; others were bearing their
children, or pots and pans, with a few articles of dress ; and
altogether they formed a group of the most noisy, impudent
creatures I ever saw. They spoke excellent Mandarin, ap-
peared to be acquainted with every stepof the road, and could,
from the appearance of each individual, make a pretty shrewd
guess, regarding the origin and profession of all whom they
met. They were thus making their remarks on the bye-stand-
ers, when my companion intimated to me, that it would be
better to keep out of their way. As soon, therefore, as the
boat came to land, we hurried on, and left them to hobble
and jabber as best pleased them.

Arrived at the boat-anchorage, we found that the boat we
had engaged was a large roomy vessel, broader in the beam
than the generality of canal boats, and calculated to stand a
stiff breeze, and a heavy swell, such as is very frequently to
be met with on the Yang-tsze-keang. Having nothing to
deiain us, we set sail, and dropped down the broad si ream
that leads to Tung-lew. On the way we passei^n number of
boats, deeply laden with grass or reeds, which at first I sup-180

posed were intended as fodder for cattle, but afterwards I dis-
covered (hat they were designed for mending, and, with a due
mixture of mud, consolidating the banks of the great ritfer in
the neighbourhood. We had not proceeded far down the river
before we were hailed by a person on the bank, who wanted a
passage to Tung-lew ; the boatmen were disposed to afford him
the accommodation he required, expecting no doubt to increase
thereby the amount to be realized by the trip ; but my compa-
nion, knowing the peculiarities of our situation, and judging
that the fewer strangers we came into contact with the better,
resisted the application. His remonstrances, however, proved
unavailing, and the stranger was taken on board. Finding
him a well-behaved man, my uuide soon got into conversa-
tion with him, and the stranger, seing himself noticed, scru-
pled not to tell his history. He said, that only a few days
previous, he had purchased a boat from the fruit of his earn-
ings, and had freighted it with a little cargo, when he set
sail, accompanied by two relatives, on a voyage down tho
Yang-tsze-keang, to see what could be made by the specu-
lation. A storm, however, suddenly arose ; the waves beat
into his little vessel; it was capsized, his goods all went to
the bottom, his companions perished, and his own life was
spared only after he had been some time in the water. The
story was told with much feeling, and I was pleased to see,
that the boatmen, who had expected to gain something by
his coming on board, now proposed a subscription in behalf
of the shipwrecked stranger, heading it themselves by a
hundred cash each my own companion and myself
threw in our mite, and the stranger went on shore at Tung,
lew glad of heart, and exceedingly grateful for the relief
afforded. I mention this to shew, that fellow-feeling is
sometimes displayed towards sufferers, in the heart of China,
and that the cry of distress is not always heard in vain. Our
boatmen assured us, that such instances of disaster on the
waters of the Yang-tsze-keang, were by no means unfre-181

quent; and that when the wind was a little strong, the
waves got up so high as to endanger the small craft that
navigated the stream.

The city of ^ Tung-lew, at which we arrived in the
evening, was formerly an unwalled town ; but in the first
year of ^ ^ Wan-leih, of the Ming dynasty, (a. d. 1,573)
the magistrate of the district asked leave to construct a wall
three le and a half in circumference. Fifty years after-
wards, this wall was raised three feet higher, and fenced
by an earthern rampart and a deep ditch outside. During
the troubles which prevailed about the close of the Ming
dynasty, the defences were much defaced ; but in the 6th
year of ^ ^ Shun-che, (a. d. 1,650) they were repaired,
and five gateways erected, with watch-towers over them ;
thus the town was rendered stronger than before.

CITY OF GNAN-K’HING.

May 4th. Having agreed with our boatmen to convey us
farther on our journey, we started this morning from Tung-
lew, and soon found ourselves on the broad stream of the
great Keang, which passes on with majestic flow to the north-
north-east. This giant river of China, is here upwards of a
mile wide, with waves occasioning the rocking of our vessel
like a little sea. The traffic on it appeared to be very large,
and numerous junks were passing up and down the stream.
The former, at that time making equal progress with the
latter, as the wind was blowing strong from the northward,
which enabled them to do more than stem the current. W»
passed a long island in midstream, with a rocky islet called
No-cho-ke, and arrived towards evening at
)j^ Gnan-k’hing-foo, the captital of	Gan-liwuy

province.

This city was erected in the 10th year of ^ Kea-
ting, of the Sung dynasty, (a. d. 1,025) in consequence of
the irruptions of the ^ Kin Tartars. It had then five gates>182

and the walls were upwards of nine le in circumference.
In the Yuen dynasty, the general in command of the city
raised the walls to the height of twenty-six feet, and dug a
triple ditch outside, into which he led the waters of the Yang-
tsze-keang. In the Ming dynasty, the ditches were deep-
ened to ten feet, the inside of the walls also were faced with
glazed tiles. Others repaired the occasional breaches which
time had made, and added steps wherewith to ascend the
walls, with a horse-road all round, on the top within the
parapet: during the present dynasty, efforts also have been
frequently made to repair the injuries occasioned by heavy
floods, and thus the city has continued to the present day.

VOYAGE DOWN THE YANG-TSZE-KBANG.

May 5th. We got under weigh, and sailed down the
*]:£ Yang-tsze-keang; at first the wind was mode-
rate, but towards evening, it increased to a gale, which being
nt the same time adverse, obliged us, as night approached,
to put into a small creek, where we lay all the next day,
unable to stir. The river, during this storm, exhibited
all the appearance of a little sea, so that few vessels could
venture out. Those that had the wind in their favour, ap-
peared to scud fast, almost under bare poles ; while our boat-
men shrugged their shoulders, and lay down till the gale
moderated. Whilst lying in this creek, I heard a great up-
roar between two of the boatmen on board another boat;
and on listening to ascertain the cause, found that it origi-
nated in one of them, calling the other a -jr kwei tsze,
devil’s son ; which so‘exasperated the young man, that he
seemed almost beside himself with rage. Thus it appears,
the term which the Chinese so -unceremoniously bestow on
foreigners, is, when employed by one of themselves towards
his fellow, considered most opprobrious and vexatious in
the extreme. The creek where we had taken shelter, was a
little to the north-eastward of j)f{ Ohe-chow, which we183

had passed without entering. This city was founded in the
Tang dynasty, about the 8th century, and after having
been taken and destroyed by robbers, was repaired. In the
Yuen dynasty, the city was demolished, and the district left
defenceless, but it revived again in the Ming dynasty, when
the walls were raised twenty-three feet high, and proportion-
ably thick, 14 283 feet in circumference, with seven gates, for
the convenience of the inhabitants.

May 7th. This morning we again proceeded on our
course. The river appeared to widen as we proceeded, but
it became proportionably more shallow; so that in many
places, we could see the ripples, occasioned by the water
rushing over a shallow bottom. We passed on our way
several immense rafts of timber, floating slowly down the
stream. Some of these were at least a mile long, and of
great width, as well as height, and of course drawing
much water. In order to get them moved along, it appeared
that the force of the current was not sufficiently powerful ;
and therefore the owners of the raft adopted the method
of sending out boats ahead, carrying an anchor, which they
dropped at some distance forward of their position ; and then
by means of a windlas, which was worked by a number of
hands, warped the immense mass along. In this way, their
progress was slow, but sure. The process, however, neces-
sitated the employment of a large number of persons, who
lived in regular houses, built in rows, forming a street along
the raft; in this street, all sorts of trades and handicrafts
were carried on, as ia a town on shore. There were bar-
bers, tailors, shoe-makers, butchers, bakers, pulse-preparers,
rice-venders, and vintners. All floating together in one
moveable town, going on to the place of their destination.
These large rafts are broken up, as soon as they arrive at
Nan-king or Chin-keang fob, where the grand canal crosses
the great Ke'ang. and then, the timber which they contain184

jS conveyed in smaller rafts, to the north or south, where it
may be most needed.

May 8th. This day we passed ^ j§j£ Tung-1 lug, a
district city, situated on the risjlit bank'of the Yang-tsze-
keaug, in the prefecture of	Che-chow. This ciiy was

built in the third year of ^ j§| Wan-leTh, of the Ming dy"
rfasty, (a. d. 1,576) j the walls are 7,000 feet in circumfe-
rence,and 2L feet high. Without stopping at tin’s city, we pas-
sed on, and anchored for the night at some distance lower
down.

ARRIVAL AT WOO-HOO.

May 9th. We arrived about mid-day at the district of ^
JJjJj Woo-hoo, situated in ihe prefecture of	T’hac-ping;

the walls of this city also were built in the time of Wan-leTh,
are five le in circumference, and thirty feet high. At this
city, there is a custom-house, and all boats are obliged to
come to. in passing up and down the river, in order to he exa-
mined. My guide felt anxious, on approaching this place,
and asked me if I had anything about me that would lead to
suspicion, should we be subjected to a personal examination.
He remembered, he said, seeing a little book in my hand, in
which I was always writing in pencil, and wished to see it.
On taking it into his hand, he found, that it was my note-
book, which contained a description of our whole journey,
of the places at which we stopped, and of the events which
had happened by the way. This he said, was the very
thing to lead to a detection of our whole plan, aud if dis-
covered, would involve all connected with us ; he therefore
considered it his duty to destroy it. I had previously taken
the precaution to transcribe it when lodging at one of the
houses, where we made several days’ slay ; this copy was
still in my girdle where I thought it best to let it remain.
The precaution of my guide was, however, unnecessary,
as the custom-house officer, on our arrival at Woo-hoo,185

merely came to the head of the boat, and finding we had
no goods for sale passed on.

We observed opposite this city, on the other side of the
Yang-tsze-keang, a great number of imperial grain-junks
anchored, and waiting either for wind and tide, or the arrival
of other vessels, which were expected to join them on .their
voyage northward. These had probably come- down the
^ Joo-ke, from ])|| jrfj Leu-chow, and the parts adjacent,
and would in a few days start in a north-easterly direction,
towards the mouth of the grand canal, at Chin-keang-fob.

Some time after leaving M JjJJJ Woo-hod, we arrived at the
Tung-leang hill, where we entered a tributary stream,
which empties itself into the Yang-tsze-keang from the east-
ward, called the	Shwuy-yang-ho. Several pago-

das adorned the place, and fixed the position to the navigator
of the Great River ; a water-gate, thrown quite across the
stream, brought to all vessels that might be passing to and fro,
for examination and the payment of impost. From the for-
mer we experienced no annoyance, and the gatherers of the
latter were satisfied with a few cash, after the payment of
which we passed on.

The change for us was now very great, from a broad and
sometimes turbulent stream, to a narrow canal, not a hundred
yards wide ; and from the high mountains and broad rivers,
which almost bewildered by their vastness, to the close banks
and low cottages which here met the view.

This water is the outlet from Ning-kwo-foo, and it is the
same which we bad previously crossed at 'JpJ ^ Ho-too-
chin, on the upward journey. In order, however, not to be
led again amongst the hills we had left, we were obliged after
sailing about ten miles along this river, to pass into another
stream, which led us in a north-westerly direction, apparent-
ly in an almost opposite course to that which we had iust
taken. After proceeding a few miles, we got into anomer
river, whiclj^owed to the south-east, .and passing the town of

X186

§$L Seih- chin, we arrived about dusk at the district city
of	Kaou-ehun, in the prefecture of	Keang-

nfng, and within 100 le of the city of Nan-king.	Kaou-

chun is only partially defended by a mud wall, and for the
protection of the other parts reliance is placed on a natural
bank on one side, and the river Chun on the other.

May 10th. This morning we were in some doubt about the
propriety of starting, as a strong wind was blowing right a-
gainst us, and we had to cross a broad lake, where the waves
are easily excited in a storm, and owing to the shallowness
of. the lake break short, thereby exposing vessels which at-
tempt to cross it to great danger of being knocked in pieces*
The name of the lake was jl[]	Koo-ching-hoo; it is

broader than it is represented in the maps ; after some deli-
beration, our boatmen resolved to attempt the passage, and
poling the whole of the way, by dint of great and unwearied
exertion, succeeded in crossing it in safety, early in the after-
noon. Having reaehed the town of	lH) Ting-fow-

chin, the boatmen informed us that they could take us no
further, as a neck of land, several miles in extent, here breaks
the water communication, and separates the western from
the eastern waters. There seems also to be a difference of
level, not only between the waters on either side, but also be-
tween them and the small canal which traverses the neck of
land, that divides the two water communications from each
other. We were therefore obliged to land, and enter the
busy town above-named, in order to seek a passage across the
isthmus. The transport of goods from the river to the canal-
boats occupies great numbers of coolies, and the rush of pas-
sengers to secure places is uninterrupted. The canal-boats for
the conveyance of goods and passengers are long barges, ca-
pable of carrying great quantities of merchandize, with a sort
of hold near the stern, where the passengers are stowed away*
Into this compartment, eight feet square, about a dozen
passengers were thrust together, notwithstanding my guide187

had expressly stipulated that we should be left alone. One
of the passengers w'as addressed by the boatmen as a /J*
Shaou-yay, young squire, and treated with great deference; on
enquiring into his name and rank, it appeared that lie was the
son of the district magistrate of Kaou-chun. As these young
gentlemen are particulatly celebrated for possessing all the
rapacity and none of the literary attainments of their sires,
they are more to be shunned than courted : particularly by per-
sons who possess any secret, the finding out of which might
endanger their own safety, and add to the profits of their dis-
coverers. We were, however, now so close together, that there
was no possibility of our avoiding each other my guide there-
fore put a good face upon it, and began to enquire into the pedi-
gree and prospects of the young mandarin, by which he
kept alive his attention, and prevented him from taking too
much notice of me. A slight return of the pain in my foot,
which had come on with more acuteness that day, kept me
sufficiently occupied, and finding that I was unwell, he
did not disturb me any further. It was quite dark before we
reached the ^ Tung-pa, where we were to get accom-
modations for the night, and a boat to carry us on the next
day. To the former we were directed by the barge-master,
and soon found ourselves tolerably well housed, and a supper
spread out before us sufficiently satisfying. Our host was
now requested to look out for a boatman, with whom we
might make some arrangements for our onward course. 'A
man was soon brought, who demanded ari''exorbitaut price
for conveying us to Soo-chow. The landlord professed to
be our friend, and declaring that he considered our cause" his
own, sought to bring down the demands of the boatmen ;
this he did in some degree, but after all made an arrange-
ment for what appeared to be much more than was just or re-
quisite. The high price demanded went, according to him, to
satisfy the exactions of the mandarins, who required a por-
tion of the profits of every voyage made by each boat; this
was the more willingly given by the boat-people, in order to188

prevent annoying enquiries and examinations before the
officers. Some of it, however, I was afterwards informed,
went into the pocket of our landlord, who so zealously de-
fended our cause, and laboured with such earnestness to get
our arrangements made. We obtained a ticket, at this place,
which exempted us from further exactions and interference,
until we reached the end of our journey.

May 11th. This morning we embarked in a large and
comfortable .boat, with half a dozen men to propel us for-
ward, and though the wind was contrary, we Btill advanced
with tolerable speed. The river called	Seu-ho, along

which we went, was narrow, but sufficiently deep to be nayi-
gable for such a boat as the one on which we were embarked.
The banks were lined with mulberry-trees in great num-
bers, apparently larger and more flourishing than any we
had previously seen ; perhaps they only seemed'so, however,
owing to the more advanced season of the year. The in-
habitants were busy picking the leaves for the young silk*
worms, which they did by means of ladders or steps, with
props on the other side, so as to enable the gatherers to
mount without injuring the trees. We soon passed the
towns of J|g *§, Kwang-t’hung, ^p. Tang-fow, and
Shay-choo ; all very thriving places, filled with con-
tented inhabitants. By travelling most of the night, we arrived
next morning opposite the city of ^ ^ P’heaou-yang, in
the prefecture of ^H^Keang-ning. As far back as the )§£
ISan-tang dynasty, (a. d. 924) an earthen wall, four le in ex-
tent, had been thrown up around this city, outside of which
was a ditch fifty feet wide ; this wall was enlarged in the
Sung dynasty ; in the Jfc Yuen dynasty the town was admit-
ted into the list of sub-prefectural cities. In the Ming dynasty
a wall was built on the foundations of the original earthen
bank, upwards of 9.000 feet in length ; the ditch was like-
wise dug. much deeper ; battlements and semi-bastions were
afterwards added, and the city became, in the Chinese esti-
mation, fortified.189

May 12th. This morning we pursued our voyage, and
passing by the towns of j|§ j|| Chung-k’he, and Jjjjj ^
Hod-tae, entered about midday the grand canal, the wa-
ters of which were covered with vessels passing up and down,
contrasting in its busy scene with the stillness of the streams
along which we had previously passed. The imperial grain -
junks were pursuing their journey northward, each pro-
pelled by their score of men, but as they were of un*.
wieldy bulk, and moreover, belonged to the emperor, the
navigators on board seemed unable or unwilling to advance
at more than a snail’s speed. The boats and vessels belong-
ing to the people, being pushed on by the spirit of private
adventure, went at a faster rate. The bustle increasing, we
found that we were approaching a city, and ^ Woo-seth
soon rose to view. This place appears in a prosperous con-
dition, both bn account of its trade and manufactures. Si-
tuated on the grand canal, mid-way between Soo-chow and
Chang-chow, it has always a great influx of strangers, which
of course makes business thrive ; besides this, it is very
much celebrated for its potteries and its iron-foundries. For
about two miles before our arrival at the city, we passed one
continuous line of glazed pots and pans, arranged in piles,
in the various pottery-stores, along the banks of the river.
An island of considerable length, surrounded on every side
by the waters of the grand canal, was covered with pots from
one end to the other ; and there seemed sufficient of these
articles to supply the whole empire. The iron-foundries
here, are also very much celebrated, and the numerous spe-
cimens of vases, tripods, and pagodas, some of them twenty
feet high, cast both in iron and bronze, shew that Woo-seih
has not belied its name. The water carriage is here very con-
venient for the transport of heavy goods, having the grand
canal winding completely round the city, and being in the
immediate vicinity of the ^ T’hae-hoo, or great lake.
The walls, which are in a good state of repair, were built in190

the Sung dynasty ; they are upwards of eleven le in circum-
ference, and about twenty feet high. The origin of its name
^ Wj Wod-seih, or “ no tin,” is variously accoun ted for-
There is a small hill in its neighbourhood, called ^
Seih-ehan, or “ tin hill,” from the name of which one might
gather, that tin has formerly been procurable here, until the
exhaustion of the mine led the neighbouring inhabitants to
cry out “ no tin ;” which might have given rise to the name
of the city. The natives of the place have, however, a
strange story, that the tin mines were once so productive in
the neighbourhood, as to cause a great influx of strangers to
the place, who contending for the possession of the mines,
created such disturbances, that the emperor forbad their
being worked altogether, and, in order to discourage people
from coming thither for suqh purposes, commanded the city
to be called Wod-seth, “ no tin.”

We proceeded on our voyage the same afternoon, and to-
wards night, arrived at a pass, within a few miles of Soo-
chow, where, finding the gates which were constructed across
the canal closed, we were obliged to come to for the night.

May 13lh. Early this morning, our boat, in conjunction
with a number of others, was waiting outside the canal-gate,
until the custom-house officer should see fit to awake from
his slumbers, and examine the fleet. My guide was of course
in great trepidation lest any discovery should be made, and
we endeavoured to have every thing as snugly arranged as pos-
sible, so as not to excite suspicion. About seten o’clock the
approach of the official became apparent, by an unusual stir
among the boats, and presently a low underling from the
custom-house came on board. He asked what merchandize
we had, and being informed we had nothing but a box of
clothes, he required to see it ; on its being placed before him,
he opened the lid, and rummaged it to the bottom; finding
nothing particular, he took a glance around the cabin, to see
if he could spy any contraband goods on board, and not heed-
ing the principal contraband article that sat in a Chinese191

garb before him, he passed out through the stern of the cabin
and we saw him no more. Immediately the gates gave way
and we passed through, after paying a small sum as a .por-
terage-fee, and we proceeded unmolested on our voyage.
The name of the pass is t§j?! Heu-shoo-kwan. Ap-
proaching Soo-chow from the north-west, we found both sides
of the canal lined for several miles with houses, the wharves
in front of which presented a most busy scene; after passing
through this populous suburb, we arrived at the city, the walls
of which did not appear so high, nor in such good repair, as
those of Woo-seth, which we had left the day previous. Still
they were much more extensive, including a vast area, more
than sufficient, if covered with houses, to accommodate a mil-
lion of inhabitants. The space within the walls is, however,
by no means filled up with human dwellings, and except
in the direction of the principal streets, and cross-ways lead-
ing from them, a large portion of the ground is laid out in
fields and gardens. A description of this city cannot
be crowded into a journal like the present, and well de-
serves a separate notice. My guide having conducted me
faithfully thus far, and put me in a fair way of reaching
Shanghae, left me at this place, whilst I proceeded alone in
the same boat to the end of my journey. As I slowly passed
along, under the walls of the city, I was struck with the vast
quantity of timber left to soak in the canal, or hauled up on
the shore, in the different wood-stores outside the city.
Then the number of grain-junks laid up in ordinary drew
my attention; these moored along the side of the canal, in
an unbroken succession for miles, shewed how large the
fleet of such vessels must have been, in the aggregate, when
these were only the overplus of the still larger number which
had already sailed for Peking. Some of them were, howeve^
completely dismantled, and others in a most ruinous con-
dition, with all the upper works torn away, apparently for the
sake of using the word for fuel ; while not a few were sunk,
and had only the deck above water.192

Having passed along the north side of the city, we arrived
at the gate, which lies on the east side, but near the north-east
corner of the city. Here we found a canal which led east-
ward, towards Jjt jXj Kwan-shan, along which we proceeded,
and soon lost sight of Soo-chow. This canal is broad and
deep, and from its pursuing such a direct course, appears to
have been the work of art. Along this the imperial grain-
junks proceed, in their course from Sbanghae, and the adja-
cent towns, in preference to following the course of the Wod-
Bung-keaDg, which after leaving the neighbourhood of Kwan-
shan, is spread out into the shallow lakes of the	Maou-

hoo, Ul Jf^Teen-shan-hoo,	‘M Kin-hung-hod, and

Sha-hod. As the day declined, we arrived at j|^
|l| Kwan^-shan, and anchored for the night under its, wall.
This city includes two towns in one. The walls are said
to be l21e in extent, and 28 feet high. Near the north end
of the city is a hill, crowned with pagodas, from the galleries
of which may be seen, in a northerly direction, the hill of
^tChang-shuh, which seemed from its appearance to be
at least 1,500 feet high, and in a southerly direction the whole
of the city and its adjacent lakes, together with the hills
about Tsing-poo, appear in the distance. As this city, however,
lies within reach of the European residents of Shanghae, it
will be less necessary minutely to describe it.

May 14th. We again got under weigh, and without meet-
ing with anything worthy of particular remark, we arrived
about nine o’clock at what is called the Soo-chow bridge,
near Shanghae, from which I got two of the boatmen to carry
my baggage, and arrived in an hour after before my own
door ; where having got the bearers to deposit my baggage,
I discharged them, and quietly walked in ; those who had
accompanied me not knowing who 1 was, and those at home
not dreaming of the direction in which I had travelled, or the
way in which I reached home, except in so far as I chose to
inform them.



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