The one is the bright sunshine which ripens the wood in autumn, and the other is the peculiar nature of the mountains on which the plant grows. In the hottest weather, even when no rain has fallen for months, and, when the valleys are parched and burnt up for want of it, these mountain-sides are always moist a few inches below the surface, and teem in all directions with cool and refreshing springs. The Enkianthus is always in blossom at the time of the Chinese new year, when its flowers are in great request in the south of China for the decoration of the houses, boats, and temples, just as those of the Nandina are in the north. It is brought in large quantities from the hills, and sold in the streets, or sent about in presents, after the same fashion as the holly and mistletoe in England. If the branches are cut and placed in a jar of water before the flowers are fully expanded, the latter will remain in perfection for a fortnight or three weeks. The pretty wax-looking globular flowers are very handsome, and are held in high esteem amongst the natives. Having a few days to spare before commencing my second campaign in the north, I determined on paying a visit to the Fa-tee gardens near Canton. I was curious to obtain some information concerning the process of preparing and packing those seeds which are usually sold to foreigners to be sent home to friends in Europe and America. I had been accustomed to believe, with all good charitable people, that these seeds were boiled or poisoned in some way by the Chinese before they were sold to our mer CHAP. VII. PACKING CANTON SEEDS. 131 chants, in order that the floral beauties of China should not find their way into other countries, and the trade in seeds be injured. The Chinese are certainly bad enough, but, like other rogues, they are sometimes painted worse than they really are. "Come, Aching," said I to the old man who generally supplied these seeds, and in whose good graces I stood pretty high, from having made him a present of a rare and curious plant, "I want to see your method of packing seeds for foreigners. Take me to your seed-room and show me the whole process from beginning to end." The old man led me up to the middle of his garden, where he had an ornamental shed or seed-room. It was nicely fitted up with shelves, on which were arranged a great number of small porcelain bottles, such as I had often seen in London with seeds from China. "Sit down," said he, "and I will explain the business to you. I first gather the seeds from the plants. I then put each kind, separately, into one of these small bottles, and then pack the whole into a little box, ready for being shipped to Europe or America." "I understand that part of the business," said I; "but what is the substance which you put into the bottles along with the seeds ?" This was a white ashy-looking matter, which we supposed in England might be burnt bones, and some conjectured that it was mixed with the seeds for the purpose of manure. "Burnt lice," said Aching. "Burnt what?" I asked, with a smile which I could not conceal. He repeated the assertion with all the gravity of a judge. The reader may probably be ignorant of the Chinese language, and I must therefore explain that a Chinese cannot pronounce our letter r; he has not such a sound in his language. In trying to pronounce any word in which the letter occurs, he invariably substitutes the sound of for that of r. It was therefore burnt rice, or the husks of rice reduced to ashes, that he meant. I then asked him the reason why he used this substance in packing seeds, and he replied, in Canton English, "Spose my no mixie this seed, worms makie chowchow he." Although the Chinese in Canton would consider this excellent English, it may be as well to explain that his meaning was, "Suppose I did not mix ashes with the seeds, worms would eat them." He alluded to a little maggot which would come out during the voyage. "Don't be angry,” said I, “but we English fancy you do something to destroy the vitality of the seeds, instead of endeavouring to preserve it." "I know," said the old man, "you fancy I boil them!" It is a most difficult matter to preserve the seeds of trees and shrubs in the south of China, owing to the attacks of maggots. This is, without doubt, one of the reasons why Canton seeds so seldom grow when they are received in England; another reason is the age of the seeds. Old ones, gathered in former years, are generally mixed up with the fresh ones, and are all sent together. Most assuredly, however, poor Aching does not boil them nor poison them in any way. CHAP. VIII. FOO-CHOW-FOO. 133 CHAPTER VIII. Foo-chow-foo rid of a spy shan Jealousy of the mandarins -- A polite way of getting Scenery amongst the mountains Temple of Koo Its priests and idols - Buddha's tooth and other relics Trees and shrubs - City of Foo-chow-foo Chinese mode of get ting out when the gates are shut — Journey up the Min - Chinese sportsmen and their dogs - A deer-hunt Scenery about Tein· Wild flowers Roadside temples tung -- priest and siphon Lakes of Tung-hoo. THE Vessel in which I had taken a passage for the north being now ready for sea, my luggage was put on board, and we sailed for Foo-chow-foo, the capital of the province of Fokien. This port was opened to foreigners by the treaty, but it has hitherto proved of little value as a place of trade. The English consular staff has been greatly reduced, and there is only one merchant at the port. Many missionaries, both English and American, have been stationed in the city and suburbs, and are labouring patiently, but I fear with little success, amongst an ungrateful people. The mandarins at Foo-chow, and the people generally, resemble their brethren at Canton. They are jealous of foreigners, and would gladly see them turned out of the province. A strict watch is kept upon all their actions, which are duly reported to the authorities. On my arrival I had my luggage conveyed to an empty house, rented by Captain Hely, who had kindly offered me the use of it during my stay. I had just entered the house, and had gone up stairs to look for a room in which I could have my bed placed, when I heard a person below putting various questions to my servants. I paid little attention to this at first, as I knew the Chinese to be very inquisitive; but as the examination continued longer than was agreeable, I went down stairs to see what was the matter. There I found an ill-looking fellow with a brass button in his hat, and evidently belonging to the lowest class of mandarins, standing over my servants, and putting questions to them in a most authoritative manner, and in the Fokien dialect, which, as they were both northern men, they did not understand. For ten minutes they had been going on in this way, and neither party was any wiser than when they began. Turning to my servants, I asked them who the man was, and what he wanted. They replied that he was a mandarin, that he had been putting some questions to them concerning me; but as he spoke in the Fokien dialect they could not understand him. The Chinese generally stand in great dread of their Government officers, and on this occasion my servants thought they had given me a good and sufficient reason for their having been detained so long. But I had not forgotten the annoyances which I had formerly endured at this place from Government spies, and at once ordered my servants to leave their interrogator, and attend to their duties. The officer |