a small bustling town, and a place of considerable importance, being at the head of one of the branches of the river which flows into the bay of Hang-chow. All the traffic carried on between the towns near the sea, such as Hang-chow-foo, Shanghae, &c., and those on the eastern Bohea mountains, as Pouchinghien, must pass through Ching-hoo. All the basket teas manufactured in the Pouching districts are brought here on their way to the fertile and populous countries in the north-east. As soon as we arrived we went to an inn to dine and make inquiries regarding a boat. In this instance I took care to pay the chairbearers and coolie myself, not wishing to have another scene like that at Pouching-hien. The men had behaved very well during the journey, so I paid them, in addition to their wages, a small sum for the accident that had happened to the chair; I also gave them the usual gratuity for wine, or sam-shoo, which they always expect on these occasions. They appeared perfectly satisfied, and, after making many low bows, went their way back to Pouching-hien. Sing-Hoo now went out to engage a boat to take us down the river. While he was absent a barber came into the room where I was, and politely asked me if I wanted my head shaved after coming off such a long journey across the mountains. I need scarcely say I begged to decline any attention of this kind. My servant soon came back, bringing a boatman with him, whom he had engaged to take us down to Nechow, a small town near the mouth of the river. As I glided smoothly and quickly down the river I looked upon the difficulties and dangers of my journey as at an end. Although between two and three hundred miles to the westward of any of the ports at which foreigners reside, yet the river seemed like an old friend who had met me at Ching-hoo to carry me safely home. Nothing further happened to damp the pleasure of my journey. On my way down I paid another visit to the pretty town of Nan-che; I also stopped a day at Yen-chow-foo to procure some plants of the weeping cypress for Mr. Beale's garden at Shanghae, and arrived at last at Nechow. The route which I had now before me has been already fully described. I arrived at Shanghae in due time, having been absent on this long journey nearly three months. Although I had been eating with chopsticks all this time, I had not forgotten the use of knives and forks, and I need scarcely say I heartily enjoyed my first English dinner. The teaplants procured in Woo-e-shan reached Shanghae in good order, and most of them are now flourishing on the slopes of the Himalayas. CHAPTER XIX. Tea-plants, &c., taken to Hong-kong-Shipped for India - I sail Shanghae gardens in spring again for the north- Introduction to Europe-Size in England-Azalea gardens- In the month of August the weather was excessively hot. As exposure to the sun at this time of the year is attended with great danger, and as I had some hard work before me in the autumn, I did not wish to run the risk of being laid up with fever. I therefore remained quietly under Mr. Beale's hospitable roof until the end of September. In October and November I procured a large supply of tea-seeds and young plants from Hwuychow, and from various parts of the province of Chekiang. These were all brought to Shanghae in order to be prepared and packed for the long voyage to India. When they were all gathered together into Mr. Beale's garden they formed a collection of great interest. Here were tea-plants, not only from Silver Island, Chusan, and the districts about Ning-po, but also from the far-famed countries of Sung-loshan and the Woo-e hills. A number of Ward's glazed cases were now got ready for the reception of the plants, and the whole of them were taken down to Hong-kong under my own care. They were then divided and sent on to Calcutta by four different vessels, in case of accident. As soon as I had got all the plants put on board I left Hong-kong again for the north. My object now was to engage some first-rate tea manufacturers for the Indian plantations, to procure a supply of the implements used in the best districts for the manufacture of tea, and to get together another large collection of tea-plants. I reached Shanghae in the month of April, 1850. The winter had passed away, and spring was just commencing. Trees and shrubs were bursting into leaf and flower, birds were singing gaily in every bush, and all nature was teeming with life and joy. Taking advantage of the fine weather and a few days of leisure I determined to make a tour of the gardens near Shanghae, some of which are of considerable interest. The first I visited is about two miles from the south-west corner of the city, and is now well known to the foreign residents as the "South Garden." It was one of those in which I had found many new plants on my first visit to China. This little garden covers about an acre of land, and is surrounded, like many of these places, by a ditch, which is connected with canals through which the tide ebbs and flows. On entering the gate, the first object which one notices is the gardener's house. It is a rude building of one story, and contains the old couple, two sons with their wives, and a large number of young children. The Chinese in the country always live in little colonies of this description. When a son marries, the wife is brought home, and a portion of the building is set apart for their use. Here they live together in the most harmonious manner, and the grandchildren, when they grow up and marry, occupy a part of the same buildings, rarely leaving the place of their birth. "Are you well?" "Were they Ah, you have come back!" "How did the plants get home?" much admired in England?" were the questions which were rapidly put to me by the old nurseryman and his sons; at the same time they brought a chair, and asked me to sit down under the awning of the cottage. I told them that most of the plants had arrived safely in England, that they had been greatly admired, and that the beautiful Weigela had even attracted the notice of her Majesty the Queen. All these statements, more particularly the last, seemed to give them great pleasure; and they have doubtless fancied the Weigela of more value ever since. This garden contains many of the beautiful plants introduced by the Horticultural Society of London from 1843 to 1846. Amongst some pots at the entrance there were fine plants of the now wellknown Weigela, the pretty Indigofera decora, Forsythia viridissima, and a fine white variety of Wistaria sinensis. Round the sides of the ditch were many magnificent specimens of Edgeworthia chrysantha, and Gardenia florida Fortuniana, growing |