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

autumn.

Wang had directions to proceed northwards from Fokien into the district of Hwuy-chow, and to make a further collection of tea-plants in the green-tea country. He had been there with me in the previous It would of course be much easier for him to get his collections in the Bohea hills than in Hwuychow; and he would have had no difficulty in telling me he had been in a country where he had not been, but I had the following check upon him, which proved useful more than once, and with others besides Wang:-It may be recollected that, during my visit to the green-tea country in the autumn before, I discovered a beautiful evergreen shrub, the Berberis japonica, and that was the only place in which I had met with it. Wang was therefore told that he must bring me some plants of this as well as the tea-plants, and that if he did not do so he would have no claim to the promised reward. He returned to Ning-po about five weeks after the other servant, bringing me only a few plants and a very long bill. However, he had really been in Hwuy-chow, and what he brought me were valuable.

Whilst waiting for these men at Ning-po I determined to pay a visit to my old quarters, the temple of Tein-tung, situated amongst the hills about twenty

CHAP. VIII.

CHINESE SPORTSMEN.

151

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

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

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

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

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

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

CHAP. VIII. CHINESE DOGS-DEER-HUNT.

153

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

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

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

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

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

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

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