in England (where it blooms in the open air at Christmas), was quite common. But the most interesting of these plants I found in an old garden, and it is likely to be much prized at home. I will here relate the accident by which it was discovered while we were at Tung-che. My coolie and myself were busy collecting tea-seeds on a small hill not far from the town. After collecting all the seeds we could find, I happened to get a glimpse of a very fine specimen of the funereal cypress, with which I was so charmed, that I determined to go to the spot where it was growing and enjoy a nearer view. I desired my attendant to accompany me, in case any ripe seeds might be found upon it. As we approached the village we discovered that the tree was inside a garden, which was surrounded by very high walls. Naturally supposing that there must be a gate somewhere, we walked round the walls until we came to a little cottage, which seemed to have served the purpose of a lodge. We passed in here with all the coolness of Chinamen, and soon found ourselves in a dilapidated old garden. A large house, which had formerly been the mansion, was, like the garden, in a ruinous condition. The funereal cypress which I

had seen in the distance stood in the midst of the garden, and was covered with ripe seeds, which increased the collection I had formerly obtained.

Having taken a survey of the place, we were making our way out, when an extraordinary plant, growing in a secluded part of the garden, met my eye. When I got near it I found that it was a very

fine evergreen Berberis, belonging to the section of Mahonias, and having of course pinnated leaves. Each leaflet was as large as the leaf of an English holly, spiny, and of a fine dark, shining green colour. The shrub was about eight feet high, much branched, and far surpassed in beauty all the other known species of Mahonia. It had but one fault, and that was, that it was too large to move and bring away. I secured a leaf, however, and marked the spot where it grew, in order to secure some cuttings of it on my return from the interior.

I had been greatly annoyed at the cowardice and fear of Wang. He had still the most serious apprehensions for his safety, as his enemy, the boatman, continued to threaten him. I tried to laugh at him. and convince him that the boatman would do him no

At last he came to me,

harm, but it was of no use. and explained a plan which he had been concocting, and which he proposed putting into execution next day. It was simply this: he and I were to leave the boat ostensibly to walk in the country as usual, but with the intention of not returning to it. I asked him what was to be done with our beds and luggage, and what he proposed doing with the other man. He replied that all must be left behind; that if he attempted to leave the boat openly, measures would be taken to stop him; and that, as the coolie could not be trusted, he must be left also. He did not intend even to pay what was due upon our passage money! Such was the plan which, after days and nights of deep thought, as he told me, he had at last

G

made up his mind to put into execution, and to which he now begged that I would agree.

I thought over the business for some few minutes, and then came to the determination not to adopt his suggestions. I was unwilling to leave behind me the seeds of the tea-shrub and of the other new plants which I had discovered, and I did not think the state of the case so urgent as to force me to the unworthy measure of leaving the other man behind and the boatman unpaid. "This plan of yours will not do," said I; "if you can leave the boat in an open manner, taking your companion along with you and paying all charges, I have no objection either to go on shore or to hire another boat, but I cannot consent to go away in the manner you propose." I was very glad afterwards that I was firm enough to pursue this

course.

A day or two after this I was informed in the morning that we were within thirty le of the town of Tun-che, and that we should arrive there in the evening. This was the destination of our boat, and here we should leave it. In the afternoon, about two o'clock, we were only four miles distant from this place, and as the water was very shallow, and we were making but little progress, most of the passengers determined to walk onwards to the town. We all began to pack up our luggage and make preparations for the journey. The opium-smoker, who, with all his civility, was a man I could not trust, was now anxious to know to what part of the country we very were bound. My Chinese servants, who had learned

a little wit by experience, took good care to keep all these matters to themselves, their great object being to cut off all connection between their friends in the boat and those with whom we might have to associate afterwards.

It

Our passage-money was now fully paid up, our luggage packed, and an arrangement made between my two men with regard to the station to which we were bound. When this was all arranged I left the coolie in charge of the luggage, took Wang on shore, and walked onwards to Tun-che, which we reached between three and four o'clock in the afternoon. is a thriving, busy town, and forms as it were the port of Hwuy-chow-foo, from which it is distant about twenty miles. It is situated in lat. 29° 48' N., and in long. 2° 4' E. of Peking. All the large Hang-chow and Yen-chow boats are moored and loaded here, the river being too shallow to allow of their proceeding higher up, and hence it is a place of great trade. Nearly all the green teas which are sent down the river to Hang-chow-foo, and thence onward to Shanghae, are shipped at this place. The green teas destined for Canton are carried across a range of hills to the westward, where there is a river which flows in the direction of the Poyang lake.

This part of the country is very populous. Nearly the whole way from the place where we had left our boat was covered with houses, forming a kind of suburb to Tun-che. This place itself is supposed to contain about 150,000 inhabitants. The great article of trade is green tea. There are here a number of

large dealers who buy this article from the farmers and priests, refine and sort it, form it into chops, and forward it to Shanghae or Canton, where it is sold to the foreign merchant. Seven or eight hundred chops are said to be sent out of this town annually. I observed also a great number of carpenters' shops for the manufacture of chests, a trade which of itself must employ a large number of men. In fact, this town and the surrounding populous district may be said to be supported by the foreign tea-trade.

Nearly all the way from Yen-chow-foo the river was bounded by high hills on each side. Now, however, they seemed, as it were, to fall back, and left an extensive and beautiful valley, through the middle of which the river flowed. Nearly all this low land is under tea cultivation, the soil is rich and fertile, and the bushes consequently grow most luxuriantly. I had never before seen the tea-plant in such a flourishing condition, and this convinced me that soil had much to do with the superiority of the Hwuy-chow

green teas.

The very sandy soil near the river yielded good crops of the ground-nut (Arachis hypogœa).

After spending about an hour in the town we inquired where we could hire a chair to take us onward about thirty le further, and were directed to an inn or tea-house, where chairs are let on hire. A circumstance happened in this inn which gave me some amusement at the time, and which I have often laughed at since. When we entered this house we found a great number of travellers of all ranks; some