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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!"

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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.

CHAPTER VIII.

Jealousy of the mandarins

A polite way of getting

Scenery amongst the mountains

Temple of Koo

Foo-chow-foo rid of a spy shan Its priests and idols - Buddha's tooth and other relics Trees and shrubs City of Foo-chow-foo — Chinese mode of getting out when the gates are shut — Journey up the Min - Chinese sportsmen and their dogs A deer-hunt Scenery about Teintung - Wild flowers Roadside temples The bamboo priest and siphon

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Lakes of Tung-hoo.

A

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

looked rather disconcerted, and walked out of the house.

Having completed my arrangements in the house, I went out to call upon Mr. Morrison, interpreter to the British Consulate, who was very unwell, and had got as far as this place on his way to Hong-kong. The house in which he had taken up his quarters was only about two or three hundred yards from mine. As I was walking thither, some one came trudging behind me, and on looking round I discovered my old friend the mandarin at my heels. When I turned round he stopped for an instant, and, as I looked intently at him, he seemed inclined to pass on. I stopped him, and asked him, as politely as I could, where he was bound for. He said he was going to some place on the river side, with which I was unacquainted. "Could you not go there tomorrow?" said I; "pray do, for I am going there to-day, and company is disagreeable to me.". With that I put my hand on his arm, turned him gently round, and made him a very polite bow. The fellow looked rather confused, grinned, and walked away, and I never saw him again. I was afterwards informed that all foreigners are dodged in this way, and all their operations duly reported to the authorities.

I had often heard of a celebrated Buddhist temple, not very far from Foo-chow, so I determined to pay it a visit. It is called the Temple of Koo-shan, and is situate amongst the mountains, a few miles to the eastward of the city. This temple seems to be the Jerusalem of this part of China, to which all good

pay

Buddhists repair at stated seasons to worship and their vows. Having reached the foot of the mountain, I passed through a spacious porch or gateway, and began the ascent. The hill of Koo-shan is fully 3000 feet above the level of the river Min, and the temple is about 2000 feet up, or 1000 feet below the summit. A well-paved path, about six feet in width, has been made the whole way up to the temple. As the traveller ascends by this winding causeway, he gets now and then the most charming view that can be imagined, which well repays him for his toil in the ascent. Now, he looks down amongst rocks and trees into some retired and rugged valley, where the soil is so barren that it will not repay the industry even of the Chinese:-a corner is turned, and he reaches one of those resting-places which are built at regular distances for the accommodation of the weary pilgrim, where a glorious view is spread before him. It is the wide and fertile valley of the Min, intersected everywhere by rivers and canals, and teeming with a numerous and industrious population.

In about an hour I reached the porch of the temple. Some idle-looking priests were lounging about the steps which led up to the first range of buildings. As soon as I was observed, one of them ran off and informed the superior or abbot, who came down and received me with great politeness. I told him I had come to see the temple, of which I had often heard, and requested he would send some one to conduct me over it. An old priest clothed in a yellow gown now presented himself to conduct me

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