branches grew at first at right angles to the main stem, then described a graceful curve upwards, and bent again at their points. From these main branches others long and slender hung down perpendicularly, and gave the whole tree a weeping and graceful form. It reminded me of some of those large and gorgeous chandeliers, sometimes seen in theatres and public halls in Europe.

What could it be? It evidently belonged to the pine tribe, and was more handsome and ornamental than them all. I walked, no,-to tell the plain truth, I ran up to the place where it grew, much to the surprise of my attendants, who evidently thought I had gone crazy. When I reached the spot where it grew it appeared more beautiful even than it had done in the distance. Its stem was perfectly straight, like Cryptomeria, and its leaves were formed like those of the well-known arbor-vitæ, only much more slender and graceful.

This specimen was fortunately covered with a quantity of ripe fruit, a portion of which I was most anxious to secure. The tree was growing in some grounds belonging to a country inn, and was the property of the innkeeper. A wall intervened between us and it, which I confess I felt very much inclined to get over; but remembering that I was acting Chinaman, and that such a proceeding would have been very indecorous, to say the least of it, I immediately gave up the idea. We now walked into the inn, and, seating ourselves quietly down at one of the tables, ordered some dinner to be brought to us. When we had taken our meal we lighted our

Chinese pipes, and sauntered out, accompanied by our polite host, into the garden where the real attraction lay. "What a fine tree this of yours is! we have never seen it in the countries near the sea

where we come from; pray give us some of its seeds. "It is a fine tree," said the man, who was evidently much pleased with our admiration of it, and readily complied with our request. These seeds were carefully treasured; and as they got home safely, and are now growing in England, we may expect in a few years to see a new and striking feature produced upon our landscape by this lovely tree. Afterwards, as we journeyed westward, it became more common, and was frequently to be seen in clumps on the sides of the hills.

This tree has been named the FUNEREAL CYPRESS. Professor Lindley-to whom I sent one of the dried specimens procured during this journey-pronounces it "an acquisition of the highest interest ;" and adds, "We have received a specimen of it, which enables us to say that it must be a plant of the greatest beauty. It may be best described as a tree like the weeping willow in growth, with the foliage of the savin, but of a brighter green; it is, however, not a juniper, as the savin is, but a genuine cypress. It has long been a subject of regret that the Italian cypress cannot be made to endure our climate, and to decorate our burial-places; but we have now a finer tree, still better adapted for the purpose. Leaving the town of Shang-i-yuen, abreast of which

Gardener's Chronicle, 1849, p. 243.

we had anchored during the night, we proceeded on our journey on the morning of the 31st of October. After going a short distance we came to a wild-looking part of the hills where there was a most curious and distinct echo, called by the Chinese Fung-shu. The boatmen and passengers amused themselves by yelling and uttering strange sounds at the highest pitch of their voices; these were taken up and distinctly repeated again and again, first by the nearest hills, and then by others more distant, until they gradually died away. The Chinese have strange prejudices and opinions about this place. They told me that the spirits of men after death often chose to dwell amidst this wild and beautiful scenery; and they said it was they that now repeated these sounds, and echoed them from hill to hill.

As the day wore on we came to one of those rapids which were so difficult to pass, and observed a great number of small boats waiting for and visiting all the larger ones as they came up. These were river beggars. Each of them had a very old man or woman on board, whose hair in most instances was whitened with age, and who was evidently in a state of imbecility and second childhood. They all expected alms from the boatmen who arrived from the rich towns of the east near the sea. The Chinese, to their honour, revere and love old age. It was said that a celebrated English admiral was once in danger of an attack from the Canton mob, but the moment he lifted his hat and showed his gray hairs they drew back and allowed him to pass on unmo

F

lested. Be this as it may, it is certain that they revere and love old age and gray hairs.

It was a custom with the boatmen every morning to set aside a small portion of rice in a bamboo cup to give to the poor. Hence the beggars were generally successful in their applications; indeed, it was a most difficult matter to get rid of them otherwise, for they were most importunate and even troubleWe were visited by so many that the boatman often complained of his inability to give more than an ounce or two of rice to each, and appealed to them on the subject. But unless the whole of the contents of the bamboo cup was emptied into the basket held out, the mendicants made a great noise, and complained that they had been deprived of their due.

some.

Sometimes the river was so shallow and so full of stones that the only passage for boats was close in shore. The land beggars knew these places well, and always took their stations there. Each was provided with a basket suspended from the point of a bamboo pole, which he held out to the boatman and asked for alms. These landsmen were quite as importunate as their brethren in the boats, and were generally as successful in their applications.

I was not aware until now that the lower orders in China-such as these boatmen-were so charitable. Few of the beggars-and "their name was legion". were sent away without "an alms." It might be that, ignorant and idolatrous as these boatmen were, they had yet some idea that a blessing would result from "casting their bread upon the waters."