A journey to the tea countries of China : including Sung-Lo and the Bohea hills; with a short notice of the East India Company's tea plantations in the Himalaya mountains

Front matter

IW .^ victoria R'S-

COLLECTION

OF VICTORIAN BOOKS

Preface

It is now about five years since I submitted to the public my ' Three Years' Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China.' Shortly after the publication of that volume I was deputed by the Honourable the Court of Directors of the East India Company to proceed to China for the purpose of obtaining the finest varieties of the Tea-plant, as well as native manufacturers and implements, for the Government Tea plantations in the Himalayas. On the 20th of June, 1848, I left Southampton, with many other passengers, in the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship 'Ripon,' Captain Moresby, I.N., and landed in Hong-kong on the 14th of August.

As I went far inland, and visited many districts almost unknown to Europeans, I now venture to lay an account of my travels and their results before the public. Blessed with a sound constitution and good health, I cared little for luxuries, and made light of

a 2 vi PREFACE.

the hardships of a traveller's life. New scenes, new countries, and new plants were day by day spread out before me and afforded gratification of the highest and purest kind. And even now, when on a different side of the globe and far removed from such scenes and such adventures, I often look back upon them with feelings of unalloyed pleasure.

The important objects of my mission have been brought to a successful termination. Upwards of twenty thousand tea-plants, eight first-rate manufacturers, and a large supply of implements were procured from the finest tea-districts of China, and conveyed in safety to the Himalayas. In the course of my travels I discovered many useful and ornamental trees and shrubs, some of which, such as the Funereal Cypress, will one day produce a striking and beautiful effect in our English landscape and in our cemeteries.

In publishing this account of my journey I may repeat what I said in the introduction to my former ' Wanderings :' — " I have no intention of writing or making a book upon China." My object is to give a peep into the Celestial Empire, to show its strange hills and romantic valleys, its rivers and canals, its natural productions, whether in the field, on the hill-side, or in the garden, and its strange and interesting people, as they were seen by ine in their every-day

PREFACE. Vll

life. As I hope my readers will accompany me through the whole of my journey, I shall have the pleasure of taking them to India and the Himalayas, and showing them the Government Tea plantations, from which much is expected, and which are likely to prove of great advantage, not only to India but also to England and her wide-spreading colonies.

Having thus given an idea of what may be expected in the following pages, I have only to express a hope that the work may be received by the public in the same kind spirit, and with the same indulgence and favour, that were shown to my former ' Wanderings.'

Brompton, April, 1852.

Chapter I

Arrive at Hong-kong — Excitement on the arrival of the mail — Centipede boats — Bay of Hong-kong by moonlight — Town of Victoria — Its trees and gardens — Mortality amongst the troops — Its cause — A remedy suggested — Sail for Shanghae — Its importance as a place of trade — New English town and shipping — The gardens of the foreign residents .... Page 1

Chapter II

My object in coming north — Difficulty in procuring tea-plants — No dependence can be placed upon the Chinese — Adopt the dress of the country — Start for the interior — Mode of getting my head shaved — City of Kea-hing-foo and its old cemetery — Lakes and " ling " — Mode of gathering the ling — Great silk country — Increase in exports — City of Seh-mun-yuen — Fear of thieves — Hang-chow- foo — The " Garden of China " — Description of the city and its suburbs — Gaiety of the people — Adventure in the city — Kan-du — A "chop" — A Chinese inn — I get no breakfast and lose my dinner — Boat engaged for Hwuy-chow — Importance of Hang-chow both for trading and " squeezing " . . .19

Chapter III

Leave Hang-chow-foo — A China passage-boat — Scenery and natural productions — Remarkable hills — Our fellow-passengers — A smoker of opium — I am discovered to be a foreigner — City of Yen-chow-foo — A Chinaman cheats a Chinaman ! — The river and

X CONTENTS.

water-mills — Botany of the country — A valuable palm-tree — Birds — Lime-kilns and green granite — Tea-plant met with — The new Funereal Cypress discovered — Its beauty — How its seeds were procured — Dr. Lindley's opinion of its merits — Strange echo — Eiver and land beggars — Charity . . . Page 45

CHAPTER IV. City of Wae-ping — Threatened attack from boatmen — A false alarm

— A border country and a border guard — Enter the district of Hwuy-chow — The tea-plant and other crops — A Chinese play — Ferry-boat and ladies — Cargo transshipped — Two coffins below my bed — A mandarin's garden — Botany of the hills — A new plant (Herberts japonica) — My servant's advice — Leave the boat — The opium-smoker outwitted — Town of Tun-che — Its importance in connection with the tea- trade — Features of country, soil, and productions — First view of Sung-lo-shan . . . .67

Chapter V

Sung-lo-shan — Its priests and tea — Its height above the sea — Eock formation — Flora of the hills — Temperature and climate — Cultivation of the tea-shrub — Mode of preserving its seeds — The young plants — Method of dyeing green teas — Ingredients employed

— Chinese reason for the practice — Quantity of Prussian blue and gypsum taken by a green-tea drinker — Such teas not used by the Chinese — Mr. Warrington's observations ... 86

Chapter VI

My reception in the house of Wang's father — A smoky Chinese cottage — My coolie and the dwarf — The dangers to which they had been exposed — Chinese mode of warming themselves on a cold day — Tea-seeds, &c, obtained — Anecdote of the new Berberis — Obtain some young plants of it — Deceitful character of the Chinese — Leave the far-famed Sung-lo-shan — Wang tries to cheat the chairmen — Invents a story of a " great general " — Leave Tun-che — Mountain scenery — Pleasure of going down the river — Gale of wind amongst the mountains — Arrive atNechow — Shaou-hing-foo — Tsaou-o — Pak-wan — Arrive at Ning-po . 96

CONTENTS. xi

Chapter VII

Kintang or Silver Island — Its inhabitants and productions — Bay of Chapoo — Advantages of an inland route — New year at Shanghae — Flower-shops and flowers — Sacred bamboo — The Chrysanthemum — Mode of cultivating it — Weather-prophets — Sail forHong-kong — A game-ship — The Enkianthus — Canton seeds, and mode of packing them — False notion regarding their being poisoned

Chapter VIII

Foo-chow-foo — Jealousy of the mandarins — A polite way of getting rid of a spy — Scenery amongst the mountains — Temple of Koo-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 Tein-tung — Wild flowers — Koadside temples — The bamboo — A priest and siphon — Lakes of Tung-hoo . . . . .133

Chapter IX

Leave Ning-po for the Bohea mountains — My guides — A flag and its history — The Green Kiver again — Spring scenery on its banks — Yen-chow and Ta-yang — A storm in a creek — Boatwomen — A Chinese Mrs. Caudle and a curtain lecture — Natural productions — Funereal cypress and other trees — Our boat seized for debt and the sail taken away — A Chinese creditor — Town of Nan-che — Its houses, gardens, and trade — Vale of Nan-che — Productions and fertility — City of Chu-chu-foo — Moschetoes and Moscheto " tobacco " — Arrive at Chaner-shan 159 it>

Chapter X

City of Chang-shan and its trade — Land journey — My chair and chair-bearers — Description of the road — Trains of tea coolies — Koadside inns — Boundary of two provinces — Dinner at a Chinese inn — Value of the chopsticks — Adventure with two Canton men — City of Yuk-shan — Its trade and importance — Quan-sin-foo — My servant speculates in grass-cloth — A Chinese test of respectability — Description of the country and its productions — Arrive at the town of Hokow 182

b

Xll CONTENTS.

CHAPTEE XL

Town of Hokow — Its situation, trade, and great importance — Bohea mountain chair — Mountain road — Beggars by the wayside — Beautiful scenery — the priest and his bell — Town of Yuen-shan

— Appearance of the road — Tea coolies — Different modes of carrying the tea-chests — Large tea-growing country — Soil and plantations — My first night in a Chinese inn — Keception — Dirty bed-rooms — I console myself, and go to dinner . . Page 197

Chapter XII

First view of the Bohea mountains — Mountain pass — A noble fir-tree — Its name and history — Flora of the mountains — New plants

— Source of the river Min — Entertainment for man and beast — A rugged road and another pass — A gale amongst the mountains — An amusing old China- woman — Sugar and tea-spoons — A kind landlord — The Tein-sin — Arrive at the city of Tsong-gan-hien — Its situation, size, and trade — Tea-farms .... 208

Chapter XIII

Woo-e-shan — Ascent of the hill ■ — Arrive at a Buddhist temple — Description of the temple and the scenery — Strange rocks — My reception — Our dinner and its ceremonies — An interesting conversation — An evening stroll — Formation of the rocks — Soil — View from the top of Woo-e-shan — A priests' grave — A view by moonlight — Chinese wine — Cultivation of the tea-shrub — Chains and monkeys used in gathering it — Tea-merchants — Happiness and contentment of the peasantry ..... 223

Chapter XIV

Stream of "nine windings" — A Taouist priest — His house and temple

— Du Halde's description of these hills — Strange impressions of gigantic hands on the rocks — Tea-plants purchased — Adventure during the night — My visitors — Plants packed for a journey — Town of Tsin-tsun and its trade — Leave the Woo-e hills — Mountain scenery — The lance-leaved pine — Rocks, ravines, and waterfalls— A lonely road — Trees — Birds and other animals — Town of She-pa-ky — Productions of the country — Uses of the Nelumbium

— Pouching teas — City of Pouching-hien .... 240

CONTENTS. xiii

CHAPTEK XV.

Some advice to the reader — Botany of the black-tea country — Geological features — Soil — Sites of tea-farms — Temperature — Rainy season — Cultivation and management of tea-plantations — Size of farms — Mode of packing — Chop names — Route from the tea-country to the coast — Method of transport — Distances — Time occupied — Original cost of tea in the tea-country — Expenses of carriage to the coast — Sums paid by the foreign merchant — Profits of the Chinese — Prospect of good tea becoming cheaper — Tiing-po's directions for making tea — His opinion on its properties and uses Page 253

CHAPTEE XVI.

Geography of the tea-shrub — Best tea districts of China — Names of tea-plants — Black and green tea made from the same variety — My Chinamen asked to make tea from Pongamia glabra — They succeed ! — Difference between black and green tea depends upon manipulation — Method of making green tea — Of making black — Difference in the manipulation of the two kinds — Mr. Warrington's remarks on this subject — A familiar illustration — The tea-plant — Inferior teas made from Thea bohea — Best teas made from Thea viridis — The Woo-e-shan variety — The tea-plant affected by climate and reproduction — Tea cultivation in America and Australia — In English gardens 272

CHAPTEE XVII.

Inn at Pouching-hien — Opium-smokers and gamblers — Value of life in China — A midnight disturbance — Sing-Hoo fights with a joss-stick — Difficulty of procuring men next day — Sing-Hoo carries the luggage, and we march — His bamboo breaks — Scene amongst beggars — Description of beggars in China — A " king of the beggars " — Charity always given — I continue my journey — Mountain passes and Buddhist temples — A border town and Tartar guard — We are inspected and allowed to pass on . . . 288

XIV CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A celebrated Buddhist temple — Scenery around it — Its trees and shrubs — Buddhist worship — Leave the temple — Reflections on Buddhism — Important station for Christian missionaries — Privations they would have to endure — Roman Catholics and their labours — Christian charity — Protestant missionaries — Their views as to the interior of China — A day-dream of China opened — Bamboo paper — A mandarin on a journey — Town of Ching-hoo — Engage a boat for Nechow — Return to Shanghae . Page 302

CHAPTER XIX.

Tea-plants, &c, taken to Hong-kong — Shipped for India — I sail again for the north - — Shanghae gardens in spring — " South Garden"— Double-striped peach and other plants — Moutan gardens

— Fine new varieties of the tree-paeony — Chinese method of propagating them — Mode of sending them to Canton — Value there

— Introduction to Europe — Size in England — Azalea gardens — Skimmia Reevesiana — New Azaleas — The " Kwei-wha " — The Glycine — Its native hills — Chinese mode of training it — The yellow Camellia 315

CHAPTER XX.

Safe arrival of tea-plants in India — Means taken in China to engage tea-manufacturers — I visit Chusan — My lodgings — A mandarin who smoked opium — His appearance at daylight — A summer morning in Chusan — An emperor's edict — The Yang-mae — Beauty of its fruit — City of Ting-hae — Poo-too, or Worshipping Island — Ancient inscriptions in an unknown language — A Chinese caught fishing in the sacred lake — He is chased by the priests — The bamboo again — The sacred Nelumbium — My holidays expire

— Collections of tea-seeds and plants made — Return to Shanghae

— Tea-manufacturers engaged — We bid adieu to the north of China 340

CONTENTS. XV

CHAPTEE XXL

Experiments with tea-seeds — Best method of sending them to distant countries — How oaks and chestnuts might be transported — Arrive at Calcutta — Condition of the collections — East India Company's botanic garden — Amherstia and other plants in bloom — Proceed onwards — The Sunderbunds — Arrive at Allahabad — Land journey — Reach Saharunpore — State of the tea-plants — Saharunpore garden — Mussooree garden — Its trees and other productions — Its value to the country and to Europe . Page 355

CHAPTER XXII.

Ordered to inspect the tea-plantations in India — Deyra Doon plantation— Mussooree and Landour — Flora of the mountains — Height and general character — Our mode of travelling — Hill-plants resemble those of China — Guddowli plantation — Chinese manufacturers located there — I bid them farewell — The country improves in fertility — Tea-plantations near Almorah — Zemindaree plantations — Leave Almorah for Bheem Tal — Yiew of the Snowy range — Bheem Tal tea-plantations — General observations on tea culture in India — Suggestions for its improvement — Other plants which ought to be introduced — NaineeTal — Arrive at Calcutta — The Victoria regia 368

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

1. View in the Green Tea Country - - Frontispiece

2. Engraved Title-page.

3. Map ______ to face page 1

4. Curious mode of gathering the Ling near Kea-hing-foo „ 27

5. Palm-tree (Chamcerops ecccelsa?) - - - 59

6. Funereal Cypress ------ 63

8. Buddha's Tooth ------ 139

10. Mo-ze, the Chinese Sportsman - 151

11. Roadside Altar __-_--_ 154

12. Mode of carrying the finest Tea across the Bohea moun-

13. Mode of carrying common Tea - 203

15. Chinese Bird's-eye View of the " Stream of Nine Windings "

and strange Rocks ------ 241

16. Ancient Inscription -_-___ 347

17. Old Stone at Poo-too ------ 348

JOURNEY

TO THE

TEA DISTRICTS OF CHINA.

Chapter I

Arrive at Hong-kong — Excitement on the arrival of the mail — Centipede boats — Bay of Hong-kong by moonlight — Town of Victoria — Its trees and gardens — Mortality amongst the troops

— Its canse — A remedy suggested — Sail for Shanghae — Its importance as a place of trade — New English town and shipping

— The gardens of the foreign residents.

On the 14th of August, 1848, the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship " Braganza," in which I was a passenger, dropped her anchor in the Bay of Hong-kong, at nine o'clock in the evening. In a few seconds our decks were crowded with the inhabitants of the place, all anxious to meet their friends, or to hear the news from home. As I did not intend to go on shore until the following morning, I had sufficient leisure to survey the busy and exciting scene around me. Amongst the numerous boats which came off to us there were two which presented a most striking appearance. They were very long and narrow, and were each propelled by about fifty oars. They had been built by the English and American merchants

B to convey the news to Canton on the arrival of the mail. The moment these boats received their despatches they started on their journey, and, as they belonged to opposition parties, each did its best to outstrip the other ; and, as it was often a matter of considerable importance to get the earliest news, a large sum of money was distributed amongst the crew of the winning boat.

The boatmen made a great noise ; Chinamen like, all were talking, all were giving orders, for each had a stake in the winning of the race. At last the papers, letters, or whatever they had to take, were put on board, and off they started across the bay for the mouth of the Canton or " Pearl " river. They ploughed the water like two enormous centipedes, and, although they were going very fast, they were visible for some time in the clear moonlight. I watched them from the deck of the steamer until they were lost in the distance, but even then and for some time afterwards I could hear distinctly the quick splash of the oars and the noise of the boisterous crews. Steam has now invaded the quiet waters of the Pearl river, and these boats are numbered amongst the things that were.

The noise and excitement connected with the arrival of the mail gradually subsided ; those of our visitors who had been lucky enough to get hold of a * Straits Times,' ' Home News,' or ' Times,' returned on shore to peruse it, while others hastened home to communicate to their friends the news they had been able to pick up from the officers or passen-

Chap. I. BAY OF HONG-KONG— VICTORIA. 3

gers of the ship. By eleven o'clock at night all was perfectly quiet, Captain Potts and myself had our chairs taken up on deck, and we sat down to breathe the cool air and enjoy the scene by which we were surrounded.

It was a clear moonlight night; such a night as one sees only in the sunny lands of the East. Those who have anchored in the Bay of Hong-kong by moonlight will agree with me that the scene at such a time is one of the grandest and most beautiful which can be imagined. On this evening the landlocked bay was smooth as glass, scarcely a breath of air fanned the water, and as the clear moonbeams played upon its surface it seemed covered with glittering gems. Numerous vessels, from all parts of the world, lay dotted around us, their dark hulls and tall masts looming large in the distance. The view was bounded on all sides by rugged and barren hills, and it required no great stretch of fancy to imagine oneself on a highland lake.

The white town of Victoria was distinctly visible from where we lay, and very pretty it appeared in the moonlight. It is built along the southern shores of the bay, and in some places extends a considerable way up the side of the hill. The background of the picture consisted of a chain of rugged mountains, which are nearly two thousand feet above the level of the sea. Altogether the view was a charming one.

When I went on shore the following morning I found a great change had taken place since 1845; many parts of the town, then bare, were now densely

b 2 covered with houses. Our merchant- princes had built themselves houses not inferior to those in the far-famed " City of Palaces ;" and the barracks for the troops were equally handsome and expensive, although unfortunately not equally healthy. And, last of all, a pretty English church was rising slowly on the hill side.

An interest in gardening and planting had sprung up which promises to lead to most satisfactory results. When I was formerly in Hong-kong every one complained of the barren appearance of the island, and of the intense heat and glare of the sun. Officers in the army, and others who bad been many years in the hotter parts of India, all agreed that there was a fierceness and oppressiveness in the sun's rays here which they had never experienced in any other part of the world. From 1843 to 1845 the mortality was very great ; whole regiments were nearly swept away, and many of the Government officers and merchants shared the same fate. Various opinions were expressed regarding the cause which produced these great disasters ; some said one thing and some another ; almost all seemed to tbink that imperfect drainage had something to do with it, and a hue and cry was set up to have the island properly drained. But the island is a chain of mountains ; there is very little flat ground anywhere upon it, and hence the water which flows from the sides of the hills gushes rapidly down towards the sea. Imperfect drainage, therefore, could have very little to do with its unhealthiness.

Chap. I. MORTALITY AT HONG-KONG. 5

I have always thought that, although various causes may operate to render Hong-kong unhealthy, yet one of the principal reasons is the absence of trees and of the shade which they afford. In a communication which I had the honour to make to the Government here in 1844 I pointed out this circumstance, and strongly recommended them to preserve the wood then growing upon the island from the Chinese, who were in the habit of cutting it down annually, and at the same time to plant extensively, particularly on the sides of the roads and on the lower hills. I am happy to say that these recommendations have been carried out to a certain extent, although not so fully as I had wished. It is well known that a healthy vegetation, such as shrubs and trees, decomposes the carbonic acid of the atmosphere, and renders it fit for respiration ; besides which there is a softness and coolness about trees, particularly in a hot climate, that is always agreeable.

Many of the inhabitants have taken up the matter with great spirit, and have planted all the ground near their houses. Some of them have really beautiful gardens. I may instance those of His Excellency the Governor at " Spring Gardens," of Messrs. Dent and Co. at "Green Bank," and of Messrs. Jardine and Matheson at "East Point." In order to give some idea of a Hong-kong garden I shall attempt to describe Messrs. Dent's, which was then in the possession and under the fostering care of Mr. Braine : —

This garden is situated on the sloping sides of a vallev near the bottom of one of the numerous ravines which are seen on the sides of the Hong-kong hills. It is near the centre of the new town of Victoria, and is one of its greatest ornaments. On one side nothing is seen but rugged mountains and barren hills, but here the eye rests upon a rich and luxuriant vegetation, the beauty of which is greatly enhanced by the contrast.

Every one interested in Chinese plants has heard of the garden of the late Mr. Beale at Macao, a friend of Mr. Reeves, and like him an ardent botanical collector. Nearly the whole of the English residents left Macao and went to Hong-kong when that island was ceded to England, and all the plants in Mr. Beale's garden which could be moved with safety were brought over in 1845 and planted in the garden at " Green Bank."

On entering the garden at its lower side there is a wide chunamed walk leading in a winding manner up the side of the hill, in the direction of the house. On each side of this walk are arranged the trees and shrubs indigenous to the country, as well as many of the fruits, all of which grow most luxuriantly. Ficus nitida, the Chinese banyan, grows on the right-hand side, and promises soon to form a beautiful tree. This is one of the most valuable trees for ornamental purposes met with in the south of China. It grows rapidly with but little care, its foliage is of a glossy green colour, and it soon affords an agreeable shade from the fierce rays of the sun, which renders it peculiarly valuable in a place like Hong-kong. The India-rubber tree (Ficus elastica) also succeeds well

Chap. I. MESSRS. DENT'S GARDEN. 7

in the same part of the garden, but it grows much slower than the species just noticed. On the other side of the main walk I observed several specimens of the Indian "neem" tree (Melia Azedarach), which grows with great vigour, but is rather liable to have its branches broken by high winds, owing to the brittle nature of the wood. This defect renders it of less value than it otherwise would be, particularly in a place so liable to high winds and typhoons. This same Melia seems to be found all round the world in tropical and temperate latitudes ; I believe it exists in South America, and I have seen it in Gibraltar, Malta, Egypt, Aden, Ceylon, the Straits, and in the south and north of China, at least as far north as the 31st degree of north latitude. Amongst other plants worthy of notice in this part of the garden are the Chinese cinnamon, the pretty Aglaia odorata, and Murraya exotica, both of which are very sweet scented and much cultivated by the Chinese. Two specimens of the cocoa-nut palm imported from the Straits aie promising well. Other fruits — such as the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), the Chinese gooseberry (Averrhoz Carambold), the wangpee (Cookia punctata), ana the longan and leechee — are all succeeding as well as could be expected, considering the short time they have been planted. The Pinus sinensis, which is met with on the sides of every barren hill, both in the south and north of China, and which is generally bady used by the natives, who lop off its under braiches for fuel, is here growing as it ought to do. The Chinese have been prevented, not without some difficulty, from cutting off the under branches, and the tree now shows itself in its natural beauty. It does not seem to grow large, but in a young state, with its fine green foliage reaching to the ground, it is not unhandsome.

As the main walk approaches the terrace on which the house stands it turns to the right, between two rows of beautiful yellow bamboos. This species of bamboo is a very striking one, and well worthy of some attention in England ; the stems are straight, of a fine yellow colour, and beautifully striped with green, as if done by the hand of a first-rate artist. I sent a plant of it to the Horticultural Society in 1844.

At the bottom of the terrace on which the house stands there is a long narrow bamboo avenue, which is called the " Orchid Walk." This always affords a cool retreat, even at mid-day, as the rays of. the sun can only partially reach it, and then they are cooled by the dense foliage. Here are cultivated many of the Chinese orchids and other plants whicl require shade. Amongst them I observed Phaius grandifolius, Cymbidium sinense and aloifolium, Aerides odoratum, Vanda multiflora and teretifolia, Benanthera coccinea, Fernandezia ensifolia, Arundina sinensis, Habenaria Susannce, a species of Cypripedium, and Spathoglottis Fortuni. There are also some other plants, such as Chirita sinensis, the " man-ieenchung " (a dwarf species of Lycopodium, hghly prized by the Chinese), and various other tilings which, taken all together, render this shaded " Oiphid Walk " a spot of much interest.

Chap. I. MESSRS. DENT'S GARDEN. 9

Above the "Orchid Walk" is a green sloping bank, on which are growing some fine specimens of bamboos, Poinciana pulcherrima, myrtles, Gardenias, oleanders (which thrive admirably in China), Croton variegatum and pictum, Magnolia fuscata, Oka fragrans, Dracama ferrea, and Buddlea Lindleyana. The latter was brought down from Chusan by me in 1844, and is now common in several gardens on the island, where it thrives well, and is almost always in bloom, although the flower-spikes are not so fine as they are in a colder climate. A large collection of plants in pots are arranged on each side of the broad terrace in front of the mansion. These consist of camellias, azaleas, roses, and such plants as are seen in the Fa-tee gardens at Canton ; many of the pots are prettily painted in the Chinese style, and placed upon porcelain stands.