BOTANICON SINICUM. 19 
asked whether the author has the acquirements to fulfil the diffs 
cult task he has taken in hand; and what value may be assigned 
to a work dealing with matters for the elucidation of which the 
author declares himself not sufficiently trained by appropriate 
fundamental studies. I therefure owe to the reader some ex+ 
planation as to the.extent of my competence. 
Nobody will, I think, object to my asserting that, for western 
people, Chihess is of all languages the most difficult; and (I 
should also say) the most ambiguous.* When I first arrived at 
Peking, 15 years ago, I felt a desire to make myself acquainted 
with the language in order to be able to utilize the vast literary 
treasures of the Chinese for the benefit of European science. I 
soon however became aware of the great difficulties to be en- 
countered, and the long space of time which would be required to 
learn the language thoroughly. I therefore adapted my studies 
more exclusively to the branches of Chinese literature I intended 
to investigate, namely Natural History and Historical Geography. 
Here in Peking students of Chinese, even with a moderate stock 
of knowledge, do not generally find any difficulty in producing 
correct translations; and every information in this connection can 
easily be obtained from Chinese teachers or books. There are, I 
imagine, very few, if any, sinologues in China who translate 
independently and without availing themselves of the assistance 
' of native scholars. 
As to the botanical part of my researches, my own knowledge 
in this department generally i is of secondary consideration only. 
During my long sojourn in China I have always been busy col+ 
lecting plants, and in so doing I have paid especial attention to 
those employed by the Chinese for economic and medicinal pur- 
poses, ascertaining when possible their native names from books 
as well as from converse with the natives. My collections I have 
2 [hardly think that any sinologue, who has onan his studies in China and read 
ancient Chinese authors (even with the assistance of a good native scholar), would in 
every Case agree with the great sinologue Stan. Julien, who in his Syntaxe de la 
Langue Chinoise, I. p. 1, states that for an instructed sinologue the Chinese language 
is as clear and intelligible as any other. Unfortunately we have frequently to complain 
of the vagueness and want of precision of the Chinese style, the authors generally _ 
being more anxious to imitate what they call the classical style than oe oe 
ee 
