RICE-FIELDS, 279 



they are fupplied with feveral forts of manure., 

 and are better taken care of. 



Besides this, the Chinefe make rice-fields 

 from fwamps and brooks ; but fince thefe can- 

 not be kept uniformly moift without great ex- 

 pence and trouble, they generally miicarry 

 in dry years; Some perfons of credit among 

 the Chinefe have told me that the river in the 

 province of Tockian, which difcharges itfelf 

 at Schangthey, forms great flat fhores, and that 

 the inhabitants (difpleafed that fuch a confi- 

 derable piece of ground mould be ufelefs) 

 built rafts, fpread mats over them, and car- 

 ried foil and laid upon them, and then plant- 

 ed rice, to their great advantage. When the 

 winds fhifted, they fuifered fometimes from 

 florins : but this contrivance was reckoned 

 very advantageous, because they had always a 

 uniform degree of moifture from below, both 

 in the dry and wet feafon ; and in the latter 

 feafon they did not fuffer by the rain, becaufe 

 it ran off foon. This is an invention and a proof 

 of their induftry, which .deferves admiration. 



The preparation of all the afore-mentipned 



rice-fields is effected either with the plough, 



or with a beck-hoe to break up the ground. 



T 4 Both 



