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Jonnial of Travel and Natural History 



assured us that they should be bastinadoed with spHt bamboos. 

 He begged us to excuse any impertinent conduct from the ignorant 

 townspeople, and warned us that we might be pelted or maltreated 

 unless he sent an escort of soldiers to guard us. He insisted 

 very kindly on our accepting the guard, who would also act as 

 guides to us about the vicinity, and we found them very useful in 

 carrying our sketch-books, shot belts, &c. 



On leaving the yamun we made our exit from the city by the 

 north gate, and crossing a stone bridge over the moat found the 

 narrow path leading into the country, bordered by some smaller 

 suburban villas and cottages, with well cared for gardens around 

 them, with clusters of lychees, plantains, papayes (Carica papaya), 



Fig. 2. — Marble Mountains. 



plum and guavas (Psidium sinense), water-melons (Cucumis cit- 

 rullus), &c. Beyond, in the open country, were fields of cotton, the 

 ground-nut (Arachis hypogea), from which they express a valuable 

 oil, with indigo, Cassia, castor-oil, and various peas, as dhol, 

 (Cajanus florus) gram (Cicer arietum), yams, and sweet potatoes, 

 cocos, and a large portion preparing for rice planting — the whole 

 of this extensive plain around Shao-K'ing being as highly cultivated 

 as a market garden. The villagers were employed in harrowing, 

 the harrows being drawn by the ubiquitous buffalo, and mostly tended 



