IN SEABCH OF NEW PLANTS. 219 



plants which have been already noticed as abounding on the hills 

 of Chusan. Cryptomeria japonica formed one of the most 

 beautiful and stately trees which are found on the hill sides ; it 

 grows about as tall as a common pine, the stems are perfectly 

 straight, its branches hang drooping down in a most graceful 

 manner, and altogether it is not unlike the Araucarias of Norfolk 

 Island or Brazil, but probably much more hardy. The wood 

 possesses great strength and durability, and is highly prized by 

 the higher classes amongst the Chinese. Paulownia imperialism 

 Lilium japonicum, and several other well known Japanese 

 plants, are also indigenous to this part of China, which shows 

 that the vegetation of the two countries must be very much 

 alike. 



I arrived at Shanghae this year on the 18th of April, and 

 spent two or three weeks there at different times during the 

 season. My principal object was to see all the plants in the 

 different northern districts as they came into flower, and it was 

 therefore necessary that I should stay as short a time as possible 

 in one place at one time. I have already mentioned that I pur- 

 chased a collection of Tree P(EOnies during my first visit in the 

 winter of 1843, which were said to be very splendid things, and 

 entirely different in colour from any plants of the kind which 

 were known in England. The history of this purchase is rather 

 amusing, and affords a curious example of the kind of duplicity 

 which I had to contend with. I had drawings with me of 

 various Moutan Paeonies which were said to exist in the country ; 

 and when these were shown to a Chinese nurseryman in Shang- 

 hae, he said he could get them, but that they were only to be 

 procured at a place called Soo-chou, distant nearly a hundred 

 miles, and that it would be rather expensive to bring them down. 

 I asked him how many kinds there were, what were the colours 

 of their flowers, and finally expressed a wish to have a certain 

 number of each. He told me very gravely that he would under- 

 take to send to Soo-chou for them providing I would pay him at 

 the rate of a dollar for each plant. I was too anxious to get 

 them to make any objections to the price, which, after all, was 

 not much out of the way, if they were to be brought about a 

 hundred miles. In the stipulated time the plants were delivered 

 to me in excellent order and the money was paid. They were 

 then taken down to Hong Kong and despatched to England, where 

 they arrived in very fair condition. I had of course no oppor- 

 tunity of seeing their flowers at that time, and was now (April, 

 1844) anxious to get some more in flower, and intended to send 

 my old friend back again to Soo-chou for another collection, 

 stipulating however this time that all the plants should be in 



