ON CHINESE GARDENS. 13 



and wherever ha-has, or sunk fences are used, they always fill 

 the trenches with briars and other thorny plants to strengthen the 

 fence, and to conceal the walls, which otherwise would have an 

 ugly appearance from without. 



In their large gardens they contrive different scenes for the 

 different times of the day ; disposing at the points of view, build- 

 ings, which from their use, point out the proper hour for enjoying 

 the view in its perfections : and in their small ones, where, as 

 has been observed, one arrangement produce many representa- 

 tions, they make use of the same artifice. They have beside, 

 scenes for every s&ason of the year; some for winter, generally 

 exposed to the southern sun, composed of pines, firs, cedars, 

 evergreen oaks, philyreas, hollies, yews, junipers, and many other 

 evergreens; being enriched with laurels of various sorts, laure- 

 stinus, arbutus, and such other plants and vegetables as grow or 

 flourish in cold weather ; and to give variety and gaiety to these 

 gloomy productions, they plant amongst them, in regular forms, 

 divided by walks, all the rare shrubs, flowers, and trees of the 

 torrid zone , which they cover during the winter, with frames of 

 glass disposed in the forms of temples, or other elegant build- 

 ings. 



Those who are aquainted with the natural history of China know 

 that it produces almost ajl the plants and vegetables cultivated in 

 Europe with many others, that are not to be found even in the 

 very best hothouses, amongst which are several evergreens, as the 

 Tse-song, the leaves resemble both the juniper and cypress, 

 mixed in a very beautiful manner ; the Mo-lyen, producing large 

 flowers, like lillies, some yellow, some red, and some white, 

 which open in December, and flourish during the greater part of 

 the winter; the La-mew, a kind of bay, producing fine yellow 

 flowers, that appear in winter, with many others, which as they 

 cannot here be obtained, it is superfluous to enumerate. 



What they call their conservatories, are warmed by subter- 

 raneous fires, and afford a comfortable and agreeable retreat 

 when the weather is too cold to walk in the open air. 

 • All sorts of beautiful melodious birds are let loose in them ; and 

 they keep there, in large porcelain cisterns, placed on artificial 

 rocks, geld and silver fishes ; with various kinds of the Lyen-wha 

 which is a water-lilly, much esteemed in China. In the province of 

 Kiang-si, whose lakes are covered with it, in a very beautiful 

 manner, and it is cultivated by all the great lords in ponds and 



