208 ON CHINESE GARDENS. 



They have likewise cascades, contrived to fall from precipices, 

 in large regular sheets, smooth as glass, and forming arches, that 

 leave a considerable space between the rocks and the water. This 

 is laid out in fine pebble walks, adorned with grass plots, and 

 borders of flowers of every sort, that thrive in moist situations : 

 and in the upright of the rocks are hollowed grottos, with many 

 little neat recesses, placed at different heigths, and communicating 

 with each other by steps or passages cut in the solid stone, from 

 whence the cascades, when illumined by the sun, appear like a 

 multitude of rainbows, glittering with a thousand colours ; and the 

 adjacent trees, buildings or other objects, seen through the bril- 

 liant medium, have a very uncommon, picturesque effect. 



As the Chinese are so very fond of water, their Gardeners 

 endeavour to obtain it by art, wherever it is denied by- Nature. 

 For this purpose, they have many ingenious inventions to collect; 

 and many machines, of simple construction, which raise it to al- 

 most any level : at a trifling expense. They use the same method 

 for overflowing vallies, that is practised in Europe ; by forming 

 heads of earth or masonry at their extremities ; where the soil is 

 too porous to hold water, they clay the bottom, in the same 

 manner that we do to make it tight : and in order to prevent the 

 inconveniences arising from stagnant waters, they always contrive 

 a considerable discharge to procure motion, even where the sup- 

 ply is scanty ; which is done by conveying the discharged water 

 back, through subterraneous drains, into reservoirs ; whence it is 

 again raised into the lake or river. They always give a conside- 

 rable depth to their waters, at least five or six feet, to prevent the 

 rising of scum, and the floating of weeds upon the surface ; and 

 they are always provided with swans, or such other birds as feed 

 on weeds, to keep them under. 



In overflowing their grounds, and also in draining them, they 

 take all possible care not to kill many of their old trees, either 

 by over moistening their roots, or draining them too much ; say- 

 ing, that the loss of a fine old plant is irreparable ; that it impairs 

 the beauty of the adjacent plantations : and often likewise destroys 

 the effect of the scenery, from many distant points of view; and 

 in shaping their grounds, they are, for the same reason, equally 

 cautious with regard to the old plantations ; carefully observing 

 never to bury the stems, nor to expose the roots of any trees which 

 they mean to preserve. 



(To be Continued.) 



