ARTS AND MANUFACTURES. 107 



vated in plantations. The other kind is the Che^ or Te-fang^ 

 the wild mulberry, which grows on the hills in forefts, has 

 fmall ronndifh rough leaves fcalloped on the edges, and termi- 

 nating in a point ; the branches thorny ; the fruit like pepper ; 

 in a few words a tree of a diftin<5t fpecies, if not genus, from the 

 former. On thefe trees, the young of the filkworms which are 

 hatched, are laid. The filk, produced from them, is faid to be 

 (Ironger and earlier than .from thofe bred on the common mul- . 

 berry. Paths are cut among the forefts of the Cbe, the ground is 

 cleared of weeds which may give flielter to ferpents that devour 

 the worms ; and perfons watch with guns to deftroy the birds 

 that make them their food ; thefe trees are alfo cultivated in 

 fome places like the white mulberry. 



I SHALL make mention of a fpecies of filk totally different in Silkov Pliny. 

 its origin from the preceding ; this is defcribed by Du Halde *, 

 ■who fays it is made by certain worms in the province of Sbang- 

 iong. It is- not fabricated by them into Cocons, but left adhering 

 to fipall trees or flirubs in form of very long threads, which are 

 gathered and woven into a coarfe filk, called Kien chew^ a very 

 thick, lafting fort, which waflies well, and is in much efteem with 

 the Chinefe. 



This account certainly vindicates the opinion held by the 

 ancients that filk was an article combed from the leaves of cer- 

 tain trees. *' Primi funt hominunf fliys FUny (fpeaking of the 

 Scytharum Gen. lib. vi, c. xvii.) " qui nojcantur Seres, lanicio 

 " Jxlvarum nobiles, perfufcim aqua depeSientes frondium cam- 

 *' tiem ;" Virgil delivers the fame notion, 



Velleraque ut foliis depeftant tenuia Sei-es, 

 * Vol. i. 354. 



p 2 The 



