1912-13] WANDERINGS OF A PLANT COLLECTOR 49 



poppy field, unless things have changed since 1910. In that 

 year the government issued a decree which said that no more 

 opium poppies should be grown in the Chinese Empire. 



Mr. Wilson then spoke of the bamboo, which, he asserted, 

 the Chinese use for nearly everything imaginable. They use it 

 to build their houses, to furnish their houses, to make hats 

 used to protect them from sun or rain, and the leaves of the 

 giant bamboo are used for the soles of women's shoes. They 

 also use bamboo to make paper, and a slide was shown of an 

 old-fashioned pulping machine. 



The Yangtze is almost filled with rapids, and dangerous 

 gorges. One of these gorges, of which a slide was shown, was 

 2,800 feet straight up in the air. The percentage of wrecks in 

 the Yangtze is great. 



In the vicinity of Changte there is not a single conveyance 

 on wheels, except in the city itself, where on the level places 

 wheelbarrows are used. In most cases, the backs of coolies 

 have to serve carriers for the luggage of travelers, or for the 

 bricks of tea, etc. which are carried from one part of the country 

 to another. 



If you are traveling from one part of the country to another 

 you may walk if you wish; but if you want the mark of re- 

 spectability stamped upon you, you must ride in a sedan 

 chair. No passport is required in China, but it is safer to have 

 one than not. When traveling in China, it is not a wise thing 

 to take a great amount of baggage with you, for if you do you 

 will have to hire a small army of coolies to carry it for you. 

 You have to be careful to have it equally proportioned amongst 

 them for a coolie can only carry a certain amount. 



The scenery of China ranks with that of any other country 

 for beauty, picturesqueness, etc. 



The roads in China are abominable, and in constant need of 

 repair. Any little by-path may boast of the title *'Road." 



There are rest houses and hotels in China, but the accommo- 

 dations are poor, and the houses themselves are filthy. But you 

 have to make the best of it; and do not think that you can get 

 rid of the filthiness . 



