22 TROPICAL RAINS. 



The central provinces of the empire participate 

 in this state of atmosphere, and also in these reno- 

 vating rains, but less copiously, and somewhat 

 later. We learn from Fontaney that on arriving 

 at I-cheu, in lat. 35° 18', on the 6th of May, he 

 could get no meat to buy, because the sale of it 

 had been interdicted by the Mandarins of the city, 

 in hopes to obtain rain from that sort of fast.* 

 We find, also, in Monsieur Stanislas Julien's inte- 

 resting " Resume des principaux Trait es Chinois 

 sur la Culture des Miiriers et l'Education des Vers 

 a Soie," that much rain is expected in Chekiang in 

 April and May, " de peur que la pluie du troi- 

 sieme mois n'endommage l'ecorce," &c. p. 15. Again, 

 p. 47.; "pour empecher que les pluies du qua- 

 trieme mois ne penetrent le bois," &c. Further, De 

 Guignes states that while the Dutch embassy under 

 Van Braam traversed this province in April, the 

 winds veered to the south, and brought rain.f The 

 green tea men also say that the winds become va- 

 riable in April and May, and that the tea harvest 

 commences between the 20th of April and the 5th 

 of May. Again, " by the middle of April at Ning 

 Po," says Mr. Fortune, " deciduous trees and 

 shrubs were covered with leaves, barley was in full 

 ear, and the oil plant (Brasica sinensis) was forming 

 masses of golden yellow on the sides of hills and 



* Du Halde, translation, vol. i. p. 50. 

 f Voyage a Peking, tome iii. p. 147, 



