FREQUENT AT FO-GAN. 31 



window, and an inch in thickness, which they had 

 taken out of the fields in the neighbourhood. I 

 also observed, on the 24th January of the present 

 year (1816) the surface of the water in the river 

 Mo-yang was frozen, breaking and flying about 

 like cflass to the stroke of the oar. The volume of 

 water in this river is equal to that of the Guadal- 

 quiver, at the passage of Cordova. It freezes 

 in these parts very often. Snow is not so fre- 

 quent : this winter we have had none, except on 

 the great and lofty mountains. Yet in a residence 

 of twenty-four years I have twice seen snow on the 

 plains even on the very day of the vernal equinox. 

 Hoar frost frequently occurs between the month 

 of December and April ; and it has happened more 

 than once in my time that the recently planted rice 

 has been destroyed, and this in the month of May, 

 by the severity of the hoar frost." I observe, also, 

 on reference to my own official correspondence, 

 that in 1809 the Chinese said that the leaves of the 

 first gathering were injured by the frost and snow 

 which had previously prevailed in the month of 

 April. 



It may further be observed that the Dutch em- 

 bassy under Van Horn* remained from the 10th to 

 the 2 2d February 1667 at the town of Pu-ching- 

 hien, N. L. 28° 0' 30" E. long, from Peking 2° 9' 10" 

 in this province, in consequence of snow and rain ; 



* 



Ogilby's China, p. 277. 



