272 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



with her madness as possible. She has heard much of 

 old china in England, but does not believe that any of it 

 is older than Queen Elizabeth's reign, and that very little 

 indeed is old. 



" She thinks that all dishes and plates made after 

 the models of silver plate, as indeed is the case with the 

 greater number, must be very modern ; that is, since the 

 English traded with Canton in 1680, when I believe the 

 first direct ship sailed from London. She has an idea also 

 that tea-pots, and all the tea-service, are unknown to the 

 economy of the Chinese. Coffee-pots she is sure are so. 

 She believes, however, that the Chinese use small cups, 

 not very unlike tea-cups, for their usual food ; and possibly 

 tea and coffee cups for drinking som shee, their ardent 

 spirit. She wishes much the same information on the 

 subject of burnt-in china, which is said to be manufactured 

 in the interior, and painted there with the colour of blue ; 

 but that it is painted with red in the vicinity of Canton, 

 and burned a second time. 



" On the subject of a certain kind of china ware much 

 admired in Europe, called here green enamel, she also is 

 desirous of information. It is now to be found in all 

 collections of old china. But in those made at the be- 

 ginning of the century, no such china is to be found ; 

 as, for instance, Queen Caroline's cabinet at Windsor, 

 where nine-tenths of the china is blue and white, or 

 white. Lady Banks knows that the old Nankin blue-and- 

 white is in point of material much superior to all other 

 china. She wishes to obtain, if possible, some account 

 of the comparative degrees of imperfection in those 

 that are ornamented with a variety of colours, as she is 

 inclined to think that they are coarse in the bisquet in 

 proportion as they are gaudy in the painting/' 



% Banks's letters to Sir George Staunton usually'contain 

 some reminder on the subject ; as, " Lady Banks, who 



