W4 Miscellanies. 



leader is the largest individual in tbe whole swarm, and that the rest 

 follow all his motions. Some stragglers have made their appearance 

 in the hongs, which were from two and a half to three inches long, 

 strongly limbed, and agreed with the popular description given of 

 the Egyptian locusts. Tbe natives regard the insect, when depriv- 

 ed of the abdomen and properly cooked, as passable eating, though 

 they do not appear to hold a dish of locusts in much estimation. — ib. 



20. Memorandum of an excursion to the tea hills, ivhich produce 

 the description of tea known in commerce under the designation of 

 Ankoy [NganJce) tea ; by G. J. Gordon, Esq. — " Having been 

 disappointed in my expectations of being enabled to visit the Bohea 

 hills, I was particularly anxious to have an opportunity of personally 

 inspecting the tea plantations in the black tea district, of the next 

 greatest celebrity, in order to satisfy myself regarding several points 

 relative to the cultivation, on which the information afforded by dif- 

 ferent individuals was imperfect or discordant. 



" Mr. GutzlafF accordingly took considerable pains to ascertain for 

 me, from the persons v/ho visited the ship, the most eligible place 

 for landing with the view of visiting the Ankoy hills ; and Hwuy- 

 tow bay was at length fixed upon as the most safe and convenient, 

 both from its being out of the way of observation of any high Chi- 

 nese functionaries who might be desirous of thwarting our project, 

 and from its being equally near the tea hills as any other part of the 

 coast at which we could land." 



" The wind being unfavorable, we made rather slow progress by 

 rowing, but taking for our guidance the masts of some of the junks 

 which we observed lying behind a point of land, we pulled to get 

 under it, in order to avoid the strength of the ebb tide, which was 

 now setting against us. In attempting to round the point, however, 

 we grounded, and soon found that it was impossible to get into the 

 river on that side, on account of sand banks which were merely cov- 

 ered at high water, and that it was necessary to make a considera- 

 ble circuit seaward to be able to enter. This we accomplished, but 

 not till 1, A. M. At this time a light breeze fortunately springing 

 up, we got on very well for some time, but were again obliged to 

 anchor at i past 2, from want of water. As the tide rose, we grad- 

 ually advanced towards the tovv^n of Hwuytow, till we came to one 

 of those bridges of which there are several along the coast, that ex- 

 tend over wide sand flats that are formed at the mouths of the rivers. 



