AGRICULTURE OF CHINA. 103 



hatching is known within a few hours, and occurs in all the eggs of any basket nearly simulta- 

 neously, with few or no failures. When of proper size, the young ducks are sent abroad upon 

 the waters in large duck-boats. One consists of a long central boat with wide platforms extend- 

 ing its whole length on either side, enclosed by slats and covered by coarse matting. In these 

 boats ducks are accommodated to several hundreds in numbers, and are moved up and down the 

 rivers, from time to time, for fresh feeding-grounds — the margins of streams and paddy fields. 

 For their admission and exit, gang-boards are lowered to the water ; and so well trained are 

 they, that at a regular calling they hasten home incontinently ; and so punctually is this done, 

 that it is jocularly said, the laggards, or those last in, are whipped by the keepers to insure 

 promptness. Numbers of eggs are found of a morning in these boats, which are duly for- 

 warded to the ecclobeon establishments, or otherwise disposed of. 



Many of the family-boats* also possess a pair of ducks, kept for the luxury of their eggs. 

 A cylindrical basket, some two feet long, one foot in diameter, and closed at the ends, suspended 

 horizontally by cords from the stern of the boat, contains them ; and this is the full extent of 

 fowl-yard and fowl-house together. They are lowered, at times, into the water, and are some- 

 times allowed the freedom of an excursion around tbe boat. 



The fish-ponds are celebrated ; they are numerous and productive, and, together with the 

 rivers and sea, supply the people with a large proportion of their animal food, and, perhaps, 

 the most nutritious portion. Our chaplain furnished a missionary with a synopsis of the recent 

 French discoveries in pisciculture, and requested him to communicate the details to the Chi- 

 nese. It is to be wished, and yet to be doubted whether they will avail themselves of the 

 benefits promised by them. 



The hog is the favorite animal, and his flesh furnishes the principal animal food. He is 

 carefully reared by the -Chinese, who, though in many respects a dirty people, keep their pig- 

 pens with the greatest neatness. My attention was particularly drawn to this fact by a gentle- 

 man resident in Singapore (where a vast majority of the inhabitants are Chinamen), who 

 stated that their pig-sties (pointing to one of them) were cleaner than their houses. Hogs are 

 generally, if not universally, kept in close pens or houses ; and such has probably been the 

 custom for ages. Deprived of much exercise, and supplied with fattening food, such as refuse rice, 

 vegetables, &c, they have, by long habit, acquired an aptitude to lay on fat and to reach ma, 

 turity at an early age. There are here no long, lank, roving porkers, but all are compact, 

 thrifty animals — rather inclined, however, to be pot-bellied and swag-backed. They are un- 

 sexed while yet young, so that it is difficult to procure breeding pairs for exportation ; especially 

 is it so to meet with a number to select from. Although ordinarily small, or not exceeding a 

 medium, still some attain a very great size — not falling far below the immense masses of flesh 

 and fat sometimes produced by high and long-continued feeding in England and America. 



There are hogs preserved and fed within the precincts of temples, and, being sacred, (perhaps 

 dedicated to deities,) they live there in ease and luxury until they die a natural death. Canton 

 is in a hot climate, yet it may be remarked that I saw no hog-flesh there that was measley or 

 tuberculous, as is not unfrequently the case in tropical America. 



In feeding, the food is slightly fermented. Fermentation effects the same change in starchy 

 food that boiling does; i.e., it dissolves or ruptures the skin or pellicle of the starch grain. 

 Corn and rice, and also potatoes, consist mostly of starch grains, and these are each and sev- 



° Family boats. — A very numerous population in China live upon the water, in small boats. In them they are born, and 

 live, and die. They carry in them all their household, with goods and appurtenances. 



