1835.] Memorandum of an Excursion to the Tea Hills. 10.5 



their course to their respective homes. We arrived at Hwuy Taou before 

 noon, and immediately embarked for the ships, which we reached at 

 three p. m. We learned from Mr. Nicholson that after our departure, 

 and while the boat was still aground, a number of Mandarinscame down, 

 and carried off almost every thing that was on board, but the whole 

 was returned after the boat was floated down below the bridge. As 

 we had no explanation of the matter, we concluded that this proceed- 

 ing might have been intended for the protection of the property 

 from plunder by the people of the town. We found that one of 

 the seed contractors had despatched a quantity of Bohea seeds, 

 arrived during our absence, with a letter stating expectation of 

 being able to send a further supply and to procure cultivators, who 

 would join the ship in the I lth or 12th month. On the same even- 

 ing I embarked on the Fairy, and reached Lintin on Monday the 17th 

 November, with my tea seeds, just one week after our landing at 

 Hwuy Taou to explore the Hwuy tea hills. I have been more minute 

 in my details of this little expedition, than may at first sight appear 

 needful, with the view of showing the precise degree and kind of 

 danger and difficulty attending such attempts. Our expectation was, at 

 leaving the ship, that we should reach the head of the bay by nine or 

 10 o'clock a. m. and attain a considerable distance from Hwuy Taou 

 the same day, and thus have a chance of passing without attracting 

 the notice of any of the Wanfoo or Government officers. Had we waited 

 to ask their permission it would of course have been refused, and we 

 should have been directed in the most authoritative manner to return 

 to the ship. We were not a little alarmed when aground in the 

 morning, lest the old gentleman who measured our boat should have 

 deemed it his duty to intercept our progress ; but we took care to go on 

 with preparations for our march, as if nothing of the kind was appre- 

 hended. It is this sort of conduct alone that will succeed in China. 

 Any sign of hesitation is fatal. Had we shown any marks of alarm, 

 every one would have kept aloof for fear of being implicated in the 

 danger which we seemed to dread ; on the other hand, a confident 

 bearing, and the testimony borne by the manner in which we were 

 armed, that we would not passively allow ourselves to be plundered by 

 authority, inspired the like confidence in all those with whom we had 

 to do ; for the rest of the narrative shows that from the people left to 

 themselves we experienced nothing but marks of the utmost kindness 

 and good nature, except indeed, where money was to be got : — there 

 the Chinese, like the people of other countries, were ready enough to 

 take advantage of the ignorance of strangers, though with such a fluent 

 command of the language as Mr. Gutzlaff possessed he was able to 

 p 



