Extracts from Travels in China 



plying his owner with fish, in great abundance. It is a 

 species of the Pelican, resembling the common Cormorant. 

 Its body is of a brown colour, with the throat white, the tail 

 rounded and the bill yellow. On a large lake close to this 

 river, are thousands of small boats and rafts built entirely 

 for this species of fishery. On each boat are ten or a dozen 

 birds, which at a signal from the owners, plunge into the 

 water, and it is astonishing to see the enormous size of the 

 fishes with which they return, grasped firmly in their bills* 

 They appeared to be so well trained that it did not require 

 either ring or cord about their necks to prevent them from 

 swallowing any portion of their prey, except what the 

 master was pleased to return them for encouragement and 

 food. The boat is lightly made and carried by the shoulders 

 of two fishermen with a pole, the birds being generally 

 perched in the middle. 



In the marshy grounds which surround the lake, we 

 discovered the singular plant called the Nymphaea Nelumbs, 

 a kind of large and beautiful Water Lilly. The Chinese 

 have always held this plant in suck high value, that at 

 length they regard it as sacred. That character however 

 has not confined it to merely useful or ornamental purposes, 

 as it also introduced by them to the table. The seed are 

 very numerous and like an acorn in shape, the taste more 

 delicate than almonds. The roots are cut into slices and in 

 the summer served with ice. They are also laid up with 

 salt and vinegar for the winter. This plant has been sup- 

 posed by some authors to be the Lotus of the Egyptians, 

 but there are no sufficient proofs to confirm such an 

 opinion. 



The Chinese have also several other species of the 

 INymphaea. The flat grounds adjoining the rivers serve as 

 plantations for the cultivation of the rice, and from these by 



