70 CHARACTER OF THE NATIVES. [Cuar. V. 
Like the vegetation of their hills, they are very dif- 
- ferent from their countrymen of the south, and the 
change, I am happy to say, is for the better and not 
forthe worse. Doubtless there are thieves and bad 
characters amongst them; but these are compara- 
tively few, and are kept in better check by the go- 
vernment, the result of which is, that unprotected 
property is in a great measure safe, and cases of theft 
are almost unknown. The people may be divided 
into three classes:—the countrymen or agricultural 
farmers and labourers, the shopkeepers in the 
towns, and the mandarins or officers of government. 
The trade of Tinghae and the other towns seems 
to consist chiefly in articles of food and clothing, 
and owing to the number of British soldiers who 
were there from the time of our taking possession 
of the island until it was again handed over to the 
Chinese, this trade was of course in a flourishing 
condition. Fruits and vegetables were brought in 
great quantities from the main land, fish were 
plentiful; good sheep were sold at about three 
dollars each, and the Chinese even got so far over 
their religious prejudices as to keep the market 
well supplied with bullocks, which were sold at 
prices varying from eight to twelve dollars. It 
was astonishing how quickly they got accustomed. 
to our habits, and were able to supply all our 
wants. Bread baked in the English mode was 
soon exposed for sale in the shops*, and even 
* A mode of baking and cooking in use here is ingenious. 
A large rice-pan is filled with water, with a fire below it: 
