Cuae. VII] CUNNING OF THE CHINESE. 135 
Another example may be given to show the 
cunning and deceit of many of the Chinese here as 
elsewhere. A flower painter in Chusan had in- 
formed me that several very valuable varieties of 
the Moutan, or Tree Peony, were to be found in 
gardens near Shanghae. ‘Those varieties of this 
flower, which are yearly brought from the northern 
provinces to Canton, and which are now common 
in Europe, have blossoms, which are either rose- 
coloured or white: but it was always asserted, 
although not believed, that in some part of China 
purple, blue, and yellow varieties were produced, 
although these were never brought to Canton for 
sale. It was for these that I made the most parti- 
cular inquiries, and this painter not only affirmed 
he had seen them, but also offered, for a small sum, 
to make me drawings from memory of all the dif- 
ferent kinds. I employed him at once, and when 
he had finished the drawings, I took them with me 
to Shanghae. A nurseryman, who had a flower- 
shop in the town, to whom I showed these draw- 
ings, promised at once to procure living plants for 
me, but said they would be very expensive, as he 
would have to send to Soo-chow, a distance of 
nearly one hundred miles, for they were not to be 
procured in the vicinity of Shanghae, and a man 
would be absent at least eight days. I was, of 
course, glad to get them upon any terms, and gave 
the man the price he asked, which, after all, was 
not much out of the way, if they were to be 
brought a hundred miles. At the specified time 
Kk 4 
