Cuar. IX.] ITS CELEBRATION IN CHINA. 157 
their houses and temples. In going up the river 
towards the Fa-tee Gardens, I met boats in great 
numbers loaded with branches of peach and plum 
trees in bloom, Enkianthus quinqueflorus, camel- 
lias, cockscombs, magnolias, and various other 
plants which flower at this season. The Enkianthus 
is brought down from the hills with the buds just 
expanding ; and after being placed in water for a 
day or two, the flowers come out as healthy and 
fresh as if the branches had not been removed from 
the parent tree. This plant is a great favourite 
amongst the Chinese. The common jonquil too 
comes in for a very extensive share of patronage ; 
and in the streets of Canton one meets with thou- 
sands of bulbs growing in small pans amongst water 
and a few white stones. In this case the Chinese 
exhibit their peculiar propensity for dwarf and 
monstrous growth, by planting the bulbs upside 
down, and making the plants and flowers assume 
curious twisted forms, which appear to be so agree- 
able to the eyes of aChinaman. Large quantities of 
all these flowers are exposed for sale in many of the 
shops and in the corners of the streets in Canton, 
where they seem to be eagerly bought up by the 
Chinese, who consider them quite indispensable at 
this particular season. Not only are the houses 
and temples decorated with them, but the boats on 
the river also come in for a most extensive share. 
Indeed, these boats are only floating houses, for a 
very great part of the population of Canton lives 
upon the river. The flower-boats, as they are com- 
