158 A PERSONAL ADVENTURE. [Cuapr. IX. 
monly called, are particularly gay at new-year time 
with flowers of all hues, and gaudy flags streaming 
from each mast and stern. Crackers or fireworks, 
of which the Chinaman is so fond, are let off in large 
quantities for several days in all parts of the town, 
and form part of their religious ceremonies or offer- 
ings to their gods. Their shops are closed on New 
Year’s Day, and for two or three days afterwards. 
The greater part of the natives wear their holiday 
clothes, and tramp about amongst their relations 
and friends to chin-chin them, and wish them a 
happy new year, as we do at home. Large parties 
are made at this season to go up to the gardens 
at Fa-tee; and on particular days you find there 
hundreds of these flower-boats crowded with young 
Chinese of the better classes, enjoying themselves 
as our own population do at Richmond or Hampton 
Court. Great numbers of well dressed ladies also 
go over to Fa-tee in the flower-boats, and walk about 
in the gardens; and this is the only season when 
they are visible at Canton. 
After having been several months in the north 
of China, and, with one or two exceptions, always 
experiencing the greatest civility from the natives, 
I was beginning to form a high opinion of the 
Chinese as a nation, and inclined to trust the people 
about Canton in the same manner as I had done in 
the northern provinces. I very soon, however, found 
out my mistake, and in a most disagreeable manner. 
There were some hills behind the city, a few miles 
distant, which I had often wished to visit for the 
