Cuar. XVII.] MANNERS OF CHINESE LADIES. 319 
the same time—while at other times the flowers 
are striped with the two colours. This will also 
be as hardy as our common China rose. (Glycine 
sinensis is often grown ona flat trellis in front of 
the summer-house, or forms a kind of portico, which 
affords a pleasing shade. Entwined with one of 
these trees, I found another variety, having very 
long racemes of pure white flowers, which con- 
trasted well with the light blue of the other. I ob- 
tained permission from the old Chinese gentleman 
to whom it belonged (my old friend Dr. Chang) to 
make some layers of this fine plant, and I am happy 
to say that one of these is now alive in the garden 
at Chiswick. 
The Horticultural Society having sent me out 
some small optical instruments to be given as 
presents, I presented some of them to the Doctor, 
with which he was much pleased, and offered in 
return to let me have whatever cuttings or plants 
from his garden I might wish to possess. 
Weare generally led to believe that ladies of rank 
in this country are never seen by visitors. It is 
quite true that Chinese custom, in this respect, 
differs entirely from ours; and that the females here, 
like those of most half civilised or barbarous nations, 
are kept in the back ground, and are not considered 
as on an equality with their husbands, For ex- 
ample, they do not sit at the same table; when a 
“sing-song” or theatrical performance is got up, 
they are put in a place out of view, where they can 
see all that is going on and yet remain unseen. 
