320 SAIL FOR HONG-KONG. 'Cuav. XVIL 
But for all this they are not entirely secluded from 
society ; at least they used frequently to honour me 
with their presence, and crowd round me with the 
greatest curiosity. At first they used to be ex- 
tremely shy, and only took sly peeps at me from 
behind doors and through windows; by and by, 
however, their strong curiosity conquered their 
bashfulness, and then they used to stand and look 
on very composedly. They generally, however, 
kept at a little distance, and whenever a movement 
was made towards where they stood, they pre- 
tended to be vastly frightened, and ran away ; but 
they soon came back again. 
To Mr. Maukeraiaen one of our culesite at 
Ningpo, and also to Mr. Thom, Her Majesty’s 
consul, I was greatly indebted for their kindness 
and hospitality. They did every thing in their 
power to forward my views, and to both these gen- 
tlemen | take this opportunity of rendering my best 
thanks. 
After having spent the summer in the districts 
of Ningpo, Chusan, and Shanghae, I returned to 
the last-mentioned place, where my plants were all 
collected, intending immediately to sail for Hong- 
kong, and send a portion of them home.to England; 
but the exposure to the sun during the summer 
was now beginning to affect my health, and when 
I landed at Shanghae I was laid up with a severe 
attack of fever. Providentially this happened when 
I was amongst my English friends, and, as I had 
the means of procuring excellent medical advice, I 
